Shiloh Rotherham has been awarded a Kitemark Plus Award, a certificate presented to Rotherham and district community groups and other organisations who are judged by an independent panel to demonstrate exceptional recognition of, and positive support for, volunteers.

Jonathan Lang, Operations Manager, said that he was ‘thrilled that we should be recognised in this way’.  Trustee Len Wilson, who oversaw the application with John McDonnell, Shiloh’s Services Development Manager, thought that the Kitemark Plus ‘will be a very important addition to our letterheads and documentation’.

To be considered for an Award, applicants had to submit comprehensive written documentation of their approach to volunteering, including:

• diversity and equality policies and practices;

• legal and insurance documentation;

• recruitment and selection procedures;

• supervision and support processes;

• appropriate training opportunities – e.g. in fire precautions, health and safety, mental health, and safeguarding awareness.

In Shiloh’s case this involved drawing together and developing a range of materials related to role requirements and person specifications, a task primarily undertaken by Trustee Judy Dalton.

With the permission of participants, anonymised examples of ongoing review processes were collated by Tracey Cockles, Shiloh’s Volunteer Coordinator.

Kerry McGrath, Volunteer Training and Development Coordinator at Volunteer Action Rotherham, described Shiloh Rotherham’s portfolio of evidence as ‘a really good submission’.

The main congratulations for the Award go to the sixty or so volunteers who keep Shiloh Rotherham going, especially during the transition period as it plans the move to larger premises at the former Weighbridge site in Station Road, Rotherham.