What we do

How is Kent County Council promoting volunteering in Kent?

We understand how volunteers contribute to the improvement of life in Kent. We contract with hundreds of voluntary organisations that involve volunteers in their activities. Our policy units and external funding team work with government to ensure we engage with the voluntary sector in the planning and delivery of our services. We encourage businesses to contribute to community regeneration. We enable our staff to volunteer and recognise the benefits to all. You can find out more by going to our employee volunteering page.

Find out about volunteers in Kent County Council services.

Kent Volunteers Advisory Group

The Kent Volunteers initiative is a partnership to promote volunteering. It is chaired by the Chairman of Kent County Council with members representing a wide range of organisations and companies, all working to encourage voluntary activity and community involvement to benefit people's lives and improve our environment.

Below is the membership (most of the links open in a new window):

• Volunteering England
• Kent Wildlife Trust
• Samaritans
• VSU Youth in Action
• The Salvation Army
• Volunteer Bureau Representatives
• St John's Ambulance, Kent
• British Red Cross
• Kent Council Voluntary Youth Service
• Neighbourhood Watch County Liaison
• Racial Equalities Council
• Kent NHS Trust
• Vitalise
• Jobcentre Plus

Awards for Volunteering Excellence

Kent Volunteers administers an annual awards scheme to celebrate and thank volunteers who do so much for the benefit of others and to improve the environment.

We are grateful to these companies and organisations that sponsor the categories to encompass the widest range of volunteering activities.

The following links will open in a new window:

• Pfizer
• Environment Agency
• Children's Mutual
• Kent Sports Development
• Clive Emson
• Marlowe Theatre

Find out about Quality Standards for schemes managed or partnered by Kent County Council.

Policy for Engaging Volunteers

This policy is for use across Kent County Council where volunteers are involved in the delivery of services and could form the basis of any organisation's policy. It is a guide for good practice.

• Policy for Engaging Volunteers

The document has templates that can be adapted by any organisation for use with their volunteers to give information on topics such as the work they will be undertaking, payment of any expenses, available training, insurance cover and confidentiality.

The Kent Compact

Since its formation in April 2002, the Kent Partnership has brought together key members of the public, private and voluntary sectors, and has led to a 'joining up' in delivery. This has provided an excellent forum for the development of our relationship with the voluntary sector at a strategic countywide level.

The Compact underpins relationships both at the sector level, between us and the voluntary and community sector as a whole, and at the contract level, between us and individual service providers. The purpose of The Compact is to improve our relationship with the voluntary and community sector. The aim is to define and improve this relationship so that we may work together more productively across the whole range of activities.

The Compact refers specifically to the relationship between Kent County Council and the voluntary and community sector. In some parts of Kent, more locally focused Compacts are also being drawn up. While this Compact is a separate undertaking, it is essential that there is two-way feedback as work to implement the Compacts progresses.

Find out more about the Kent Compact and our Volunteering Code of Practice.