Call for speakers: Inclusive volunteering conference

The Make Your Mark in Volunteering campaign is inviting submissions for our next annual conference. Make Your Mark supports everyone in Scotland to volunteer with history, culture and nature organisations.

Our 2026 conference will take stock of the current state of volunteer management practice, with an eye to foregrounding the importance of inclusive volunteering in a time where human rights and equality, equity, diversity and inclusion programmes are being challenged worldwide. 

We invite colleagues within and outwith the heritage sector in Scotland and beyond to join us and discuss: 

In light of increasing backlash against marginalised communities, decreasing budgets for third sector organisations and increasing pressures on people’s time, energy and money, how can inclusive volunteering help to increase individual and collective wellbeing, support skills development and employability and tackle the important and urgent issues of our time?

This is a paid opportunity - speakers will receive a fee starting at £100, subject to type of session and preparation required. Speakers will also be paid travel expenses within the UK.

About the conference

Date: 4 February 2026 (exact timings TBC).

Location: Hybrid - online via Teams or in person at Edinburgh Zoo.

The Make Your Mark annual conference brings together practitioners, academics, volunteers and anyone working at the intersection of volunteer engagement and equality, equity diversity and inclusion. Whilst Make Your Mark focuses specifically on diversifying heritage volunteering in Scotland, the conference welcomes speakers and attendees from all sectors and across the UK and beyond.

Key questions

Submissions might consider:

• What does the current playing field look like for volunteer engagement?

• As communities shift in need and experience, are we listening and showing up in the ways that matter most?

• Who is recruited, who is kept on and who decides? How do we radically rethink recruitment and retention to build truly inclusive teams and spaces?

• In the face of the joint climate and biodiversity crises, how do we open up natural heritage roles that look after nature and deliver benefits to a wide range of communities?

• What keeps people showing up? How do we move beyond ‘thank you’ to build deeper recognition and a sense of belonging for volunteers?

• Is modernisation helping us move forward or leaving people behind? How do we embrace digital tools whilst keeping community needs at the heart of our work?

• How can volunteering be reimagined as a truly inclusive entry point, opening doors to equitable career pathways rather than reinforcing exclusion?

• What does meaningful collaboration look like within and outwith the heritage sector?

• How can we better track and communicate the impact of our work? Do current evaluation practices encourage us to value what we can measure or measure what we value?

Who should submit?

We invite proposals from individuals and teams involved in volunteer engagement  both within and outwith the heritage sector in Scotland and beyond to encourage cross-sectoral and international learning. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Heritage professionals

• Volunteer engagement professionals in other sectors

• Community organisers

• Researchers and academics

• Volunteers

• Policymakers

• Those working at the intersection of volunteering and equity

We especially encourage voices that are marginalised or new to the conversation, and welcome a variety of formats including presentations (10-20 minutes), interactive workshops (25-35 minutes) and creative responses.

How to submit

Please submit your proposal via email to Erin Burke, Campaign Coordinator, at hello@makeyourmark.scot by 14 August at 12 noon.

Proposals should include:

• Speaker details

• Name

• Pronouns (if you feel comfortable sharing)

• Role title and organisation (if applicable)

• Short bio (max 100 words)

• Social media handles (if applicable)

• Access requirements

• Session details

• Title

• Length

• Format (e.g. presentation, workshop, creative format, etc)

• A brief description (max 300 words)

• Any required tech and/or materials (flipchart, markers, etc)

• Whether you’ll be facilitating online or in-person

For questions or support with your submission, please contact Erin Burke, Campaign Coordinator, at hello@makeyourmark.scot.