Online Volunteer Coffee Mornings and Walk and Talk With CCVS

by CCVS Volunteer Amy. January 2023.

Hello! It’s Amy here. I’d like to talk to you about the online Coffee Mornings and the Walk and Talk that I assist Ellie with as part of my volunteering with CCVS. Myself and Ellie decided to organise both of these as an opportunity for people who may be interested in volunteering to meet and talk to people from organisations who recruit volunteers. This is a good way to find out what volunteering opportunities are out there which you may wish to look into further. 

Some people feel more comfortable to meet online (which is where the coffee mornings come in). They’re on Zoom and we usually start with an introduction and a brief chat. Then someone from an organisation does a presentation and participants have a chance to ask questions (perhaps to find out more about volunteering there) or general questions about the organisation. For example, we’ve had speakers from Kettle’s Yard, Safe Soulmates and the Red Hen. 

These online coffee mornings are good because they give people the chance to find out what’s out there in terms of volunteering opportunities (as well as getting a general feel of what’s out there in the community) and can be done in an environment where they feel comfortable. They can also be a good opportunity for people within organisations to connect with each other (if they want to). 

It’s always interesting to hear about what each organisation does and what volunteering opportunities they have. We’ve heard from lots of different organisations in the last year and there’s so much that could have been overlooked if they hadn’t taken the time to talk to us. It also gives the participants a chance to talk about their experience of volunteering as well as finding out what opportunities are out there. 

The idea of the Walk and Talk events are similar to the online coffee mornings (but more active and in the great outdoors) and gives potential volunteers a chance to meet others (including people from organisations who recruit volunteers) face to face. It’s just chat and a chance to talk about your interests in terms of volunteering (rather than a presentation as such). It’s not as structured as the online coffee mornings and always weather permitting!

These walks are different each time and sometimes we get a small group and sometimes big ones. We’ve heard lots of interesting things from both participants and people from organisations (including Cambridge University Museum, Fight Bladder Cancer and more). It’s good when people feel relaxed and want to chat about lots of things (their experiences as volunteers, their goals and aspirations, mental and physical health for example). Of course, it’s up to people themselves what they want to talk about, though. 

Amy out and about at one of the walk and talk sessions.

If you would like to join us for our walk and talk and/or coffee mornings, get in touch with Ellie at ellie@cambridgecvs.org.uk or 07840989719. We are looking forward to seeing you!