1. Modelling a project Structured approach Community Project with soft and hard outcomes

2. Strategy meeting Identify outcomes Decide on the activity structure Action Plan For example the Coffee Shop work in session 1

3. As a manager of the activity overall: Identify outcomes desired - especially if there is a funding input and they want key performance to be measured Decide on the activity structure – negotiated everyone involved and committed. Risks identified and a plan B decided Action Plan – driven by one person or drive coming from volunteers? Be clear who owns what. Be clear on what you want them to do and quality standard expected.

4. Sort out the volunteers you need and their roles A – Marketing and information giving B – Making tea/healthy refreshments C – Befriending/listening D – Coordinator/administrator Decide if staff are taking part in any way – of course checking you have capacity!

5. Design the details of each role: Purpose of roleA - Marketing and Informing Tell the service users Tell advisors and contacts of users (family etc) Keep up to date on the arrangements and any changes Tasks (basics)Take leaflets to 6 venues Send leaflets to 24 advisers Place posters in 10 places Update every two weeks over 6 months of project Extra tasks (depend on time and skills of person) Talk to clients at a service session Go to partnership meetings Walk the streets! QualitiesAble to travel Good at listening and talking Reliable for working on own Available for 6 months

6. Design each role (is it more than one person? Will they have different input?) Purpose of roleB - making tea and healthy refreshments Make drinks throughout every session for 24 weeks (we expect to involve 3 volunteers to take on 8 sessions each) Tasks (basic)Arrive 10 mins before the session to set up room Set out cups and any food and make the tea/coffee Serve and clean up after session Extra tasks (depend on time and skills of person) Take responsibility for purchase of supplies over 6 months Produce some healthy snacks using centre kitchen ( not every week) Keep records of purchases and reimbursement Support the training days before project gets going QualitiesA food safety course will be supplied and we will be needed Pleasant manner to clients attending (confidentiality) Reliable and consistent Available for a minimum number of sessions (rota to be agreed) Work in a team

7. Befriender (a special role needing training and taking care on who does this role –should you interview first?)

8. Coordinator – should this be staff? If so, how committed to time and how will having staff involved take away this from being volunteer lead?) Tasks (basic)Book the room and make sure it is always available Unlock doors, turn on heating/windows and check safe Handle communications about the project from clients and partners Keep the cash box and records Extra tasks (depend on time and skills of person) Keep a log of who usually comes Will let everyone know if its not running by email or phone. Help with funding bids and appeals QualitiesAble to communicate well Committed to being around on a Weds or appointing a deputy

9. Resources project needed needGot from RoomChecked centre diary, talked to ALL staff and users that they were prepared NOT to ask for this room on a Weds am for next 6 months. Committing to room being prioritised for project. Cups and kettles Talked to all staff and users that the Centre resources could be used freely as long as volunteers cleaned up well. To be included in briefing. Mary said a few new mugs were needed and a notice put up for donations from home. 10 new mugs received so 3 broken ones were not missed. Posters and leaflets Volunteer designed. Sue (Volunteer) is bringing in on a memory stick and Mary in office will run off on photocopier first 25 and then as needed. Mary located a stash of pins, tape, blu tack and put in a bag for the volunteers to take out. PartnersMary has list of emails. Will take the memory stick copy and send out with regular update to everyone. Money for tea/coffee and snacks Early meeting - Centre manager created a kitty of £50 to start off. PCT requested for another £25. Dave (volunteer) offered to include an funding bid to Rotary Club. Mary in the office will keep a cash box and refund on receipts being handed in. May need to think about clients giving 20p or so for tea later. Training3 people took Food Safety. Got this free from local ACL provider. Centre sponsored £10 each for the certificate costs. Befriender training – the PCT provided a trainer for one morning and 10 volunteers came (only 5 in the project but others interested in backing up an Arts session next year). Free input.

10. Revised plans? The tea makers combined role into befrienders – fewer “bodies” needed but was a bigger effort on their part The staff got involved in advice giving about the session – they got enthused about the informality and saw peer support in the clients. But found themselves giving time to support the befrienders “debriefing” after sessions. Forgot to allow for volunteer expenses – Dave had to increase appeal to Rotary Club for support – volunteers had to wait for petrol money Russell from PCT turned out to be a pain. Always wanted to book the room for his meetings and turn the group out. Embarrassing for volunteers and users felt “disrespect” shown to what they wanted to do. Healthy snacks turned into whenever Yvonne did a baking session and donated a cake. Eventually 2 clients baked and shared. Everyone got fat on choc muffins on Wednesday. Needs more thought for continuing project.

11. Records Receipts for refreshments – Mary kept simple cash log Volunteer timesheets – who did what and when attended. This was submitted end of month claim with a receipt for petrol/bus, etc. Register – for fire safety on each session but also overall record of who came. Also started a list of who got involved overall so knew who to ask about impact for evaluation. Dave helped staff record some verbal feedback and a case study was put together

12. Review the modelling process Advantages the process made the project clearer in minds and volunteers were clear on roles taking on. All were grateful for the good briefing before starting. We spotted dangers and risks we had not thought about but we missed getting permission to quote or photo people (hampered case study and sharing good practice later) We spotted an opportunity to plan some training for volunteers and get it supplied in good time I might do this kind of thinking next project we take on especially getting agreements in advance and appreciating staff time and their relationship with volunteers. Mary was key – and she really handed a lot of stuff over to Vera and Tim to do in the office to help. So there was an extra volunteer experience. Disadvantages Took a lot of time thinking, writing it out Could not fully cover all the ups and downs in advance I might not do extensive written plan prefer volunteers to lead but I might record better so I have a plan outline for future learning