Working better with volunteers

Improving the effectiveness of managers of volunteers and their teams in the National Trust and beyond

Collaborative research between the University of Leicester and the National Trust has highlighted the unique, and often unspoken, emotional challenges involved in managing volunteers across the UK. This has led to a series of interventions that have substantially informed National Trust policy regarding the management of volunteers; and demonstrably altered practice, via the development of new guidelines, training, and a toolkit designed to better manage the emotional difficulties encountered when directing and coordinating volunteers. Our research has directly improved manager-volunteer relationships and volunteer manager wellbeing, and its success has prompted other voluntary organisations to implement similar changes.