Adopting a corporate management style helps instil a professional air that benefits the volunteering sector, according to new research.

National development agency Volunteering England surveyed visitors to its website and found that seven in ten supported the introduction of a more professional ethos at volunteer organisations.

This popular view is shared by Volunteering England’s director of volunteering and leadership, Barbara Regnier.

“In a world where success is increasingly measured by impact and output, it is essential that volunteer-involving organisations have sufficient resources and expertise to operate in a professional manner,” she said, commenting on the survey.

“Although some may object to what they see as a distancing from the sector’s core values, the reality is that professionalisation does not preclude passion.”

Volunteering England’s latest statistics coincide with the launch its forthcoming Tools of the Trade event in London on January 24th, designed to showcase the activities, benefits and offerings of the volunteering sector.

In this Wednesday’s event in the capital, the Excellence in Volunteer Management training programme will be launched, along with an Investing in Volunteers toolkit.

A follow-up event will take place in Leeds on February 20th.

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