On 2 August, we launched our brand-new volunteer management system, Assemble. There are many reasons why this new system is a game-changer for Macmillan volunteers, but an important one is the way it boosts the accessibility of our volunteer offer.
Accessibility across Macmillan Cancer Support is vital. Everybody – regardless of who they are or their background – should feel empowered to volunteer with Macmillan. We want to make sure that every volunteer is able to be at their best when giving their time, energy and experience for people living with cancer.
Assemble is helping us to do just that. Here are three ways how.
1. Volunteers can access everything they need all in one digital space
Assemble provides a one-stop-shop for Macmillan volunteers, from the first moment of searching for a volunteer role, through to reading the latest news about Macmillan and what it means for their volunteer role, right the way through their time with us. And all of it is accessible when volunteers need it and from wherever they want it.
Volunteers can easily explore the Document Hub to access important information like the Macmillan Volunteer Handbook, before browsing the latest opportunities and applying for roles directly on the system.
They can keep their training up to date and access a wide breadth of learning and development resources right from Assemble too. If they have any questions, they can look up the details of their Volunteer Manager and direct message them through the inbox function.
Additionally, if volunteers want to let us know about any specific additional support they may need whilst they’re volunteering with us, they can do so easily by safely storing it in their Assemble profile. This means that they only need to tell us once and all relevant Macmillan staff will be able to see it on the system, across all roles and throughout their volunteering experience.
When we said everything in one place, we really meant it. Using Assemble, volunteers can now stay up to date with Macmillan News including our latest campaigns, volunteer achievements, events and much more. They can even create their own tailored newsfeed to show the news they’d like to see - for instance what’s happening in their region.
All of these functions have been put in place to save volunteers’ time, confusion and energy. No longer must they spend time searching for emails or different websites. This process is quick, easy and most importantly – accessible.
2. Assemble has single sign-on and can be used across multiple devices
Another brilliant thing about Assemble is that it utilises Macmillan’s single sign on. This is the technology we are using to create one single login for use across Macmillan systems. The login a volunteer uses for Assemble is the same one they use to the MyMacmillan functions of the Macmillan website and also the Macmillan Online Community. We’re looking to roll this out across all Macmillan platforms in the future, making all of our services more accessible.
Volunteers can also take Assemble anywhere thanks to its ability to work across multiple devices including laptops, phones and tablets. We’ll also be rolling out an Assemble app in the coming weeks, which will give users another option to access the system.
Finally, Assemble is also compatible with a range of screen reader technology and screen zooming features. This makes the system user-friendly for those with any visual impairments too.
3. Bespoke training videos have been designed specifically with accessibility in mind.
As you’ll have likely guessed by now, Assemble is an advanced system. Whilst it remains intuitive, the volunteering team at Macmillan have gone above and beyond to make sure that volunteers are able to find their feet with ease.
We have done this by creating bespoke training videos which outline in detail everything that volunteers need to know in terms of navigating Assemble. These videos have been designed with accessibility in mind– allowing volunteers to watch, listen or read the content according to their preferences. After taking in these videos, all volunteers - regardless of their circumstances or technical abilities - should be fully equipped to get the most out of Assemble and, more importantly, make the very most of volunteering at Macmillan.