The annual report summarizes Volunteer Scotland's activities in 2020, a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key points include: - Volunteering increased during lockdown as people helped their communities, though formal volunteering declined initially. - Research found mental health and loneliness increased as top community concerns during the pandemic. - Communications adapted campaigns like Volunteers' Week to recognize volunteers' critical pandemic response. - Learning and development initiatives like online training and a mental health volunteer program supported volunteers. - Disclosure services operations changed to process COVID-related checks online after an initial drop in applications.

1. Annual Report 2020
Volunteer Voices“
“
Volunteering for All

2. 2 3
Contents Let’s talk about our highlights
2 Saying thanks
3 Our highlights
4 Research
6 Communications
8 Learning & Development
9 Disclosure Services
10 “Volunteer Voices”
12 Sound Governance
14 Our Board of Directors
15 Our Playbook action
16 Sound waves of change
Saying thanks
We’re starting by saying thank you. Thank you
volunteers for your generosity and compassion.
We’ve listened and learned so much from your
collective voice, and intrinsic humanity, especially
experienced through this Covid-19 crisis. A special
thanks to Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell.
Her contribution to volunteering is recognised
and greatly appreciated including her fantastic
poem for Volunteers’ Week.
Thank you to:
Stakeholders who have boosted
us with such positive feedback;
Trusted funders, partners and collaborations
that take on the daily challenges of delivering
services, and working for system change
to increase wellbeing through growth
and inclusion in volunteering;
Directors, staff and associates and
the pleasure it is to work directly with you;
The Scottish Government for co-designing
the Volunteering for All: national framework
and backing this up with the world class
Scottish Household Survey research.
George Thomson
Chief Executive
Follow us on social media for more photos
and news from Volunteer Scotland!
The Gathering
Mini Evidence Expo’s Virtual collaborations
Team V Mental
Health VolunteersLaunching Radio V
Volunteers’ Week
@volscotlandListen to my personal
message here

3. Let’s talk Research
Pre-COVID-19 research
The last 12 months can best be described as ‘a
game of two halves’. Pre-COVID our Research
Team worked with key partners to explore the
relationship between volunteering, health and
wellbeing and social indicators:
In summary
Volunteering has responded to needs, and
there are important lessons to be learned
if we are to achieve a more resilient society,
which both maximises the community
benefits arising from volunteering and also
addresses the long-term health and wellbeing
challenges we face.
Evaluation evidence
To supplement our mainstream evaluation
work we have undertaken two in-depth
evaluation exercises:
• Analysis of the Scotland Cares
35,000 volunteer sign-ups
• Stakeholder Survey Report 2020
– a big thank you to our 100
participating stakeholders
COVID-19 related research
Since March 2020 the main focus of our attention has been researching the impact of COVID-19 on volunteering –
see our COVID-19 Evidence Base. The effect of the pandemic on volunteering can best be described as ‘seismic’.
The impacts are comparable to dropping a very large boulder into a very still pond. The major impacts include:
• Increase in people helping out - the baseline adult
volunteering participation rate from SHS 2018 was
48% - the combined figure for both formal and
informal volunteering. However, during lockdown
(March – June) participation increased by 26% to
three-quarters of Scotland’s adult population (74%).
• Growth in informal support – there has
been a large increase in informal volunteering
and mutual aid support which contrasts
with the c. 50% decline in formal volunteering
due initially to social distancing and shielding
restrictions, and now the funding and economic
pressures facing organisations.
• Positive community engagement – third sector
organisations have identified a sea-change in how
communities have responded to COVID-19, with
people looking out for each other, volunteering
to help others, people’s relationships improving
and better collaboration between community
organisations.
• Health and wellbeing challenges – mental health
and loneliness are the two most prevalent issues
facing communities both now and in the future.
A series of other health and wellbeing indicators
have also been exacerbated during COVID-19
and the challenge is how to respond to these
more complex issues, especially when formal
volunteering has been contracting.
Matthew Linning
Strategic Performance Manager
Cathy Hynds
Research Evaluation Officer
4 5
Read our survey report here
The Contribution
of Volunteering
to Scotland’s Health
and Wellbeing
Scottish Household
Survey: Cross-
Sectional Analysis
2016 2018
NHS Greater
Glasgow and
Clyde Health
and Wellbeing
Survey 2017/18
Young People
and Volunteering
in Scotland: 2019 The highest negative community
impact concerns right now
People looking out
for each other
Increase in volunteer participation
in Scotland during lockdown
Mental health 86%
Loneliness 83%26% 84%
Debbie Maltman
Research Officer

4. Let’s talk
Communications
Each year, we work with partners to
deliver several national ‘volunteer-focused’
campaigns. Our planning for Volunteers’
Week coincided with the lockdown.
Volunteers Week
With our partners we made the decision to go
ahead with Volunteers’ Week in Scotland; this
was especially difficult as many organisations’
volunteer programmes had ceased.
The Volunteers’ Week 2020 campaign was
adapted to reflect the amazing response
of volunteers to COVID-19.
We encouraged people to be creative in how
they thanked volunteers – including through
poetry, song and image.
Volunteer Opportunities
Through our Volunteer Search site we
provide a single destination for volunteering
opportunities across Scotland. We also
provide a Volunteering Zone for organisations
to publish their opportunities on our site
and via the local volunteer centre sites.
These facilities have performed well
and continued to grow over the year.
A week of thanks to volunteers
See the Volunteer’s Week Highlights here
Ona Ebodaghe
Health Mind
Chest Heart
Stroke Scotland
Sustrans Scotland
Volunteer Scotland
6 7
Throughout the year the Marketing and
Communications Team have continued to
provide regular and fresh ‘volunteer-focused’,
‘practice-based’ and ‘research themed’
content on our website and social media
and through themed, quarterly email
newsletters. However, since March we’ve
also had to adapt and re-focus our activities
in response to the pandemic.
COVID-19
We now provide regularly updated
COVID-19 advice and guidance for
volunteers and voluntary organisations.
We’ve taken a lead role in managing
a national call for volunteer sign-ups
as part of the Scotland Cares campaign.
We’ve created a podcast radio station,
Radio V; with its weekly audio digest
including a curated ‘national’ opportunity
for the 35k Scotland Cares sign-ups.
Alan Stevenson
Communications
IT Manager
Website stats: before, during and
after COVID-19 national lockdown
Users of Volunteer Search Site
Before
lockdown
Before
lockdown
During
lockdown
During
lockdown
After
lockdown
After
lockdown
*Scotland Cares campaign sign ups page accounts for peak
*COVID-19 related visitor information accounts for peak
150k
100k
200k
Users of Volunteer Scotland Main Site
100k
0k
150k
Lockdown date segments: Before lockdown (2nd January until
15th March), During lockdown (16th March until 28th May)
After lockdown (29th May until 10th August). (Users arriving
in comparable periods before, during and after lockdown)
108k
35k
175k
118k
100k
35k

5. Let’s talk Learning
and Development
Let’s talk
Disclosure Services
The Learning and Development Team listen
to volunteers, engage with those who
support volunteer activity, review research
and collaborate with others. All with the
main aim of developing learning opportunities
to increase volunteer practice and support
a good volunteering experience for all.
Team V
Team V, was created from those who
expressed an interest in volunteering in the
Scotland Cares campaign at the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals were offered
an opportunity to become a Mental Health
Volunteer. The programme was developed in
partnership with the Open University, Rotary
Scotland, Public Health Scotland and NHS
Education for Scotland. The overall objective
was to raise awareness of mental health
and wellbeing within our communities and
workplaces arising out of the negative impact
of COVID-19 on communities’ mental health
and wellbeing.
Online learning
Working with the Open University we
have developed an online portfolio which
currently includes: ‘Involving Volunteers’
and as a response to Covid-19 we created
‘Keeping Volunteers Safe’
Quality Standards for
all Volunteer practice
Working in partnership with Dundee
Volunteer, Voluntary Action and Quality
Scotland we have created for the first time a
volunteer quality pipeline. This approach will
define and support good volunteer practice
within Scotland. This quality pipeline is
designed to support volunteer practitioners
and further develop volunteer programmes.
Adrian Murtagh
Head of Volunteer Practice
Allana Fotheringham
Volunteer Practice Manager
Angela McHale
Volunteer Practice Coordinator
The last 12 months have been
something of a rollercoaster
for VSDS.
Pre-COVID all targets were on track to
be met to the end of 2019/2020 with 59K
applications received. Then, LOCKDOWN!
Operations
From Tuesday 24th March our volumes
dropped off as the country went into the
period of lockdown and the Management
Team and Compliance Officers worked with
Disclosure Scotland to produce a workable
online alternative to support the national
COVID-19 response. Whilst this was
ongoing VSDS started the process of
moving to a fully home-based operation.
From April until late June, only COVID
Response PVG applications were being
processed. When routine applications were
reintroduced in June VSDS has seen a steady
increase in volume levels. Online applications
have outnumbered the paper applications
by quite a distance.
In terms of the application levels, the forecast
for the remainder of the year to 31st March
2021 has been reduced considerably.
Compliance and Training
Now an entirely online support function,
the team are undertaking online training
sessions and support visits for the voluntary
sector. They have also added weekly
‘drop-in’ sessions which have proved to
be especially valuable and have generated
sessions to focus on particular aspects of
the changes. Namely, the support sessions
for the completion of the online application
template. These have been particularly
popular and book out quickly.
Overall, the year has been a real change curve
for all as we adapt to new ways of working.
The team have shown they are up for the
challenge as we look forward to the next few
months and embrace the new normal!
8 9
Ewen McMartin
Disclosure Services Manager

6. 10 11
“Volunteer Voices”
This Annual Report is named and dedicated
to “Volunteer Voices”. Volunteer Scotland
was a partner in the Scotland Cares sign-up
of volunteers to help address the crisis of
Covid-19. We supported each Local Authority
and Third Sector Interface in the allocation
of local and national opportunities for the
35,000 volunteer sign-ups.
As a communication channel we created
Radio V Good Morning Volunteers! Every
week for 12 episodes we produced a wonderful
testimony to volunteering in Scotland and
abroad. What emerged was some of the most
moving and powerful stories about people.
The channel became a listening resource for
us. “Seek first to understand before being
understood”, was our approach.
With intense research and evidence we learned,
and witnessed our citizens undertake voluntary
activity in all shapes and forms. Hundreds of
thousands each and every day helped out. Every
community responded positively. We selected
8 of the stories which you can listen to on the
right. Along with the Scottish Government, we
shared these stories in different engagements
to help the country plan for recovery and
renewal. The 5 C’s were invented as a way
of listening to these recordings:
Context, Creating the spaces for
volunteering, Communications,
Compassion Change
Catch up with Radio V, including some fascinating
insight and research on the national volunteer
response to COVID-19 from our Research Officer
Debbie Maltman Listen to Radio V here
Peggy comes home
LGBT+ Dumfries
We Too Breathe Easy
Scotland’s Tech Army
North East Open Studios
Drumchapel football
Green Hive

7. 12 13
Sound Governance
Our Governance is a balancing
act. Balancing the books and
planning for a sustainable future.
Balancing our audit, scrutiny and risk
management responsibility along with
support to the team. Being creative,
imaginative, and challenging including
our discussion workshops before every
Board meeting. Our role aims to balance
the best use of our assets to bring about
our shared purpose and collaborative work
in Volunteering for All. I’m enormously
grateful for the way our people and
organisation has shown such resilience
over this year, and at the same time
achieved our 20:20 ambition of a 50/50
gender split on the Board. Balance again!
Richard Jennings
Chair
Listen to my personal
message here
“
“
Risk Management
The Directors have assessed the main risks to the
company and are satisfied that systems are in place
to mitigate those risks.
Audit and Scrutiny Committee meetings are held prior
to our board meetings and includes VS Chair and Vice
Chair together with our CEO and Head of Corporate
Services. Other staff or board members are invited to
attend as required.
The purpose of Audit and Scrutiny is to review
the business risk and financial management within
Volunteer Scotland to ensure that any risk exposure
is minimised and that good practices are maintained.
Volunteer Scotland recognises the exposure we have
in relation to financial and operational matters arising
from COVID-19 and will attempt to minimise our risk
associted with this pandemic for our staff, clients,
customers and tenants.
During 2019-20, in line with Financial Reporting
Standards, VS undertook a re-valuation of our
premises at Jubilee House. This is required to allow
a split between our assets and that deemed to be
investment assets which is the area which VS leases
to our tenants. This exercise showed an overall
reduction in the valuation of VS investment assets
and statutory accounts have been adjusted to reflect
this reduction.
An overall reduction in property reserves of £181k
is shown through the 2019-20 accounts. This has no
impact on cash balance or on our level of unrestricted
funding.
There are no business critical matters outstanding
and Volunteer Scotland has no legal actions or threats
of legal action against our organisation.
Company Secretary
George Thomson
Head of Corporate
Services
Kenneth Stirratt
Independent Auditors
French Duncan LLP
Statutory Auditors
Chartered Accountants
We’re fully committed
to these Accreditations
2019-20 2018-19
£ £
Incoming resources 1,813,980 1,814,323
Resources expended 1,729,071 1,701,986
Net incoming
resources
84,909 112,337
Fixed assets 1,577,327 1,769,133
Net current assets 1,140,491 1,118,093
Creditors
Amounts falling
due after one year
(-749,103) (-800,040)
Net assets excluding
pension liability
1,968,715 2,087,186
Defined benefit
pension scheme
liability
(-100,316) (-122,000)
Net assets including
pension liabilities
1,868,399 1,965,186
Funds
Unrestricted
general fund
1,063,816 1,026,306
Property fund 777,738 919,606
Restricted fund 26,845 19,274
Finance

8. 14
Our Board of Directors Our Playbook action
We will work collaboratively to get things
done. We have a passion for achieving a
more inclusive ‘volunteering’ Scotland where
it is the norm for anyone to give time for
community good. In particular, our activities
are aimed at those most disadvantaged and
excluded in our society – who typically have
low volunteering participation but the most
to gain through volunteering.
Read the full Playbook here
Read our 6 month progress report here
Our 2020-2021 Playbook
We share the ambition of
a Scotland where everyone
can volunteer, more often
and throughout our lives.
Now we must meet this
challenge within the context
of the COVID-19 crisis.
Our ‘Playbook’ sets out our mission,
strategy and tactics aimed at achieving
‘Volunteering for All’; the vision from
the Scottish Government’s National
Volunteering Framework.
Volunteering has a major role to play
in improving the health and wellbeing
of Scotland’s population. The upsurge
in informal volunteering and mutual aid
provide a new-found stimulus for further
growth and inclusion. As the volunteering
response to the COVID-19 crisis has
demonstrated the greatest untapped
resource available for wellbeing is the
latent human potential and talent
within our people.
Retiring Directors
All Volunteer Scotland directors and staff would like to give thanks
to Brian Scott and Chris Horne for their time and support as Directors
for the last 6 years. Both have been vital to the development of
Volunteer Scotland and we all wish them well for the future.
New Directors
We warmly welcome three new Directors to the team.
Current Directors
Thank you to our current Directors for
your continued dedication and support.
15
Richard Jennings
Chair
Jeanette
Gaul
Emma
Cormack
Julie
Podet
Narek
Bido
Kevin
Geddes
Brian
Scott
Angela
Mitchell
Fiona
Watson
Chris
Horne
Elliot
Jackson
Janette
Mitchell
Rosie
Wylie

9. 16 1716 17
Everyone connected with
Volunteer Scotland is interested
in increasing the feel-good factor
in volunteering.
We’ll use all our senses and capacities to
bring this about, and to make sure that every
citizen enjoys the opportunity to participate
in volunteering activities and can enjoy the
friendship, coming together in communities,
and the satisfaction of making a positive
difference for others.
“A day in the life of Volunteering in
Scotland” analysis has shown us all that
our people are already giving their time in
an incredible expression of human capacity
across all our communities rich and poor.
We’ve listened and observed and understand
the need to build on this and to open up
many trusted conversations to work out
ways we can change the Volunteering system
for the better and to fulfil the aspiration
of “Volunteering for All”.
Inspired by volunteers, we’ve expressed an
interest in hosting the IAVE World Volunteer
Conference in Scotland in 2023, and aim
to create sound waves of celebration and
change. Sound waves of Volunteer Voices!
We hope you have found our Report
informative and engaging. Please
contact us if you’re interested in talking
with us about anything you’ve read
and heard in this Annual Report 2020.
hello@volunteerscotland.org.uk
Sound waves of change
volunteerscotland.net
Thank you to our key funders
We’re working with ACOSVO and
20 leaders in The Volunteering
Brain Project using the Human
Learning Systems to re-design
volunteer practice activities that
put the volunteer at the heart
of our thinking. This links us with
pioneering projects across the UK.
We’re supporting the Scottish Government in the
dialogues for recovery and renewal from Covid-19
and reimagining what kind of society will
volunteering help create.
We’re working to ensure that we manage risks,
and support the safety and wellbeing of volunteers,
and value highly our connections with volunteer
leaders, TSIs, and organisations who will need
support over these difficult times.
We’re working with partners in the UK and Europe,
and the “Stirling’s Alive with Volunteering”
ambitions led by the Local Authority and TSI, which
has opened up doors with European Volunteering
Capitals and candidates. Our hearts go out to Padova
whose year has been taken over by the crisis, and our
hopes go with Berlin next year.
In Scotland, and throughout the globe we’re simply
inspired by the plain, simple and human action that
has been taken to look out for each other, and to
complement Government efforts.
Sign up to Make
Your Mark here
We’re working with scores
of organisations in heritage
in the Make Your Mark in
Volunteering Campaign.
It’s aim is to increase
the number and diversity
of heritage volunteers in
Scotland. There’s enormous
passion to reach out to
people who have never
been asked to join in before.

10. ©2020 Volunteer Development Scotland Ltd. (Also known as Volunteer Scotland) is a registered Scottish charity No. SC013740
Company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland,No. SC106743. Our registered Office is Jubilee House, Forthside Way, Stirling. FK8 1QZ.
volunteerscotland.netWatch our ‘Thank You’ video