Recap of the first Pathways network meeting

It seems finding ways to effectively engage volunteers from different cultures is going to be an ongoing dialogue, following the first meeting of the Pathways network. 

Four key themes dominated:

• Reciprocity – the overwhelming need to network
• Resources – that to engage with culturally diverse volunteers may require more time, training and preparation
• Learning – the need for ongoing learning around cultural competency
• Collaboration – the need and benefits of sharing resources, people and networks

Use of social networks to assist recruitment and retention promises to be a hot topic for the Pathways network in the future.

One obstacle to engagement that emerged were police checks and blue card applications. At the next network meeting we’ll be exploring this barrier to see what can be done to alleviate it. 

What other barriers to culturally diverse volunteering do you think exist?