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 current state of volunteering across the county, including the number of volunteers, their contributions, and the funding landscape. They also reviewed and considered amendments to the council's work programme for the remainder of 2026.

Worcestershire's Volunteers

The panel received a comprehensive update on volunteering across Worcestershire, highlighting the significant contributions of volunteers to various council services and partner organisations. Councillor Josh Robinson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Communities, and Hannah Perrott, Assistant Director for HR/OD, Communities and Lead for Local Government Reorganisation, were present to address the panel's queries.

It was reported that approximately 1,800 volunteers are directly supporting council activities, including those in countryside greenspace, libraries, museums, and archives. An additional 4,100 residents volunteer for the council's Viewpoint Panel, responding to surveys, 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 suicide awareness support. In the 2025/2026 financial year, over 22,000 hours of volunteer activity were recorded across several council services, with an estimated financial equivalent of £22,281 for the archive and archaeology service alone. Young people also engage in volunteering through Duke of Edinburgh awards and 'skills for Worcestershire' activities, with ongoing efforts to support care leavers into employment through volunteering.

Beyond direct council involvement, many residents volunteer with organisations commissioned by the council. For instance, Citizens Advice Worcester and Herefordshire had 117 volunteers contributing 30,921 hours in 2024/25, equivalent to 16 full-time staff. Age UK Wyvern's home from hospital service also saw increased delivery thanks to volunteers contributing 420 hours in 2025/26. The council's Archives and Archaeology Team secured a £100,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant in 2024 to enhance their volunteer programme.

To further support volunteers, the council plans to offer an employee assistance programme equivalent to that available to staff, along with shopping rewards and discounts, starting in the coming months. The council has also invested in the Social Value Engine, a tool to demonstrate the return on investment for projects, particularly beneficial for community transport forums that heavily rely on volunteers.

A key development highlighted was the launch of the 'Love Volunteering' portal in early 2026, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care Accelerating Reform Fund. This countywide platform allows residents to search for and apply for volunteer opportunities, with 205 residents and 105 organisations already registered. The council also facilitates a countywide strategic volunteering forum, established in 2022, which brings together volunteering leads from across sectors to share best practices and foster a more unified approach to volunteering.

Research conducted by the Worcestershire VCSE Alliance, with the council acting as the accountable body, has identified 2,717 organisations and groups within the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Worcestershire. A survey indicated that the average organisation has 25 volunteers, contributing approximately 50 hours per week, with an estimated annual cash equivalent exceeding £4.5 million. The findings from this research will inform a detailed action plan to strengthen and sustain the VCSE sector, to be published over the summer.

The report also emphasised the health and wellbeing benefits of volunteering, including reduced social isolation, improved mental wellbeing, and increased physical activity. Public Health grants have supported various community-led initiatives delivered by volunteers, such as run leader training, physical activity sessions, and community responder organisations.

The panel was asked to consider the report's contents, agree any comments to highlight to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Communities, and determine if further scrutiny was required.

Work Programme

The panel reviewed the council's work programme for 2026, which outlines the issues scheduled for scrutiny. The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny 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 scrutiny items for 2026 include an update on Worcestershire's Volunteers, a review of the Members' Case Management System on the Member Portal, and the Work Programme itself, all scheduled for the 1 June meeting. Future meetings in 2026 are planned for 14 July, 29 September, and 7 December, with topics including updates on the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Transformation Programme, quarterly performance and budget monitoring, and the Libraries Annual Update.

Potential future items for scrutiny include updates on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Council's Procurement Register of Contracts, a revised Workforce Strategy incorporating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the implementation of the Archives and Archaeology Strategy, and responses to legislative changes in Registration Services. The panel also noted standing items such as 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.