VOLUNTEERING GUIDE

The Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL.
The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales no. 294344 and in Scotland no. SC038885.
A non-profit making company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873.
The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark. Cover photos: WTPL/Phil Lockwood; Niall Benvie;
Dominic Nicholls (2); Ed Parker and iStock. 4638 12/10
VOLUNTEERING GUIDE

WTPL/Paul Hetherington
WELCOME
Welcome to volunteering with the Woodland Trust, we hope you will
enjoy your time with us. This handbook has been created to help you
get the most from your activity and provide you with guidance whether
you are involved in the woods themselves or supporting one of the
other areas of our activity. We want you to enjoy your volunteering
and to make it as rewarding for you as it is for the organisation. The
time and effort you contribute enables the Woodland Trust to make
even more of the resources it has by providing additional skills and
capabilities. This ensures we deliver our ambitions for trees and woods.
Our volunteers are a huge asset to the organisation, the Volunteering
Development Team and your task managers aim to provide a service
that reflects the importance of volunteers within the organisation.
Thank you for your time, effort and enthusiasm.
CONTENTS
Volunteers’ charter
Support
Expenses
Health & Safety
Insurance
Equal opportunities
Caring for others
Protecting the Trust’s interests and maintaining its reputation
Complaints
No longer a volunteer
How you can help us
Where to get more information about the Trust
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WTPL/David Rodway
Sue Holden
Chief executive
Volunteering Development Team Contact Details
Tel: 01476 581111
Email: volunteering@woodlandtrust.org.uk
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WTPL/Dominic Nicholls
VOLUNTEERS’ CHARTER
We would ask that as a volunteer you:
• Work with us to achieve our aims and objectives
• Be reliable
• Air any concerns immediately to the appropriate person
• Respect confidentiality, equality and health and safety requirements
• Attend relevant training
• Uphold the name of the Woodland Trust at all times
• Tell us in advance of your intention to stop volunteering for us,
where possible
• Enjoy yourself!
As a volunteer you can expect:
• A clear volunteer support framework
• To be given tasks that you are capable of and that are of benefit to
the Trust
• A clearly defined outline of the task we would like you to undertake
• To have a member of staff nominated as a key contact for the
task involved
• To have expenses reimbursed, at the appropriate rates, where
pre-agreed
• That we strive to ensure equality of opportunity within the Trust
• Safe working conditions
• Access to a complaints procedure and independent member of staff.
We also acknowledge volunteers activity through our Volunteer of the
Year scheme.This enables staff to nominate volunteers for awards in a
number of categories. A single winner is also chosen by the directors
from all the winners of the different categories to receive the Watkins
Memorial medal.
Please note that acceptance of this handbook will be deemed to be
acknowledgement and agreement with the principles outlined in the Volunteers’
Charter. This agreement is honorary and is not intended to be legally binding.
SUPPORT
WTPL/Niall Benvie
Volunteers team
We are a central point of contact for any general enquiries you
may have about volunteering as well asorganising and supporting
volunteerevents, training and communication.
Task Manager
You will be supported by your task manager who has responsibility
for providing appropriate training, monitoring and support related to
your task.The level and type of support will depend on the task you
are doing, where and when as well as the task managers availability.
Whether or not you are engaged on a task we will keep you up to date
via our newsletter, volunteers events and recommend you visit our
website regularly.
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iStock/Steve Cole
Expenses
All agreed expenses will be reimbursed and we encourage you to claim
any expenses that relate to your volunteering activity. This means that
everyone is able to get involved regardless of circumstances. You can
claim for travel costs to relevant and agreed activities as well as other
expenses appropriate to your task and advocate that you consider
electronic communications and green transport solutions wherever
possible. A volunteer expense claim form should be submitted to your
task manager with all relevant receipts. However, if you prefer to bear
the costs of any activities, you may donate some or all of the expenses
incurred back to the Woodland Trust.
Please ensure that you make your task manager aware of any factors
that may affect the risks posed to you. This information will be kept
confidential.
Any incidents occurring whilst volunteering, however slight, should be
reported as quickly as possible to your task manager who will set in
motion the standard reporting process.
INSURANCE
The Woodland Trust public liability insurance covers any authorised
activity that you take part in and personal accident cover is available to
you between the ages of 15 and 75.
Please note:
• Your personal property is not covered by the Woodland Trust
insurance – you are advised to ensure your possessions are covered
by your own insurance.
• You may use your own car for Woodland Trust activities, but should
ensure that you have informed your insurance company before carrying
out any activities. If necessary arrange for ‘business use’ to be added.
iStock/clearstockconcepts
POLICY
HEALTH & SAFETY
The organisation has a legal responsibility to comply with the relevant
legislation. We aim to provide safe and healthy conditions for any
activity by anticipating risks and removing, or avoiding, hazards.
In turn:
• You must be aware of the need for complying with any instructions
from your task manager
• You should take care whilst carrying out activities on behalf of the
Woodland Trust
• Understand the basics of good health and safety practice
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Woodland Trust strives to create equal opportunities for all
volunteers. We are committed to being an organisation where
volunteers are free from unlawful discrimination on the grounds of
colour, race, religious/political beliefs, nationality, ethnic origin, disability,
sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or marital status.
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WTPL/Karen Fisher
CARING FOR OTHERS
There are a few instances when you will be directly involved with
people who might be perceived as vulnerable, therefore please
consider the impact your actions have on those more vulnerable than
yourself at all times. Full guidance is available should you require it and
will be provided if it is relevant to any task you carry out.
PROTECTING THE TRUST’S INTERESTS AND REPUTATION
In many communities the Woodland Trust is a well known organisation.
As a volunteer you often represent the organisation and should do
so with a responsible, positive and professional attitude. If you receive
any difficult enquiries please refer them to a Woodland Trust member
of staff if available at the time or forward them to your task manager
or the Volunteering Development Team to be dealt with. We do not
expect you to place yourself in any difficult or uncomfortable situations
and ask you to consider your own safety at all times.
Please do not hesitate to contact your task manager or volunteers officer
if youhave any queries. If you have any questions about your health and
safety ask a member of staff for information immediately.
COMPLAINTS
If you wish to make a complaint about the actions of another volunteer,
a contractor or a member of staff we will ask you to provide the
following information.
• Details of the incident and if previously reported
• Any witness statements or names
• Names of others who have been treated in a similar way
• A preference for a solution to the incident
You should keep the matter confidential and any notes made will
remain confidential. Your anonymity will be protected as far as possible.
NO LONGER A VOLUNTEER
If you discontinue volunteering with us, we hope you feel that you
have made a lasting contribution to the organisation and achieved
something worthwhile. Where possible please let us know in advance
if you wish to stop or change your activity so that we can offer the
opportunity to someone else.
WTPL/Paul O’Conner
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HOW YOU CAN HELP US
There are a number of things you can do that will help us
ensure your volunteering activity with the Woodland Trust is
used to best effect.
CONTACT DETAILS
Should any of your details change please inform us as soon as possible.
You are assured that details are kept on a secure database and none
of this information is made available to other parties unless it is legally
requested.
ILLNESS/ABSENCE/HOLIDAYS
There is no formal requirement for you to inform us of any of these
events, but it would be helpful if you could let us know of any that
may affect the completion of your task so that we can make suitable
arrangements to cover your activities, if necessary.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
The volunteering time you contribute to the Woodland Trust’s activity
is extremely valuable to us and we record as much as possible in order
to illustrate the impact volunteers have on the organisations objectives.
A diary of activity is provided appropriate to your task.
YOUR INPUT
We welcome any ideas that will help the work that the Woodland Trust
does, whilst we cannot always guarantee to action them we do listen
and consider your thoughts. You will have a number of opportunities
to express any ideas or concerns to the Volunteering Development
Team or your task manager. Please feel free to contact the Volunteering
Development Team at any time to pass on information. Contact details
are provided on the contents page of this publication.
OTHER WAYS TO TAKE PART
Our volunteering opportunities regularly get updated and change to
provide a wide range of activities and roles for individuals to take part in.
In the past we have had volunteers recording ancient trees,
campaigning, mentoring members of our staff, giving guided walks and
even providing administrative assistance. We recommend that you
regularly check the ‘Take Part’ area on the Woodland Trust website in
case any new tasks arise that you are interested in. From time to time
we may ask for your help in attending events and information sessions
to represent the Woodland Trust. Although you are not obliged to
attend these events, they are always great fun, and help boost the
Woodland Trusts profile in the community.
WHERE TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
To find out more infomation, please visit woodlandtrust.org.uk
about the activities of the organisation and all the sites we own. Various
different project websites can be accessed from here as well.
If you do not have access to the website or cannot find the information
you need about the organisation please contact the public enquiries
line on 01476 581135.
iStock/Francisco Orellana
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