Attracting the right volunteer for your venue’s success

Many, if not most village halls and similar venues rely heavily on the generosity, skills, experience, and patience of volunteers, like yourselves.  Hallmaster has first-hand experience in understanding the challenges which has helped us to develop an online booking and invoicing system to ease the time and burden that can often be associated with volunteering.

Managing a venue involves more than just providing a space for events—it’s about ensuring the day-to-day operations run smoothly, meeting customer expectations, and staying on top of a range of logistical, legal, and financial responsibilities. When your venue is volunteer run, attracting the right person to take on these diverse responsibilities is essential to its ongoing success.  There’s a lot that goes into running a venue as you all know!

This is where succession planning comes into play. Preparing for the future by ensuring  enough volunteers are in place can make all the difference. Many times, we have heard committee members shy away and hope the impending issue of getting, or for that matter allowing a successor to take the reins, will hopefully disappear!

The Challenge of Finding the Right Volunteer
Volunteers are the lifeblood of many community venues but finding them is not an easy task. Volunteers may have a passion for the venue and a desire to contribute, but their skills might not always align with the needs of the venue, or the other committee members!

The job of a volunteer managing a venue can involve much more than simply cleaning the hall or checking availability or updating a website. They may need to oversee a variety of tasks, from physical maintenance of the venue to ensuring legal compliance and handling technology, customer enquiries and insurance. You may have one or two ‘super-human-volunteers’ that can do all these things – but what happens when they eventually step down from their roles?

The complexity of these duties increases as the success of the venue grows, making succession planning even more important.

Why succession planning is crucial for the future of your venue
Whether or not you intend keeping your hall small and available for just a few bookings for local groups, or if you find it’s becoming a hugely popular place for locals and people outside of your area, you should still be looking to the future. I’ve been on a few committees myself and know that getting someone to raise their hand to volunteer can be difficult. No one wants to be embarrassed into doing the job but sometimes people give up the post at the next AGM, and you may be forced to take the first person that raises that hand.

Common pitfalls in finding the right volunteers
Finding the right person to take on multiple roles is not without its challenges as explained below. However, there are always solutions.

Overstated skills
Volunteers may not have the level of technical, maintenance, or financial expertise that they claim. For example, a volunteer may be comfortable using basic software but struggle with more complex systems.

Time commitment
Running a venue involves a significant time investment. Volunteers may underestimate the hours required, leading to burnout or neglect of essential tasks.

Insufficient resources
Volunteers may not have access to the tools or training necessary to complete their tasks effectively. Without the proper resources, even the most well-meaning volunteer can find themselves falling short of expectations.

Difficulty in addressing performance issues
Because volunteers are not paid employees, it can be difficult to hold them accountable. If they are not able to keep up with what needs to be done it can be uncomfortable or awkward for both parties.

Here are some suggested solutions:

Be clear about expectations
Clearly define the role of the volunteer and the skills required. Be upfront about the level of technical expertise needed, as well as the time commitment, and ensure they understand the physical, legal, and financial responsibilities involved.

Provide training and support
Offer training on the venue’s systems, maintenance protocols, and legal responsibilities. Providing comprehensive resources will ensure that your volunteer is adequately prepared to take on the role. If you can find an organisation with experience of working with hall committees such as Hallmaster they are usually happy to help.  Don’t forget to contact your local ACRE network member.

Consider paid help
If the volunteers simply don’t come forward, consider paying for services to manage the more complex or technical aspects of venue management. While this may increase your costs, it could also ensure that your venue runs smoothly.

Simplify systems where possible
Look for user-friendly booking and invoicing systems that are easier for volunteers to manage. When the systems are intuitive, it reduces the burden on volunteers and helps them focus on other essential tasks.

Have a back-up plan
Always have a contingency plan in place. Ensure that your venue isn’t dependent on a single volunteer for critical tasks. Train other volunteers and consider rotating roles to prevent burnout and ensure continuity.

Volunteers are amazing people!
Finding the right volunteer is crucial to your venue’s ongoing success. By investing in succession planning, providing adequate training, and being transparent about expectations, you can ensure that your venue remains in good hands, capable of meeting the needs of both your customers and the legal requirements of the business.  The right volunteers who can handle all aspects of their specific role, ensuring the long-term viability and success of the venue are invaluable.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of many community venues but finding the right people to take on the maintenance and management of the building as well as digital systems and marketing is not an easy task.”

Bernard Hammick, Managing Director of Hallmaster