Each year, Sufra gather feedback from our pool of volunteers to survey who our volunteers are, how they are getting on, and how we could support them better.

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Sufra - key across all of our services. They’re often the first friendly face that our guests see, and the reason so many feel at home with us. Week after week, they show up with energy, compassion, and a determination to make a difference. Thanks to their dedication, we are able to support approximately 14,000 guests each year.

Through our Community Engagement Programme, volunteers receive in-depth training, ongoing support, and opportunities to gain new skills, employment experience and qualifications, ensuring that volunteering is not only a way to give back, but also a route to personal development and future opportunities.

The outcomes of this year's survey were positive, with 94% of volunteers feeling valued and 90% of volunteers feeling supported in their roles.

Key areas noted for improvement included a need for greater clarity around volunteer roles and responsibilities, more consistent communication when rules or processes change, and increased opportunities for volunteers to share feedback and have their voices heard. Therefore, over the coming months we will be working on some actions as an outcome of the survey, including:

• Introducing standard operating procedures for the CWS Café and Shop.
• Creating an online suggestion box to allow more opportunities for volunteers to provide feedback outside of the annual survey.
• Increasing the awareness of our steering groups, ensuring all volunteers feel they can feedback and influence changes to the service they volunteer in.