The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on Monday 1 June 2026 to discuss Worcestershire's volunteers and review the council's work programme. The panel received an update on the significant contributions of volunteers across various council services and to partner organisations, and considered how to strengthen the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. The panel also reviewed its work programme for the remainder of 2026.

Worcestershire's Volunteers

The panel received a comprehensive update on the vital role of volunteers in Worcestershire, highlighting their contributions across council services and to external organisations. It was noted that approximately 1,800 volunteers are directly involved in delivering council activities, including in countryside greenspaces, libraries, museums, and archives. An additional 4,100 residents participate in the Viewpoint Panel, completing surveys for the council, and around 1,200 Public Health volunteer health champions are actively involved in promoting resident wellbeing. Furthermore, nearly 1,100 individuals are trained as orange button wearers, offering support and signposting for suicide awareness.

The report detailed that in the 2025/2026 financial year, volunteers contributed 22,000 hours across libraries, countryside greenspaces, archives, archaeology, and museums. The financial equivalent of this volunteer activity was estimated at £22,281 for the archives and archaeology service alone, based on the cost of staff time. Young people also engage in volunteering through Duke of Edinburgh awards and skills for Worcestershire activities, with ongoing work to support care leavers into employment through volunteering.

Volunteers also play a crucial role in supporting organisations commissioned by the council. For instance, Citizens Advice Worcester and Herefordshire relied on 117 volunteers in 2024/25, contributing 30,921 hours, equivalent to 16 full-time staff and valued at £580,000. Age UK Wyvern's home from hospital service saw increased delivery thanks to volunteers contributing 420 hours in 2025/26, valued at approximately £6,000, with the organisation having over 350 volunteers in total.

The council has been actively working to support its volunteers. A grant of around £100,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund enabled the Archives and Archaeology Team to enhance their volunteer programme. Internally, a volunteering forum supports staff managing volunteers, ensuring consistent approaches through centralised induction, template documents, and recognition. In the coming months, the 1,100 volunteers undertaking direct council volunteering will gain access to an employee assistance programme, mirroring the support offered to council staff, and will also benefit from shopping rewards and discounts. The council has also invested in the Social Value Engine, a tool to calculate the return on investment for projects, which is being used by the countywide community transport forum to demonstrate the impact of their predominantly volunteer-led services.

Strategically, the council launched the 'Love Volunteering' portal in early 2026, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care Accelerating Reform Fund. This free online platform allows residents to find and apply for volunteer opportunities, and organisations to advertise them. To date, 205 residents and 105 organisations have registered. The council also facilitates a countywide strategic volunteering forum, established in 2022, which brings together volunteering leads from across the statutory and voluntary sectors to share best practices and explore a more unified approach to volunteering.

A significant research project, Understanding and Strengthening the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector, led by the Worcestershire VCSE Alliance with the council as the accountable body, has been underway for two years. This research identified 2,717 VCSE organisations in Worcestershire. A survey indicated that the average organisation has 25 volunteers, contributing a median of 50 hours per week, equating to an average of two hours per volunteer weekly. The estimated cash equivalent of volunteer support across Worcestershire exceeds £4.5 million annually, based on the surveyed organisations, with the actual figure likely to be much higher. The findings from this research will inform a detailed action plan to strengthen and sustain the VCSE sector, to be published on the VCSE Alliance website over the summer.

The report also highlighted the health and wellbeing benefits of volunteering, noting its role in reducing social isolation, improving mental wellbeing, increasing physical activity, and building stronger social connections. Public Health grants have supported numerous community-led initiatives delivered by volunteers, such as run leader training, physical activity sessions, and emergency response teams, fostering local resilience and self-sustainability.

The panel was asked to consider the report, provide comments to the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Environment and Communities, and determine if further scrutiny was required.

Work Programme

The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel reviewed its work programme for 2026. The panel is responsible for scrutinising commissioning, transformation, finance, localism and communities, and organisation and employees. The current work programme was agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board on 16 October 2025 and by the Council on 6 November 2025.

Key items scheduled for scrutiny in 2026 include an update on Worcestershire's Volunteers (discussed at this meeting), a review of the Members' Case Management System on the Member Portal, and the Work Programme itself. Future meetings in 2026 are scheduled for 14 July, 29 September, and 7 December.

The panel also noted potential future items for scrutiny, including updates on the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Transformation Programme, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Council's Procurement Register of Contracts, and a revised Workforce Strategy incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Other potential items include the implementation of the Archives and Archaeology Strategy, responses to legislative changes in Registration Services, the Household Support Fund, and communication policies for social media. Standing items include quarterly performance and budget monitoring, budget scrutiny, and the annual refresh of the scrutiny work programme. The panel was asked to consider the 2026 Work Programme and agree any amendments, while retaining flexibility for urgent issues.