Inclusion

We've compiled toolkits, publications and top tips to help you develop and manage inclusive volunteer programmes.

General equality

Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit

Make Your Mark and the University of Strathclyde

The Make Your Mark Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit is designed to support voluntary organisations in Scotland to make their volunteering programmes more inclusive. It combines practical tips with a series of case studies and reflective exercises.

Make Your Mark Toolkit

Top Tips for Inclusive Volunteering

Volunteer Scotland

These ‘Top Tips’ flag up key things to consider to ensure a positive, accessible volunteering experience for all. They have been created for anyone who supports volunteers and designed to support your learning and thinking regardless of the size or nature of your volunteering activity.

Inclusion Top Tips – Common Areas

Diversifying Heritage Volunteers and Audiences

Scottish Civic Trust

Jen Novotny, Scottish Civic Trust’s Diverse Heritage Officer, talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about her experience of involving LGBTQ+, BAME and refugee volunteers with heritage projects.

Diversifying heritage audiences & volunteers

Creating an Inclusive Volunteer Philosophy

Unicorn Preservation Society

Speakers from HMS Unicorn talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about developing the philosophy behind their “WaveMakers” volunteer programme.

Creating an inclusive volunteer philosophy

Partnering with Local Groups to Increase Diversity

National Galleries of Scotland

In this case study, discover how National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) is reaching out to local charities and community groups to engage a more diverse range of people in their volunteer programme.

Partnering with local groups to increase diversity

Enabling Everyone to Take Action for Nature

NatureScot

In this case study, discover how NatureScot is involving a diverse range of volunteers in the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative.

Enabling everyone to take action for nature

Inclusively Recruiting Volunteers

Historic Environment Scotland

In this case study, discover how Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is involving more people in volunteering by changing up their application processes.

Inclusively recruiting volunteers

Archive Volunteering for All

Make Your Mark

Speakers from across Scotland’s archive sector talked with our Volunteer Organisers Network about the benefits of engaging volunteers and how to make volunteer opportunities accessible.

Archive volunteering for all

Equality and Diversity in Volunteering

Volunteer Edinburgh

Learn more about equality and diversity, why they are important and how organisations can promote equality and diversity in volunteering.

Equality and Diversity

Volunteering Guidance

National Lottery Heritage Fund

This page offers extensive guidance on managing and developing heritage volunteering programmes. The guidance gives special attention to the existing inequity in heritage volunteering, and provides tips for increasing the diversity of your volunteering programme.

Volunteers good practice guidance

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Trello Board

Heritage Volunteering Group

This collaborative Trello board contains various links to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion websites, podcasts, networks and other resources.

Trello board

Recruiting local volunteers

Glasgow Women's Library

Speakers from Glasgow Women's Library (GWL) talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about how they recruit volunteers from their neighbourhood.

How to recruit local volunteers

Creating pathways to volunteering for people accessing mental health support

St Andrews Botanic Garden

Speakers from St Andrews Botanic Garden discuss their "Planting For Your Piece" programme and how to set up supported volunteering programmes and widen access to volunteering.

Inclusive volunteering pathways

Equalities & Diversity Training

Regional Equality Councils

A key part of any inclusive volunteering programme is ensuring that your work environment is welcoming to everyone. Regional Equalities Councils located across Scotland provide training to help participants understand equality legislation and how different forms of discrimination can be identified and challenged. Please see the Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council, Central Scotland Regional Equality Council, West of Scotland Regional Equality Council and Grampian Regional Equality Council for more information.

Addressing socioeconomic barriers

Managing Your Volunteering Programme in a Cost of Living Crisis

Volunteer Scotland

The cost of living crisis has led to a decline in formal volunteering due to rising costs and associated mental health challenges. Volunteer Scotland has written guidance with 5 ways to limit the impacts of the cost of living on your volunteer programme.

Managing Your Volunteering Programme in a Cost of Living Crisis

Removing Class Barriers to Heritage Volunteering

Make Your Mark

Make Your Mark hosted a half-day mini-conference in December 2022 with a range of speakers giving tips for how to increase the socioeconomic diversity of heritage volunteer programmes.

Removing class barriers to heritage volunteering

Volunteering and UK Welfare Benefits

Volunteer Glasgow

Experts from Volunteer Glasgow talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about supporting volunteers who claim benefits.

Volunteering and UK welfare benefits

Addressing physical barriers

Cessation of Volunteering due to Age-related Issues

Newcastle University

Bruce Davenport, Lecturer and Senior Research Associate in the School of Arts & Cultures at Newcastle University, talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about supporting volunteers who are finding it increasingly difficult to volunteer and, in some cases, creating an effective exit strategy with them.

Cessation of volunteering due to age-related issues

Involving Disabled People in Volunteering

Glasgow Disability Alliance

As part of the Make Your Mark Volunteer Managers Conference 2024, Glasgow Disability Alliance discussed the barriers disabled people face to volunteering and made some suggestions around best practice.

Involving disabled people in volunteering

Engaging with Non-screen Users

National Galleries of Scotland

The National Galleries of Scotland’s Learning Officer discusses how to use different digital platforms and methods to engage with people who experience barriers using screen technology.

Engaging with non-screen users

Addressing cultural barriers

Amplifying the voices of refugees and asylum seekers in decision making

Mental Health Foundation

Speakers from the Mental Health Foundation talk with the Make Your Mark Volunteer Organisers Network about the Elevate programme and Beyond Visibility which aim to increase the representation of people from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds in decision-making processes within transport, health and social care, education and policing in Scotland.

Amplifying the voices of refugees and asylum seekers in decision making

How Multilingual Volunteers Broaden Engagement, Participation and Community Development

Jambo! Radio

As part of the Make Your Mark Volunteer Managers Conference 2024, Jambo! Radio explored how promoting speakers of other languages in the same space can benefit organisations.

Benefits of engaging multilingual volunteers

Supporting Women Volunteers from Racialised Communities

AMINA Muslim Women's Resource Centre

As part of the Make Your Mark Volunteer Managers Conference 2024, AMINA Muslim Women's Resource Centre provided guidance on how to manage volunteer relationships and provide support to empower women from racialised communities.

Supporting Women Volunteers from Racialised Communities

Removing Barriers to Volunteering for Women with Protected Characteristics

Glasgow Women's Library

In this case study, discover how Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) is involving women with protected characteristics by prioritising their volunteer applications and removing barriers to volunteering.

Removing barriers to volunteering for women with protected characteristics

Improving Collective Knowledge about Women in Archaeology

Dig It!

In this case study, learn how Dig It! recruited volunteers for a Wikipedia edit-a-thon that improved the world’s collective knowledge about women in Scottish archaeology.

Improving collective knowledge about women in archaeology

Recognising Racism in Volunteer Engagement

Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration

Faiza Venzant, Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration, talked with our Volunteer Organisers Network about how to identify and dismantle racism in volunteer engagement.

Recognising racism in volunteer engagement

LGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusion Training

Pride Outside

Pride Outside works in partnership with organisations to help them be more LGBTQ+ inclusive through their Training and Consultancy programmes.

Pride Outside website

Involving Refugee Volunteers

Scottish Refugee Council

Scottish Refugee Council’s Volunteer Development Team talked with Make Your Mark’s Volunteer Organisers Network about involving refugee volunteers.

Involving refugee volunteers

Sign up to our e-newsletter

We issue a monthly e-newsletter featuring the latest in inclusive volunteering.

Our e-newsletter is aimed at volunteer-involving heritage organisations, but would be of interest to anyone keen on inclusive volunteering best practice.

Subscribe to our e-newsletter