Between October and December 2024, Fife Voluntary Action (FVA) launched the Volunteering for Fife campaign, an ambitious, cross-sector effort to boost volunteering across the region. With the message “Try something new”, the campaign encouraged people to get involved in their communities, while also helping organisations grow their volunteer base and improve the volunteer experience.

This was the first campaign of its kind in Fife, co-designed by a working group of partners including Fife Council, Youth 1st, NHS Fife, Fife Gingerbread, Citizens Advice and Rights Fife, Skills Development Scotland, DWP, and DAPL.

The campaign used a mix of digital and in-person approaches:

• Roadshows and events across Fife
• A digital campaign with targeted Facebook ads and social media content
• Case studies and stories to highlight the benefits of volunteering
• A campaign toolkit to help organisations promote opportunities
• Paid partnerships with Kingdom FM, The Courier, and Dunfermline Press

FVA also hosted two information sessions to help organisations get involved and promoted the Volunteer Charter to support good practice.

The results were impressive:

• 157,828 people reached through the digital campaign
• 75% increase in volunteer sign-ups compared to the same period in 2023
• 63% increase in volunteer web enquiries
• 58% increase in volunteer registrations year-on-year
• Saltire Award registrations for young people rose by 53%

More people in Fife are now volunteering, building skills, confidence, and social connections. This also strengthens local organisations and helps them deliver vital services to communities across the region.

This work supports several ambitions in the Plan for Fife, including:

• Community Wealth Building – by building local capacity and skills
• Tackling Poverty and Preventing Crisis – through support services delivered by volunteers
• Joined-up Public Services – through cross-sector collaboration
• Involving communities in local decision-making – by encouraging active participation

FVA hopes to run the campaign annually and expand its reach with more Volunteer Recruitment Roadshows. They’re also following up with volunteers and organisations to gather feedback, offer support, and keep the momentum going.