We’re incredibly proud to announce that BIAS has achieved the Investing in Volunteers (IiV) accreditation — for the very first time in our charity’s history.
This is a significant milestone for BIAS, but more importantly, it’s a celebration of the incredible volunteers who are at the heart of what we do.
Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for organisations involving volunteers. It recognises organisations that demonstrate a real commitment to providing a positive, inclusive and rewarding volunteering experience, while valuing the enormous contribution volunteers make.
For BIAS, achieving the accreditation has been a rigorous nine-month process. We reviewed our volunteer management approach, refined our processes and encouraged our volunteers to share their experiences through focus groups. This was followed by a two-day assessment, during which staff, volunteers and a trustee were interviewed about their experiences of volunteering with us.
We’re delighted that, throughout this process, BIAS was recognised as having an incredible volunteer programme and demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting, developing and valuing our volunteers.
The Investing in Volunteers assessment looks at six key areas:
- Vision for volunteering
- Planning for volunteers
- Volunteer inclusion
- Recruiting and welcoming volunteers
- Supporting volunteers
- Valuing and developing volunteers
Achieving the accreditation means we have demonstrated that we meet nationally recognised standards across all six areas. But for us, one of the most valuable parts of the process was hearing directly from our volunteers. Their feedback showed just how rewarding volunteering at BIAS is, as one Volunteer said:
“You know that they love their volunteers. You feel cared for. You feel appreciated here.”
These comments, alongside the feedback from our assessment, demonstrate that volunteering at BIAS is not something that sits alongside our work — it is embedded in who we are and in our plans for the future.
Could you be part of it?
We’re always looking for people who want to make a difference and become part of the BIAS team.
Whether you have a particular skill you’d like to share, want to try something new, or simply want to give some of your time to support our work, we’d love to hear from you.
Our Investing in Volunteers accreditation demonstrates that when you volunteer with BIAS, you’re joining an organisation that is committed to supporting you, developing you and making sure your contribution is valued.
If you’d like to get involved in our work, contact us at volunteers@biasbrent.co.uk or call 0208 459 6655.