Managing change through volunteering: a cross sector discussion

Wednesday 9 February 2011, at Department for Transport

The first Time & Talents event for year 2011, this was a chance to connect with partners; share some of the challenges faced and explore new opportunities and ways to work together in the context of budgetary cuts taking place across the public, private and voluntary (civil society) sectors.

Speakers from the private, public and voluntary (civil society) shared insights gained from their own challenge environments which acted as a catalyst for group discussions.

Agenda:

• Welcome from Pauline Reeves, Deputy Director – DfT Change Programme and Social Action
• The Big Society and how we can respond

o Partner updates

• The redeployment of staff and opportunities for secondments in the local Westminster community
• Short film – a personal perspective of secondment as a platform to a new career (view below)

Leading on discussions

• Pauline Reeves, Deputy Director - Change Programme and Social Action
• Hilary Nightingale, Manager of External Partnerships, Cardinal Hume Centre
• Guest speaker – Steve Sharpe, Head of Volunteering, BT, Charity Partnerships
• Chris Jones, Manager of the Golden Jubilee Trust, John Lewis Partnership

About this film:

Usha Penumuchi shares her experience of secondment in a civil society organisation (small charity) at the heart of the local community. Usha explains how the six month placement served as a platform to leapfrog from a procurement role at Ministry of Justice into setting up her own coaching and mentoring business, Dare to Dream. Usha’s story is set in the context of her own voluntary redundancy, with the backdrop of the spending review and restructuring going on across Government. . The film shows how utilising opportunities outside the workplace can help people get ahead in their career. Usha encourages employees to think about how secondment can development the confidence and skills needed to step out into something new.

Case Study: Usha's secondment

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Six month secondment placement

Usha was seconded from Ministry of Justice to a small civil society organisation where she honed skills and confidence to start up her own company More ...