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date: 7 December 2009

embargo: For immediate release

New Charter aims to strengthen ties between volunteers and staff

The TUC and Volunteering England have today (Monday) signed a Volunteers' Charter to strengthen ties between paid staff and volunteers.

The Charter sets out a series of principles for employers to follow to encourage a good working relationship between volunteers, employers and paid staff.

The Charter principles include;

• all volunteering is undertaken by choice, and all individuals should have the right to volunteer, or not to volunteer;
• while volunteers should not normally receive or expect rewards for their activities, they should receive reasonable out of pocket expenses;
• the involvement of volunteers should complement and supplement the work of paid staff, and should not be used to displace paid staff or undercut their pay and conditions of service; and,
• all paid workers and volunteers should have access to training and development.

The Charter recognises the value that the UK's 22 million volunteers make to the economy and wider society, which is estimated to be worth £23 billion every year.

The TUC is publishing new guidance to accompany the Volunteers' Charter. The guidance explains that while volunteers are not entitled to the same rights as an employee - such as the minimum wage, holiday and sickness pay - they should still receive some form of agreement from the organisation they are volunteering with.

The guidance explains that a volunteer's agreement should include information about the types of roles they will be doing and the support they can expect from the organisation. These agreements also help to make a clear distinction between the work of paid staff and volunteers, says the TUC.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'With over 200,000 reps, the trade union movement is one of the biggest volunteering organisations in the UK.

'We strongly believe in the value of volunteering and want a new Community Day bank holiday to celebrate and encourage volunteering.

'An increasing number of interns and volunteers have been taken on during the recession. With so many people concerned about their jobs, it's vital that employers make a clear distinction between volunteers and paid staff.

'By following the principles of the Volunteers' Charter, employers can encourage a good between volunteers and employees.'

Volunteering England Chief Executive Justin Davis Smith welcomed the Charter: 'We have been delighted to work with the TUC in developing and agreeing this Charter.

'It is particularly important in the current economic conditions to be clear about the distinct roles of paid staff and volunteers.

'In the long view, too, we are pleased to be part of such a historic agreement, recognising the complementary roles of volunteers and paid staff.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- TUC guidance on volunteering is available at www.tuc.org.uk/volunteering

- Volunteering England is the national volunteer development agency. To find out more about their work visit www.volunteering.org.uk

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

TUC Media enquiries:
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Volunteering England Media enquiries:

Kimberley Rowley T: 0207 520 8932 E: kimberley.rowley@volunteeringengland.org

Press release (600 words) issued 7 Dec 2009