Member Article

Tech project set to transform volunteering system

A NEW £110,000 joint venture has been launched which aims to revolutionise the voluntary sector and make it easier for individuals to play their part by giving up their time for good causes.

Darlington-based voluntary and community sector group eVOLution has joined forces with local creative agency Koodoo Creative to develop a groundbreaking software product for volunteering.

The volunteering management system can be applied to small neighbourhood volunteering projects, large scale national campaigns and everything in between.

It reduces the administration time associated with organising volunteer projects as well as making searching and applying for opportunities easier while simplifying the recruitment process.

The software will be piloted in Darlington initially and has been supported by £400,000 in funding from the Government’s Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme.

The funding has been allocated from the Big Fund and will be used to finish the development of the software, develop back office services within the voluntary sector and build a greater network for employer-supported volunteering.

Mike Durkin, business manager at eVOLution, said: “No individual system has been created like this before. Currently volunteering is a lengthy process involving lots of paperwork being passed through numerous organisations, meaning it can take months to fill voluntary posts. This will revolutionise the way we operate in the voluntary sector by dramatically speeding up the recruitment and placement process.”

Executive director at eVOLution, Karen Grundy, was inspired to draw up plans for the software with Mr Durkin last summer but it wasn’t until they met Koodoo’s Adam Lee that they realised the blueprint could become a reality.

Ms Grundy said: “We’re extremely excited about the possibilities of the new software and are delighted that we have been able to bring such a promising young business as Koodoo into the project.”

Mr Lee added: “Volunteering and fundraising are close to my heart and I genuinely believe that the software system has enough potential to achieve success far beyond the initial pilot project.”

Meanwhile, the new software – which will take nine months to become market ready – has supported the creation of two new jobs at Koodoo’s Stockton HQ.

To stay up to date with the latest developments, please follow @SpiritofVol on Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey and Hugo .