Objectives

1. To form a trans-disciplinary team involving academics, volunteers, policy makers and community practitioners/members around the principles of trust and mutual respect;

2. To identify and characterise boundary spanners (those individuals who can enable the interaction between academic, community and policy spheres);

3. To introduce the team to the principles and workings of cultural animation;

4. To reflect collectively on existing official discourses of volunteering (at local and national level) via participant-led sessions (boundary spanners to lead these sessions);

5. To agree a code of ethics that accounts for the needs and expectations of all parties involved in the research;

6. To co-design a methodology for co-producing and co-delivering (in Phase 2) a documentary drama on the ‘Untold stories of volunteering’;

7. To influence key stakeholders: policy makers, umbrella organisations and other parties who could make a difference to the experience of volunteering.