I’m Katie Bradshaw, a volunteering consultant with over 14 years’ experience supporting organisations to design volunteering that works in practice as well as in principle. I believe great volunteering starts with intention. I work with organisations to understand what’s working, identify what volunteers really need, and make practical improvements that strengthen both experience and impact. My approach is collaborative and grounded in good practice - helping you build volunteering that feels rewarding for volunteers, sustainable for organisations, and meaningful for the communities you serve.

I support charities, membership bodies and volunteer-led organisations to strengthen volunteer experience, improve retention and embed good practice.

Common challenges I support organisations with:

• Volunteer recruitment feels difficult or inconsistent

• Retention or engagement has declined

• Staff lack confidence managing volunteers

• Volunteering has grown without clear structure

• Policies or processes feel outdated or unclear

• Responsibility for volunteering sits across multiple teams

• Organisations want to improve volunteer experience but aren’t sure where to start

• Change initiatives are difficult to embed in day-to-day delivery

Experience supporting organisations including:

Northumbria Students’ Union · Newcastle College · Whizz-Kidz · Volunteering Matters · CSSC · The Girls Network · NCVO