The below information was sent, via email to all volunteers and staff across SSAFA, on 5 February 2026.
To: all volunteers, employees and trustees
Dear colleagues,
Focus: The engine of volunteer support
If you tuned into our recent Town Hall, you might have caught a glimpse of these updates happening behind the scenes. Today, we wanted to take a moment to shine a spotlight on the Volunteer Experience (VE) team and the recent system enhancements in a dedicated update, as these improvements bring a direct and positive impact on support for volunteers and the smooth running of our network.
As we continue to roll out the Network Delivery Project (NDP) this year, one of our key goals remains to ensure that every volunteer feels supported, valued and confident in their role with SSAFA, so that the focus can stay on supporting our beneficiaries. Much of the work that enables this happens quietly in the background - and that is where the VE team plays a crucial role.
Often described as the ‘go-to team’, the VE team handles the essential systems and administration that enable our daily operations. To help put faces to names, we have created a new Meet the Volunteer Experience team pack, which introduces the team and gives their contact information.
2025: Support in numbers
The VE team may be small, but their reach is wide. To give you a sense of the scale of support they provided throughout 2025 to keep the network robust, the team:
- Managed more than 18,000 emails and over 700 phone calls.
- Reviewed 1,452 volunteer applications, resulting in 360 new volunteers being onboarded.
- Completed 428 vetting checks or renewals and issued over 350 ID cards.
- Migrated 27 branches and two Specialist Welfare Services teams onto GoAssemble (GA).
What is changing for volunteers?
Building on this strong foundation, the VE team has been listening closely to your feedback. We are pleased to share new developments launched recently to provide faster, more reliable, and accountable support:
1. Extended phone support: The team is trialling extended hours for the volunteer support line. The phone line will now be open Monday to Friday, 1000 - 1400, providing increased accessibility and more immediate responses. The phone number remains 0800 260 6775.
2. All requests are actioned: A new Helpdesk Ticketing System helps the team track every request internally, so the team can ensure that every contact is actioned and volunteers get answers faster. Volunteers will continue to contact the team in the usual way either via the [email protected] or via the 'contact us' option on GA.
3. Smarter tech support: The team has streamlined the process to handle Microsoft (MS) Office (O)365, SAVI, and GoAssemble issues. This means that any technical questions are sent to the right expert faster, leading to quicker resolution of your queries.
These developments demonstrate the ongoing commitment to enhancing the volunteer experience and tailoring support to evolving needs. An FAQ document is available here for further information, and we will continue to keep you updated as additional improvements are introduced.
Our thanks go out to the Volunteer Experience team for all the work they have been doing to put these improvements in place whilst still providing support to volunteers.
Where can I get more information?
The NDP Frequently Asked Questions document covers a range of topics addressing questions raised during and since the trials.
The Volunteer Knowledgebase is accessible to all volunteers and employees and contains detailed information on processes and procedures for all volunteer activities.
The Vision for Community Engagement in Branches document was developed following feedback from across the network and outlines the approach for increasing our reach, promoting understanding of our work, and building resilience.
NDP Information Hub on SSAFAnet and the NDP Information Hub on the Volunteer Knowledgebase both provide a variety of information on NDP – including caseworker and community engagement feedback videos, Town Hall presentations, transition guidance and copies of past updates in 2026 and in 2025.
If you have further questions, please contact the NDP Project team: [email protected].
Many thanks,
Kett McAfee, Welfare Operations Project Manager