PCC announces new investment to unleash the talents of ‘in-house’ volunteers as UK marks Volunteers Week 2025

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has announced new plans to nurture and develop the skills of volunteers who work on her behalf as the UK celebrates Volunteers Week 2025.

The County Durham and Darlington PCC has provided a funding grant worth £15k to charity Durham Community Action (DCA) to support its activities in 2025-26 and to develop a bespoke support package to shape future volunteering opportunities in her own office.

The move is part of a determined effort by the PCC to provide the highest-quality environment for volunteers to learn,develop and excel while providing value to their communities.

The PCC aims to secure County Durham Volunteer Kitemark accreditation across the whole of her office, mirroring the success of her award-winning Community Peer Mentors service which has already achieved the coveted badge.

The Kitemark scheme, managed by DCA, sees certificates awarded to organisations which demonstrate a commitment to their volunteers and a dedication to provide a high-quality volunteering experience for both volunteers and the service users they support.

The PCC has granted funding of £10k a year to DCA since 2019 to boost its work helping communities to build resilience and prosper. The charity’s activities support all six of the PCC’s new Police, Crime and Justice Plan priorities: Victims, Safer People Safer Places, Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Countryside, Safer Roads and Criminal Justice.

As part of the additional investment this year, DCA has been commissioned to design a new Volunteering Development Strategy to promote best practice across all volunteering roles within the OPCC.

The funding will enable DCA to review current practice and support, develop a new volunteering framework, provide support to broaden the reach of new volunteering opportunities and develop a bespoke volunteer development and training programme to meet different OPCC volunteer groups.

The charity will also consider developing a Criminal Justice Volunteering Partnership to support networking and create further opportunities to celebrate volunteers.

Announcing the funding, Commissioner Joy Allen said: “Volunteers collectively sacrifice thousands of hours every year to make our communities safer, stronger and more resilient and I cannot thank them enough for their selflessness and support.

“I want to unlock more hours and more potential by becoming an organisation of choice for volunteers, connecting people to opportunities and causes in community safety that they are truly passionate about and providing them with a learning experience that is second to none.

“I believe there is significant scope to widen and enhance the current volunteering opportunities available within the Criminal Justice System and to address the barriers to volunteering that people can face, especially those with lived experience of the justice system.

“Volunteers continue to play a critical role in our response to longstanding and deep-rooted inequalities in our communities, and I am grateful for DCA’s significant expertise and experience in helping us to optimise these activities and maximise their social impact to make the force area a better place to live, work and visit.”

DCA, which was one of the first organisations nationally to achieve reaccreditation from the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation, is a charity providing advice, support and assistance to frontline voluntary and community groups working across County Durham and Darlington.

Staff work closely with groups and individual volunteers to identify their needs, help them secure funding and resources and provide the support and encouragement they need to make a difference to their communities.

The charity also supports the development of best practice in volunteering organisations and promotes community-led action and engagement through partnership working and capacity building.

DCA provides ongoing support to the Commissioner’s Community Peer Mentors service which has enabled it to grow and improve support for service users.  This service supports the recovery of vulnerable and isolated people affected by significant life-changing events including crime and antisocial behaviour and neighbourly disputes.

It also delivers an extensive programme of training and events including Cyber Security sessions and Safeguarding Workshops for volunteering organisations.

Kate Burrows, DCA’s Executive Director, said: “At DCA we are excited to work alongside the OPCC as they build on the great practice through volunteer-involving, demonstrated by the Community Peer Mentors project, and are delighted to be supporting the endeavour to demonstrate the OPCC as a beacon of good volunteer involvement through the accreditation process of County Durham Volunteer Kitemark across all services.”

Volunteers Week, which runs from June 2-8, is an annual campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of thousands of volunteers across the UK.

The initiative provides organisations and communities with a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts, with celebrations highlighting the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK.

Ends

Picture Shows (L-R): PCC Joy Allen, DCA’s Executive Director, Kate Burrows, Volunteering Manager, Abby Weatherill and Chief of Staff, Andrea Petty.

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