Brighton learning companies team up on pro bono project to help TogetherCo respond to pandemic with user-generated content and digital learning for hundreds of new volunteers.
TogetherCo, a Brighton-based loneliness charity who befriend vulnerable people in need were facing a surge in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the strict social distancing measures in force created extra challenges not only for people in the community but also for the way TogetherCo delivers its support services.
Now restricted to telephone befriending and responding to a high volume of doorstep deliveries the charity needed to train existing volunteers plus a major new cohort at speed on how to operate safely and effectively.
Getting new volunteers up-and-running usually takes place via 1-2-1 web calls which could take up to an hour each. With urgent, increased demand TogetherCo needed to innovate and find a new way to reach their exponentially growing team with vital information.
Kineo, a global leader in digital learning, whose teams had previously volunteered with the charity got in touch with StoryTagger to team up on a pro bono project to accelerate the induction process.
Using StoryTagger, the selfie video learning tool, TogetherCo were able to create a series of 12 targeted video resources covering all essential aspects of support in less than 48 hours. The videos were set up as a playlist on YouTube accessible not only to TogetherCo’s volunteers but also to loneliness charities across the UK.
Kineo created and hosted a quiz to test knowledge and demonstrate volunteers are ready to support the community using their Adapt Authoring Tool.
“Our volunteers make a huge difference to those experiencing severe isolation in Brighton and Hove. With the pandemic heaping extra pressure on the most vulnerable, we needed to recruit and train a huge number of new volunteers in a short period of time. Working with Kineo and StoryTagger on an innovative solution, using the resources we already had, enabled us to meet this urgent need”.
Emily Daniels, Operations Lead at TogetherCo
About TogetherCo
TogetherCo is Brighton’s loneliness charity. It creates connections to change lives through its befriending, social prescribing and volunteering services.
If you’d like to learn more about the great charity work TogetherCo does, check out their website here: https://togetherco.org.uk
You can even apply as a volunteer yourself: https://togetherco.org.uk/coronavirus/#volunteer
Or make a kind donation here: www.justgiving.com/campaign/TogetherCo
About Kineo
Kineo is a global workplace learning company that helps businesses improve performance through learning and technology.
www.kineo.com/
About StoryTagger
StoryTagger is the selfie video learning platform that amplifies the human story. It helps organisations crowdsource authentic knowledge and experiences from their people.