Bringing Volunteer Managers together across Rochdale
As part of our work supporting Volunteering in Rochdale, our Volunteer Team brought together Volunteer Managers from across the borough for an in-person meet up this March with an impressive turnout.
In previous years, Volunteer Managers in Rochdale would meet regularly in-person. The Covid-19 pandemic moved these gatherings online and they eventually stopped taking place as we all struggled to manage online meeting fatigue.
In response to recent feedback from Volunteer Managers about the need for peer support, and the desire for in-person connection, our Action Together Rochdale Volunteering team hosted an in-person meet up at Fire Up Co-working Space on 26 March 2026.
Twelve Volunteer Managers from a diverse range of local organisations attended our meeting, and we received really positive feedback from those who attended.
After an introduction from Volunteer Support Officer Phil Greenwood, we had a lively and fruitful discussion about what Volunteer Managers want from future meet-ups.
Our attendees shared that meet-ups are a valuable space to:
- Network and build in-person connection with other local organisations
- Find out about local support and opportunities
- Understand different local organisations and their volunteering offer and roles
- Gain new ideas, learn, and share information and best practice
- Access peer support and sharing experiences
- Check in with Action Together’s Volunteer Support Officers
- Find out what events and opportunities are coming up locally
After the discussion, attendees had time to network with each other. It was a great opportunity for new connections to be made, and Volunteer Managers shared tips and best practices with one another.
This event was the first step towards providing regular in-person meet-ups for Volunteer Managers in Rochdale. Action Together will support local Volunteer Managers to host future meet-ups on a bi-monthly basis.
Our plan is to have a different organisation to host each meet-up; where they will have the opportunity to spotlight their volunteer offer and provide space for informal networking, and our Volunteer Support Officers will be present at these future meet-ups for support and guidance.
If you are a Volunteer Manager, or support volunteers in Rochdale, we invite you to get involved with future meetups.
Get involved
You can find out about future meet-ups by becoming an Action Together member.
Along with the personalised support members receive from our Volunteer Teams, members also have access to our 'Volunteer Manager Zone'. It's a dedicated area packed with helpful resources, templates, training videos and more.