Amnesty International UK- 100 staff
and 70 volunteers
A week for volunteers
Amnesty International campaigns for human rights. Veronique
Du Pont co-ordinates volunteers at Amnesty International
UK: 'The volunteers are very committed
to the cause of human rights itself, which is a big
factor in terms of their motivation. But they do quite
basic tasks such as helping in the
post room, updating information on the computer, filing,
and drafting correspondence. They know that this routine
work is essential to making our campaigns successful.
'Obviously, we provided daily travel expenses and a
luncheon voucher. But it's important for us to ensure
that there's good communication between
each other and between them and the staff, particularly
because we're based in a rather traditional office building
where volunteers don't always interact very much.
'We try to do this through volunteer's meetings, a
volunteer's newsletter, and inclusion in talks and workshops,
such as those held during our annual Volunteers'
Week. The idea came from the National Volunteer's
Week, and we've adapted it to suit our volunteers. We've
been doing it for about three years, and it's been really
successful.'
As Jamal, one of Amnesty's volunteers says: 'I get
a lot of satisfaction out of volunteering
here. There are various events that help us to feel
part of the organisation – in Volunteers' Week
we're given the chance to meet other volunteers through
social events like going on the London Eye or a picnic,
and we get some training too - this year, on interview
techniques. And there are lectures about human rights
and the work of Amnesty, and a visit to the international
secretariat.'
As Veronique points out: 'Although volunteers are motivated
by their involvement in the work, when they're doing
quite mundane tasks, they need to feel integrated
in Amnesty's projects - that means keeping volunteers
informed and updated, and giving them access to information.
Without a mutual respect between team
members (volunteers or not) we wouldn't have happy volunteers.'
^ top of page
|
