The below information was sent, via email to all volunteers and staff across SSAFA, on 16 April 2026.

To: all volunteers, employees and trustees 

Dear colleagues,

Focus: GoAssemble in practice across SSAFA

This week, we would like to take a closer look at GoAssemble (GA), our volunteer management system. GA has been introduced to bring key volunteer processes into one place, improving overall efficiency. While its messaging function is more basic than Outlook in Microsoft 365, GA provides a shared platform that helps teams coordinate more easily.  

We recognise that moving to a new system is a significant change and hasn’t been without its challenges. Your feedback has been vital in helping us refine the system and its guidelines, particularly during the early stages or when you first migrated onto the platform. Thank you for your patience as these issues have been worked through. Alongside this, we would like to share how GA is currently supporting us, and the difference it is already making.

Clearer and quicker expense reimbursement

GA is designed to make expense claims straightforward and efficient. Volunteers can easily submit and track expense claims. Meanwhile, by enabling multiple authorised approvers, the process is no longer dependent on any one individual’s availability, helping reduce delays.

Access your training and training history directly  

For the first time, volunteers can access training directly through GA, without needing to log into a separate system, as well as view and track training history at any time. This provides a clear, up-to-date picture of your current position and any training requirements, which wasn't available before. We are continuing to improve the accuracy of these records as the system becomes established.

Managing your own information

GA allows you to manage your personal details directly, for example your address and contact details, helping ensure information remains accurate. It also provides access to organisational announcements and updates in one place.

Strengthening our network and building for the future

While not everyone will see the volunteer recruitment function in action, it plays a vital role in improving the overall experience for new volunteers and those supporting them. By bringing checks, references and training compliance into one place, GA ensures the right safeguards are in place. It also makes the process more straightforward for those managing recruitment and eases the administrative burden.

Since moving volunteer recruitment to GoAssemble, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the time it takes to bring new volunteers on board. In 2025, the average time to recruit a volunteer through our new model, including all stages of the process, was 73 days, compared to the 225-day average in 2023 using our old system. GA also gives teams a clearer view of volunteer status, whether someone is active or not, providing a more up-to-date picture across the network. This means we can get volunteers in place more quickly and keep operations well supported.

Who is using GA across SSAFA?

GoAssemble is used to support all volunteers across SSAFA. Our Specialist Welfare Services teams have been using GA as their primary tool for day-to-day activity since summer of 2025, as are those branches and service delivery teams that have already transitioned into the NDP model. GA is also being used outside of Welfare Operations for event volunteers.

Using a unified tool across the organisation strengthens the link between local delivery and national support. This approach improves internal consistency and helps ensure that the service provided to beneficiaries is secure, professional and consistent across SSAFA.

GoAssemble is now a key part of how we operate across SSAFA, and we will continue to support you in using it effectively. GoAssemble User Guides are available on Volunteer Knowledgebase for those who would like to learn more. Thank you for your continued service and commitment to SSAFA and to supporting our beneficiaries.