Ealing Volunteer Centre is working on delivering a tough local area agreement stretch target. We need 1,085 new volunteers in the borough to complete 100 hours of volunteering within a 12 month period between 2007 and 2010.

We approached a large voluntary organisation where we know there are many volunteers who could count towards the target. We discovered that records of eligible volunteers were not being kept and creating a new database would be a mammoth task. The organisation was already hard-pressed with service delivery and their main priority was fundraising. 

We used V-Base to create a new opportunity for an administration assistant to volunteer in a full-time, short-term role. It was an exciting position and allowed the volunteer to develop their skills in a friendly office. To ensure the role was filled quickly and with a suitable volunteer we asked do-it.org to advertise it on their homepage.

We were able to quickly recruit Anna, who had been out of work and wanted to put her administration skills into practice. Within a few weeks she had set up a robust recording system and made contact with a large number of groups to collect the missing data. The crucial data needed to achieve our stretch targets began to come in.

Anna said, "I was able to make productive use of my time. The staff were very friendly and I'm still in touch with them. It was a good match for my skills and gave me the opportunity to use them in a new and different environment."

After Anna left to work at a local university we advertised the opportunity again and another talented volunteer took over. Soon after Eileen started volunteering the organisation heard they had been successful in a funding bid and were able to offer her a paid position.

We have now recruited a third volunteer and the good work continues. A second funding bid has also been successful and it's anticipated that Anne, the latest volunteer, will be offered a job as well.

Anne says: "this volunteering role has been a lifeline. I've been in paid employment for the last 20 years, but was suddenly made redundant. Now I'm developing new skills and learning things every day. The organisation is a 25-minute walk from home, so I save on travel costs and keep fit at the same time."

Ealing Volunteer Centre is now well on the way to achieving its targets. The organisation has subsequently registered several new opportunities with the volunteer centre. Without V-Base, none of this would have been possible.