Working to help the sector unlock the power of volunteering

At Heritage Volunteering Group, we work on a range of projects designed to champion and promote best practice in volunteering and volunteer management. We also work with a wide variety of partners to ensure heritage volunteering has a strong voice both in our sector and beyond.

HVG Strategy 2024-2027: Transformative Volunteering

In November 2024 we launched our new strategic-plan, Transformative Volunteering which is designed to enable the sector to realise the potential of volunteering to transform organisations, lives and communities.

Developed in consultation with colleagues from across the sector, Transformative Volunteering outlines our strategic framework and the activities we will deliver over the next three years. Our framework will focus on four areas of work:

  • Advocating for impactful volunteering practices
  • Advancing professional development for volunteer managers,
  • Enhancing organisational capacity to grow volunteer programs,
  • Securing a sustainable future for HVG.

Through these priorities, and by working together, we will transform organisations, lives, and communities through the unparalleled power of volunteering.

Annual Report 2025–2026

This year we further deepened our impact, achieving record membership growth, expanding our events programme, strengthening sector partnerships and becoming a registered charity.

Our 2025–2026 Annual Report shows how we are equipping and connecting volunteer leaders, championing effective practice and helping heritage organisations unlock the transformative power of volunteering.

Key highlights include:

  • Membership Growth: Welcomed 213 new members—an increase of 29%—taking our international community to 934.
  • Event Impact: Delivered 25 online sessions for 404 attendees, including 12 Inclusion Forums focused on practical and inclusive volunteer leadership.
  • Sector Connections: Brought together a record 218 delegates from 158 organisations at Heritage Volunteering ’25.
  • Partnership Working: Collaborated across the sector to strengthen practice, develop organisational capacity and increase participation in heritage volunteering.
  • Digital Engagement: Generated 90,848 social media content views, grew our LinkedIn community by 24% and increased content engagement by 40%.
  • A Stronger Foundation: Became a registered charity, strengthening our governance and ambitions for the future.

Download our 2025–2026 Annual Report.

Creating Capacity

In 2021, we undertook and published a piece of work with Historic England to explore what was needed to rebuild volunteering capacity in our sector. Creating Capacity explores these findings and makes a set of recommendations that highlight the strategic and structural changes the sector needs to make, arguing that organisations need to think strategically about volunteer involvement, invest in their participation and provide the leadership to create new and innovative models of volunteering that will enable the sector to thrive post covid. Learn more in this short video.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

If you’re looking for inspiration on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, this Trello board of resources is collected and given by HVG members. Alternatively, why not join us at one of our monthly Inclusion Forums where you can discuss the issues affecting you and your volunteers.

Heritage Volunteering Survey

In 2019 we conducted a survey into the scale, nature and impact of volunteering in the heritage sector. The survey, which was created with the help of Agenda Consulting, The Museums Association and NCVO, provides a fascinating insight into volunteering in our sector and raises interesting questions about the lack of diversity and the roles volunteers play.

HVG Survey Report 2019

HVG Survey Exec Summary

Working in Partnership 

To ensure that heritage volunteering has a voice within the sector and beyond, we work in partnership with a range of organisations and networks:

  • AIM: We are a delivery partner on the Connected Communities Programme
  • DCMS: We attend fortnightly briefings on volunteering and volunteer engagement during Covid-19.
  • Make Your Mark: Aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland by promoting volunteering opportunities, connecting volunteer engagement professionals and sharing inclusive practice.
  • Subject Specialist Networks Consortium: A network that supports and brings together a broad range of subject specialist networks.
  • Voluntary Voices: A project led by Newcastle University and Arts & Heritage designed to support volunteers working with art collections.

Press Play on Your Learning Journey

Unlock the potential of your volunteer programme with Press Play – The HVG Video Learning Bringing together expert insight, practical examples and real-world experience from across the heritage sector, this curated collection of videos is designed to support you with all aspects of your work – from strategy and leadership to inclusive practice, digital volunteering and impact measurement.

Recommended Reading and Listening

Here are some of our favourite books and podcasts to help you grow as leaders of volunteers. For more information on our favourite books and articles, why not check out our Recommended Reads playlist on YouTube