What Engages Volunteers?
“What engages volunteers?”
This was one of the very first questions asked of me on my return from maternity leave (once the obligatory discussions around sleep, or complete lack of, had come to an end). Within the charity retail sector, the topic of volunteer engagement is on everyone’s lips and, as a company working to revolutionise the way communities connect with charities, we want to join the conversation.
But before we delve in to all that, let me introduce myself …
Who am I?
I’m Rachel, newly appointed Head of Volunteer Engagement for Wil-U – technology that makes connecting with supporters and volunteers easier.
I returned to my role as Head of HR for PXtech (our parent company) in November, leaving behind the demands of my toddler and tackling the day-to-day needs of a 50-ish strong workforce … I’m not going to lie, sometimes they are not that dissimilar!
Soon after, I was offered the exciting opportunity to join the Wil-U team. Tasked with immersing myself in the world of volunteering, I jumped at the chance to get out of the office and meet the people donating their time and skills to such great causes. My aim? To put my HR knowledge and experience to use in a completely new way, helping charities deal with their biggest challenge … their people!
Why me?
2019 was a summer of celebration: PXtech turned 20 and I celebrated my five year anniversary with the company. Reflecting on my experiences, I can say, hand on heart, that I love my job but there have been many highs and lows over the years – such is the nature of people management.
One of the great things about my role is being able to support people with their personal and career development – travelling the journey with them, helping them through the tough times and sharing their successes.
However, I’ve also experienced the frustrations of recruiting in an increasingly competitive labour market, having to look at what we can offer to attract and retain the best without the budget or ‘Google-esque’ offices of big tech; as well as the impact and disruption a departing employee can have on a team’s motivation and performance.
With this experience in the bag and a hot cup of coffee in my hand, I have been set the challenge of understanding and identifying the issues charities of all sizes are facing – and with my limited research so far, it’s sounding all too familiar:
“We need more volunteers!”
“How do we keep them happy?”
“I’m too busy! There’s too much admin!”
So, what’s next?
Following conversations with some of the country’s biggest charities, Wil-U is looking at ways in which it can help the sector improve the engagement and management of volunteers, ensuring organisations are making the most of the time people are donating.
Over the next few months I will be looking to build on this and get talking to those in the field – volunteers, shop managers and heads of volunteering – listening to them and building an understanding of the current challenges they’re facing. I can safely say (having had similar assurances from my own boss) that this is not a sales role, there is no hidden agenda … I just want to understand what’s going on. I’ve already had some great input from the Charity Retail Association (CRA) and charities such as Air Ambulance and Save the Children.
In addition to this, I will be attending upcoming conferences and networking events, and helping the team get ready for the CRA conference in June. This is all very new to me and a huge step out of my comfort zone, so if you see me loitering around the coffee machine, looking a little lost, please come and say hi!
The hope is that these sessions will enable us to understand whether there are any opportunities to help charities recruit and retain volunteers, taking away the ‘busy stuff’ and allowing them to focus on the great work they do for their beneficiaries and the local community.
So, if you would like to talk about your experiences with volunteers, volunteering or charity retail in general, please get in touch via email or feel free to pick up the phone for a chat, I’m all ears!
… and in response to my original question; what engages volunteers? I’m ready to find out!
We think you might like…
Let's stay in touch...
Useful Links
01332 921 399
info@wil-u.com
50 Canal St, Derby, DE1 2RJ
Please note calls to this number are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
















Latest news, ideas and important information
How to turbocharge item donations for your charity
As the director of a small-scale or local UK charity, it’s easy to feel like a little fish in a big pond, continuously outcompeted for direct donations by large national charities (with proportionally larger fundraising and promotional budgets). In the face of this,...
Revitalising revenue: strategies for driving growth in charity retail with EPOS
During an economic downturn, when many charities witness a drop in individual giving donations, charity shops provide an increasingly crucial source of revenue, as supporters will often purchase goods from a charity shop even when scaling back on their direct...
How Wil-U can connect you with your volunteers, supporters, and donors
One of the biggest challenges that small charities face when operating a profitable charity shop is finding enough volunteers, supporters, and donors to make the initiative financially viable which is why the Wil-U charity EPOS ecosystem goes beyond the practicalities...
Unlock The Magic Of Membership: Why Joining The Wil-U Family Is A No-Brainer!
Wil-U provides a dedicated EPOS solution for Third Sector and charitable organisations that run charity shops, making it easier for you to increase your Gift Aid contributions, help manage stock elements, smooths the sales process, and access your sales data in...
Maximise Your Giving Power: 5 Reasons Retail Gift Aid Automation Is A Game-Changer!
Gift Aid is an extremely valuable tax relief that contributes millions worth of funds to Third Sector causes each year and is a crucial aspect of charity fundraising and retail in the UK. However, manually processing Gift Aid contributions is time-consuming and can be...
The Humble Beginnings Of Gift Aid: How This Genius Idea Changed The Charity Game Forever
Gift Aid is a UK tax incentive available to all registered charities, social enterprises, and Community Amateur Sports Clubs, allowing them to reclaim additional money from HMRC from eligible donations. The Gift Aid scheme was originally introduced under the Finance...
Help for Hospice retail shops: What Wil-U offer to help boost your sales!
At Wil-U, we provide customisable technology modules for Hospice charity shops and online sales outlets across the UK. Our tablet-based EPOS and Gift Aid automation solution helps your volunteers and staff, shop managers, and head office team to raise more money for...
How Charity EPOS Systems Can Transform Your Charity Shops
A charity shop EPOS system can transform your charity shop retail operation in numerous ways, improving efficiency, accessibility, and revenues. In this article, we look at how EPOS systems are used in charity retail and the benefits of adopting a digital automated...
The future of charity retail with Wil-U: Paperless, automated Gift Aid systems
Automated Gift Aid software helps Third Sector organisations maximise the potential of retail Gift Aid and is rapidly becoming the future of charity retail for both online and traditional shop-based charitable donations and purchases. Let’s look at the benefits of...
Contact us
Please note calls to this number are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
About Us
Wil-U is part of the PXtech
family. PXtech have been
developing innovtive
technology solutions for
over 20 years.
![goldpartnertrans[59]](https://www.wil-u.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/goldpartnertrans59.png)
![goldpartnertrans[59]](https://www.wil-u.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/goldpartnertrans59.png)





