Ending well and moving on: Supporting volunteers as they leave Big Local

As the Big Local programme moves closer to its end in 2026, Local Trust is exploring how best to support volunteers to end their involvement in the programme ‘well’.

Volunteers on Big Local partnerships play a key role in Big Local. They are part of the decision making group within each area that guides the direction of Big Local within communities. Many volunteers have been involved for years and dedicate hours each week.

Throughout its duration, the programme has focused on supporting Big Local partnerships to build capacity, deliver their plans and, more recently, secure their legacies. More attention, however, needed to be given to the individual volunteers, including what they might need to end their involvement in a long-term programme and move on from it.

This summary report comes from a small piece of research Local Trust commissioned in June 2023 to help fill this gap. It captures perspectives of individual volunteers and those supporting and working with them, as well as stakeholders from similar programmes and organisations.

It highlights three options volunteers have as their involvement comes to an end, as well as five overall volunteer needs that would support a good ending. The research emphasises that the end of the programme will mean different things to different volunteers, but across this diversity, they need to be supported in choosing the end, or next step, that is right for them.