Analysts volunteer your skills to help good causes

Analysts volunteer your skills to help good causes by completing this quick online form http://ow.ly/H2zH302A3YB

Once you have completed the form you will receive information about projects that require a volunteer.  It is then up to you to decide if it is a cause you would like to help out with.  It's that easy.

For more information about the scheme please visit www.theorsociety.com/probono

Analysts: volunteer your skills for good causes with Pro Bono O.R.

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme run by The OR Society that connects volunteer analysts with voluntary sector organisations across the UK to work on short term projects in order to assist them in making operational improvements. The aim of Pro Bono O.R. is to help third sector organisations to do a better job, impacting upon desired outcomes, and build capacity by using the skills of volunteer O.R. analysts and consultants. Types of projects include: data analysis, process improvement, strategic planning, risk analysis, efficiency improvement, decisions making, impact measurement, scheduling and business planning.

Volunteers can work on projects individually or as part of a team (you can apply individually and request to be part of a team). There is also a possibility to work with the support of a mentor. Benefits of volunteering include:

• Being involved in the whole project cycle
• Working in a different sector
• Building your CV
• New challenges
• Consultancy skills
• Team building
• Learning new skills
• Making a real difference

To hear what current volunteer analysts have to say please watch this short video.

Being a volunteer does not require any commitment, it just means you will receive information about projects that require volunteers.

For further information about O.R. and the ways in which it can help please visit: http://www.theorsociety.com/probono

You can connect with Felicity McLeister, the project coordinator, on Twitter, LinkedIn and via her blog.

Supporting vulnerable person’s charity to present meaningful organisational performance management information

Spaces remaining for Volunteer Celebration & a new project requiring volunteer(s)

With just over 1 weeks to go until the Volunteer Celebration please remember to register for your FREE place. Whether you have actively volunteered or are just currently registered and looking for an appropriate opportunity we appreciate your support and would like to invite you to this exclusive free event where you can hear more about the scheme over complimentary food and drinks. Further details and registration here.

Please find details of a new project below.  If you are unable to access the links please let me know and I can send you an attachment. 

Care4all

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

i)                 The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

ii)                The relief of unemployment for the benefit of the public in such ways as may be thought fit, including assistance to find employment

Main activities of the organisation: 

We deliver the following services:

·        Catering with Care – Meals on Wheels, Extra Care catering, Care Home catering, Primary Care Centre café

·        Personalisation – Personal Assistant Support Service (PASS), and Living our Lives supported living service

·        Community – Grant Thorold Community Hub and Library in partnership with another local social enterprise

Project summary:

Project: Supporting vulnerable person’s charity to present meaningful organisational performance management information.

Time commitment: approx. 2 days

Location: Work can be largely remote following a kick-off meeting. Organisation based in North East Lincolnshire (DN32 8BX) but initial meeting location is flexible.

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Monday 27^th June.

We are still looking for a volunteer for the following project

VfMH - Volunteers for Mental Health

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: The relief of illness, poverty and distress in the British Isles or in any country wheresoever such illness, poverty or distress shall arise as a result of war, civil commotion, civil unrest, persecution or discrimination. The promotion of social inclusion for those at risk of exclusion through institutionalisation, mental health need and learning disability, residing in Romania; in particular by raising public awareness and supporting the development of community based services

Main activities of the organisation:  See project scope

Project summary:

Project: Organisational modelling for UK based charity operating in Romania – Undertake research examining the best future operating model and business case proposition for a UK charitable organisation operating in Romania

Time commitment: approx. 20-30 hours

Location:  Remote

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Monday 20^th June.

I look forward to hearing from you and once again thank you for your help and support.

For further information about the scheme please visit: http://www.theorsociety.com/Probono   

Follow me on  twitter       LinkedIn

Volunteer Celebration event

With only 2 weeks to go until the Volunteer Celebration please remember to register for your FREE place. Whether you have actively volunteered or are just currently registered and looking for an appropriate opportunity we appreciate your support and would like to invite you to this exclusive free event where you can hear more about the scheme over complimentary food and drinks. 

Further details and registration here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/volunteer-celebration-tickets-23904023578

Identifying patient priorities - completed #ProBonoOR project with Bloodwise

Bloodwise is the UK's specialist blood cancer charity.

Bloodwise carried out a survey to more than a thousand patients with a view to understand their level of satisfaction throughout different stages of their blood cancer experience. This presented an opportunity to identify which stages were more important.

The survey was divided in different sections corresponding to different stages of the blood cancer experience like diagnosis, treatment, post- treatment ,etc

The analysis followed a two stage approach. For each section a statistical drivers of satisfaction analysis was carried out. Since most questions asked patients to rate areas of support we performed some exploratory analysis (looking at each area of support separately) to assess their impact driving patient satisfaction. Finally by means of regression trees the volunteer identified a hierarchy of importance and establish which areas of support are absolutely essential.

Moreover by means of decision trees the volunteer identified the best method of delivery for each area of support; the options were by a medical professional, on a written format such as a leaflet or through friend and family.


Further details of the project can be seen in the case study slide below.






Bloodwise commented: 'Understanding which areas of support are essential has allowed us to prioritise patient support initiatives.'


To find out more about Pro Bono O.R. please click here

Pro Bono O.R. video - Analysts: volunteer your skills for good causes with Pro Bono O.R.

The Operational Research Society runs its Pro Bono O.R. scheme to match up analysts with charities and other third sector organisations to improve their operations - for free!

This is not only great for the charity but great for the analyst (and their employers), giving you a wider experience, a track record in consultancy and management, and professional stimulation too!

To find out what the volunteers had to say about the scheme click here.

Find out more at about the scheme here or tweet to Felicity McLeister at ‏@FMcLeister to get the conversation started.

Join the Pro Bono O.R. LinkedIn Group

If you are interested in using your analytical stills to help third sector organisations across the UK please join the Pro Bono O.R. group.

This group is for current volunteers or those interested in finding out more about Pro Bono O.R.


It's purpose is to provide a space for updates, discussion, support, advice and to for members to post relevant information.
Thanks

Supporting volunteers

In order for skilled volunteering to be successful, for both the volunteer(s) and the recipient organisation, it is essential to provide good support.

When I first took on the role of Pro Bono O.R. Project Manager I put a lot of processes and systems in place to ensure this. From project guidelines, project proposal forms, case study templates and feedback forms there is plenty of information for both the volunteers and organisations to refer to. Additionally I ensure I check in with the volunteers and organisations on a regular basis to see how the projects are going.  Keeping an open channel of communication is key.

I was really pleased to receive this feedback from a volunteer who has just completed a project with Elfrida Rathbone Camden:

 'I found all of the templates provided by The OR Society really helpful, right from the project proposal in the initial stages and the feedback forms at the end. I also found it extremely helpful that Felicity would check in on our progress from time to time, as it would often serve as a good reminder if we had not worked on it for a while.'

Supporting volunteers and keeping them engaged and appreciated is something I am very keen to do and would welcome any ideas on what others do to do this.

Further information on the Pro Bono O.R. scheme can be found here: http://ow.ly/QdMy7

One click away from skilled volunteering #ORblog

Skilled volunteering is a fantastic way to use the skills you already have to make a real difference to third sector organisations.

Whether its a few hours or a few days, both the organisation and the volunteers benefit from volunteering.

To see what some of our volunteers have to say please read these two articles written by volunteers who worked with RSPCA and HARCVS:

Volunteer experience article RSPCA
Volunteer experience article HARCVS

To see the who we've worked with and the types of projects we've completed please visit: case studies

Signing up to become a #ProBonoOR volunteer only takes a couple of minutes but could have a long term impact on both yourself and the organisation(s) you work with http://ow.ly/Or0Mq 

Please share and get in touch for further information felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com 

Please follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn for further information and updates.

Pro Bono O.R. is skilled volunteering for individuals with operational research/analytical experience.  Please note projects can be carried out individually, in teams and with a mentor if required.

For information on other skilled volunteering organisations please visit:
Career Volunteer or Reach Skills

A big thank you to all our volunteers #volunteersweek #ORblog

As we start Volunteers Week I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the Pro Bono O.R. volunteers without whom the Pro Bono O.R. scheme would not be possible.

We have over 300 registered volunteers across the UK, of whom over 100 have applied to work on projects and 54 have completed or are currently working on projects.

Since September 2013, we have completed 18 projects and are currently working on a further 16.

For details of the projects we have worked on please visit: Pro Bono O.R. webpage

Here is what some of the organisations we've worked with have to say:

Springboard

The work is already supporting our planning and development for next year and allowing us to focus our thoughts and decisions on the places of most importance for our organisation. It has helped us to come up with new solutions already.

(CEO)

Crimestoppers

We've benefited hugely from your work and support in all areas of the project, and from an organisational perspective you've enabled us to take a highly professional approach to increasing the efficiency of our charity.

(Performance Manager)

The Cardinal Hume Centre

We valued the opportunity to work collaboratively and without doubt benefited from the analyst’s expertise and commitment to the project.

 (Operations Director)

The Dachshund Breed Council

Brilliant – it makes the predictions of risk visible. This will be so useful.

(Lafora Screening Co-ordinators)

HARCVS

I'm really pleased with the report and it will be very useful indeed for forward planning and to support our Big Lottery bid.

 (CEO)

Here is what some of our volunteers have to say:

"It’s a chance to make a difference, practice getting to the heart of a problem quickly, meet some very dedicated people and use techniques which you might not in your every day job"

"Being a volunteer was a great way to make a real difference for an organisation with people that were clearly passionate about what they do. At the same time I've added some interesting people to my network and expanded the breadth of projects I've undertaken on my CV"

"Working as a pro bono volunteer is a great way to contribute some professional expertise to some truly worthwhile causes.  The Third Sector is full of people who feel passionately about their Mission, so working with them is invariably a positive learning experience"

"I've really enjoyed working with third sector organisations and found the staff extremely positive about the contribution we make"

I have thoroughly enjoyed my role promoting and managing the scheme and look forward to the impact the scheme will have during the rest of 2015.

To find out more please follow me on twitter, LinkedIn or send an email to felicity.mcleister@theorsociety.com 

Addressing Loneliness in Rural North Yorkshire: The project and my experience as a Pro Bono volunteer #ProBonoOR #ORblog #ThisisOR

Addressing Loneliness in Rural North Yorkshire

The project and my experience as a Pro Bono volunteer

By Sarah Culkin, UK Department of Health

The problem:

An organisation in the North of England took over a rural visiting service for the elderly and was very keen to ensure that as much benefit as possible could be provided for recipients of the service.  It therefore requested a pro bono study from the UK OR Society to help a project team understand how a strategy for improving the service could be constructed.

The approach

I was assigned to the task by The OR Society and started work by collecting information and evidence through interviews with stakeholders, accompanying the project team on visits to clients, reviewing survey feedback and finance information.  This information was used to produce an initial system diagram. I then facilitated a workshop with key stakeholders to present, discuss, amend and build on the system diagram (see figure 1).

Figure 1. Part of the System Diagram

The system diagram allowed a birds-eye view of the service, helping to see how people flow through the service and how it interacts with other neighbouring services and stakeholder groups.

Back at the office I reviewed the map and conducted thematic analysis on all of the interview notes and other textual information.  This analysis allowed clarification and quantification of major themes and topics occurring in the information and led to a list of clear recommendations. For example, it showed that volunteers were not being used to good effect, instead visits were mostly performed by the three staff members, and links and communications with other organisations were also underdeveloped, leading to a confusion and sometimes duplication of work.  By refocussing the work of the permanent members of staff to these areas, meant that the service could grow and also be more targeted and efficient. 

These recommendations were assembled into a strategy map, showing how they link together and lead from inputs to desired outcomes.  From this a balanced scorecard of measures can monitor progress and outcomes of the service to ensure maximum benefit (see figure 2).

Figure 2. Strategy mapping of recommendations

My experience as a volunteer

I was made to feel very welcome by rural visiting team, right from the beginning. There could have been some suspicion about my role, as the review had been arranged through the chair of the umbrella organisation that the service sat under. The service had only recently been taken over by that organisation, and was based remotely, so it was seen as a good opportunity.

The service team in Ripon was small, but they were very dedicated to their elderly clients, this was easily seen as I accompanied them on home visits. In my role it was important that I ingratiated  myself, made the team feel at ease, and explained clearly what I was and wasn't there to do.  At the same time it was important to remain impartial and analytical, and be prepared to deliver recommendations that may rock the status quo.  This balance was something I also felt quite keenly when writing up the final conclusions and recommendations in my report.

The experience was so rich, like nothing I have experienced in my day job at the Department of Health.  For example, at the end of the stakeholder workshop where we reviewed and refined the system map, the service team leader hugged me because she was so pleased with the results - definitely not something that has happened in a civil service meeting before!

Because I was getting experience of a sector directly related to the work of the Department of Health, I was fortunate to be able to do this project as part of my CPD hours. As a result I have brought back so much that informs my day-to-day work, my understanding of the realities of care and the challenges the front-line face. In many ways it has been far more valuable than a training course, and without the cost. And the thought that I may have influenced decisions about this valuable service for the better is incredibly rewarding.

The benefits of the study

·         As a result of the analysis the client, project team and analyst all gained a thorough understanding of the service and the wider system it is part of ;

·         A Strategy map for reducing loneliness was identified and evidenced. This would be used in future, for example, to track numbers of volunteers used, how they contribute to the numbers of visits made, and how well the service works in partnership with neighbouring  organisations;

·         The client  was ‘taken on the journey’, so now understands where strategies come from;

·         The work produced a solid foundation from which to re-model the service and apply for associated funding.

At the end of the study the client said: “I’m really pleased with the report and it will be very useful indeed for forward planning and to support our Big Lottery bid “

    

Volunteering with the RSPCA: O.R., canine welfare and team building!

Thank you to Alessandro Arbib who has written this guest blog.  Alessandro and his team volunteered to carry out a Pro Bono O.R. project with the RSPCA.  Here he tells us a bit about the project and the experience of being a Pro Bono O.R. volunteer. 

It’s a dog's life: when O.R. meets canine welfare

The breeding, ownership and welfare of dogs in the UK is a complex social policy area. Without an understanding of the dog population and how it is stratified, it is difficult to propose meaningful welfare policies. To help with this, three Operational Researchers and an engineer from DECC have worked with RSPCA and DogED to develop a stock and flow model of the UK dog population.

Although there has been research into the size of the dog population, nobody has pulled all this together into a single model that everyone can use to help focus priority issues. As a consequence, different stakeholders have varying, and sometimes conflicting, views of how many dogs there are and their needs. Without a consensus understanding of the population and how it is stratified, it is difficult to propose meaningful welfare improvement policies.

In order to collect the relevant data and develop a useful model the RSPCA - UK’s leading animal welfare charity - and DogED - a social enterprise applying System Thinking to canine welfare - started a project with a group of three Operational Researchers and one engineer from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), namely me and my team.

We accepted the project with great enthusiasm: we liked the idea of applying OR techniques in a Pro Bono context and of working on something different to the daily energy-related projects at the department. Our work included building a model which evaluates the stocks and flows of dogs within the UK and predicts the population changes over time.

Figure 1: Stock and flow diagram developed with Vensim

It involved pulling in data from a large number of journal papers and reports (we reviewed more than 50 data sources) and attempting to corroborate these against each other, whilst also working to identify gaps in existing knowledge. Needless to say, this was no mean feat – if you ask 10 people what a “stray” dog is, you’ll get 10 different answers!

At the start of the project we were a brand new team, having worked together for less than three months. Therefore, the project was a great opportunity to get to know each other outside of the work environment and to develop a strong team spirit. We made the most of fortnightly working lunches  and spent some time together during weekends; the relaxed environment and our enthusiasm for the project always made the work very productive and fun.

Talking about fun, the RSPCA gave us the fabulous opportunity to spend a day at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, one of the biggest animal welfare centres in the UK. There, we were treated to a tour of the home by the director of operations and got to see the efforts that go into looking after so many animals simultaneously. It was a great experience and at the end of the day we were all considering bringing home a dog or a cat with us!

Figure 2: our visit to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

However, it was not only leisure time; we also worked hard to deliver the project and the experience was both interesting and fruitful. The work matched our skill set closely and we all learnt something from it: we deepened our knowledge in system dynamics and applied it on a real problem, worked with different roles and in different contexts and, above all, learnt a lot about dogs and their welfare.

At the end of the project we delivered a comprehensive literature review and a working stock and flow model prototype. We also identified many data and evidence gaps that unfortunately mean the model results are not yet robust enough to inform policy decisions. We therefore provided some recommendations on how to close these gaps in the future. Based on this work, the client is now in a position to argue the case for better data collection to inform policy making.

All in all the experience was fulfilling and we would recommend it to all OR practitioners. The work was interesting and fun and our client was always appreciative and respectful of our time constraints; at the end it was very satisfactory to see that our work has been useful for a worthy project.

Make your new year's resolutions count in 2015

As we start 2015 most of our new years resolutions will go something like this: 'I must try and eat less', 'I must exercise more', 'I must drink less', etc.

Let me set you a challenge and give you two alternative new years resolutions for 2015 that could make a real difference for both yourself and others around you.

1) Volunteer

Use your skills to help third sector organisations.  There are many ways which you can do this; if you have Operational Research/analytical skills then why not get involved with Pro Bono O.R.?  Pro Bono O.R. worked with over twenty UK based third sector organisations in 2014.  The volunteers were able to provide a wide range of support from problem structuring, facilitation, data analysis, strategic review, impact measurement and much more.  The volunteers all reported a positive experience, here's what a few of them had to say: 

"Working as a pro bono volunteer is a great way to contribute some professional expertise to some truly worthwhile causes.  The Third Sector is full of people who feel passionately about their Mission, so working with them is invariably a positive learning experience"

"I've really enjoyed working with third sector organisations and found the staff extremely positive about the contribution we make"

"Being a volunteer was a great way to make a real difference for an organisation with people that were clearly passionate about what they do. At the same time I've added some interesting people to my network and expanded the breadth of projects I've undertaken on my CV"

To see more about becoming a volunteer and to see some of our completed case studies, please visit the webpage

2) Charities/third sector organisations look into Pro Bono O.R.

UK based organisations in the Third sector can  benefit from O.R. consultancy at no cost. The Operational Research society is offering third sector organisations the opportunity for free consultancy to help reduce costs and improve utilisation of limited resources.  

Pro Bono O.R. completed 10 projects in 2014 and the feedback we had was overwhelmingly positive:

"We are enormously grateful for being able to benefit from the advice and support of such a knowledgeable and experienced professional, who was able to raise challenging issues in a

sensitive and helpful way"

"We've benefited hugely from your work and support in all areas of the project, and from an organisational perspective you've enabled us to take a highly professional approach to increasing the efficiency of our charity"

So what are you waiting for, surely you should be saying 'I must volunteer more' and/or 'I must take up the free support to help my organisation to be more effective and efficient in 2015'

Please visit the webpage to find out more, or follow me on twitter (@FMcLeister) or LinkedIn (uk.linkedin.com/in/FelicityRoseMcLeister)

A few good reasons to volunteer

I came across a few articles today that promote volunteering, not only because it can contribute to 'the greater good' but because it can also be good for you!

This first article claims that volunteering can boost physical and mental health - so much so that it recommends that doctors should encourage patients to volunteer.

http://www.amednews.com/article/20120117/health/301179996/8/

This second article says 'Research has found that having wide-ranging interests outside of work - particularly volunteering - can help improve your productivity and wellbeing.'- Josephine Fairley 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-business/11220598/Work-Monday-blues-Theres-no-better-time-to-start-an-extra-curricular-activity.html

Lastly this article encourages us to take our skills Pro Bono (exactly what our Pro Bono O.R. volunteers are doing)

http://createathon.org/take-your-skills-pro-pro-bono-that-is/

If you didn't already think volunteering was a great idea then maybe these articles have convinced you.  There are a number of ways to get involved in volunteering; if you have O.R./analytical skills why not sign up to Pro Bono O.R.

Other useful links:

Career volunteer (recruits trustees and skilled volunteers): http://www.careervolunteer.co.uk/

Reach Skills (skilled volunteering charity): http://www.reachskills.org.uk/

Cranfield Trust (providing free business skills): http://cranfieldtrust.org/

New Pro Bono O.R. Case Study: A tool to help dog breeders identify genetic risks

The Dachshund Breed Council (DBC): A tool to help dog

 breeders identify genetic risks

Two of our Pro Bono O.R. volunteers, Dr. Sophie Carr (Bays Consulting Ltd.) and Ian Seath (Chairman of the DBC) undertook a project with the DBC. 


Some Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds suffer from a form of epilepsy called Lafora Disease. 2 DNA tests are available, but are not yet used by all breeders. The DBC wanted a tool to help predict the probability of breeding puppies with Lafora Disease.

To see the case study please click here


The feedback from DBC 'Brilliant-it makes the predictions of risk visible.  This will be so useful' 

Press release from decisionLab (Pro Bono volunteers at decisionLab helping make the world a better palce)

Press release from decisionLab: see how the OR consultancy firm are supporting Pro Bono O.R. by undertaking projects with Marie Curie and Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

decisionLab problem solvers

making the world a better place

Where other supporters might run a marathon, shave a leg or bake a cake, decisionLab consultants are applying their problem solving skills pro bono, directly to the issues tackled by some of the UK’s best known charities.

Major corporations and government departments have long understood the benefits of better decision-making underpinned by Operational Research (OR).  Sometimes known as management science, OR uses maths, data analytics and computer science to help understand complex business problems and provide tools which improve decision making.

Specialist OR consultancy decisionLab has been instrumental in improving outcomes, and profits, in sectors ranging from aerospace to utilities.

Now decisionLab problem solvers are making better outcomes accessible to the third sector.  First to benefit are the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation undertakes research into the root causes of poverty and effective ways to reduce social and economic inequalities.  decisionLab Director David Buxton, one the UK's leading authorities on Agent Based Modelling and Simulation, is advising the endowed foundation on adopting this OR technique, which takes into account individual behaviours, to improve its research.

Chris Goulden, Head of the Poverty Team at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation told us that “Although we already use sophisticated quantitative research techniques, ABMS is new to us and, with David’s support we want to understand if this approach can deliver more accurate research into the long term implications of government policy designed to tackling its effect.”

Marie Curie is the leading charity providing care to people with a terminal illness in their own homes or in one of its nine hospices. The charity is also a leader in research into the best ways of caring for people with a terminal illness. The Great Daffodil Appeal is the charity’s annual flagship fundraising campaign and all money raised allows Marie Curie Nurses to provide more free care to people at a time when they need it most.

decisionLab director Liz Archibald and modeller Kevis Pachos are now working to improve the logistical planning of the Great Daffodil Appeal campaigns for 2015 and 2016.

Tracey Murray, Head of Fundraising Campaigns for Marie Curie, said: “We rely on our biggest annual fundraising campaign to help us deliver services to people who are terminally ill and support for their families at a very difficult time.  We constantly review the way we deliver the appeal and with decisionLab’s help we’re looking at cost savings and operational efficiencies which will deliver an even bigger return on our investment so we can support more people with a terminal illness and their families.” 

The three decisionLab founders, Liz Archibald, David Buxton and Kate Swatridge, make no secret of their ethical leanings.  And they are building philanthropy into the DNA of their fledgling business by offering every employee up to five extra days each year to work on charitable projects.  

Now, as a growing firm, they’re stepping up their commitment to make the world a better place through the OR Society’s Pro Bono programme.  David told us that “Conscious that being good at what we do means we have a role in creating wealth for commercial institutions, we want to commit our time and expertise to improving the income and effectiveness of charitable organisations too. Kate herself is currently on sabbatical contributing her expertise to projects in Africa and more sustainable farming initiatives.”

It’s not just the charities, and those who rely on them, who benefit from the increased expertise and capacity decisionLab contributes, Liz added “Our volunteer problem solvers get to put their analytical skills into practice in more diverse situations and develop their knowledge of different kinds of organisations with disparate operational challenges.  We see it as an enriching experience which enhances the skills we offer to corporate as well as charity clients.  We also get to educate a wider audience about Operational Research and increase awareness of our profession.  Everyone benefits.” 

Cranfield Trusts joins the debate: 'Are there too many charities?'

Interesting article from Amanda Tincknell, CEO of Cranfield Trust http://cranfieldtrust.org/article/2014/jul/1/are-there-too-many-charities

How much is volunteering really worth?

Pro Bono O.R. is dependant on its volunteers in order to operate.  Without our volunteers, the third sector would not be benefiting from all the free consultancy hours.  These hours of face to face support and remote support that have so far been given to over 12 charities and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

We are currently trying to measure the 'economic value' that Pro Bono O.R. is worth by measuring the number of hours/days a volunteer works on a projects multiplied by the hourly/daily rate of an O.R. consultant/analyst.  We know that our volunteers are providing significant value but how much?  Read the interesting blog below from NCVO on how much volunteering is worth to the UK

“It’s the economic value, stupid”…but is volunteering really worth £100bn to the UK?

Pro Bono O.R. is promoted by UK Fundraising.

Thank you to UK Fundraising for publishing the following article to promote Pro Bono O.R.

Read on to find out how operational research can help reduce costs, increase efficiency and effectiveness and much more.  And all this for free!

Operational Research Society offers pro bono consultancy

Pro Bono O.R. is making a difference

One of our volunteers recently ran a workshop for AYME (Association of Young People with ME).   Here's what the Chair of AYME  had to say: 'I wanted to officially thank you on behalf of myself and my fellow trustees for the very helpful and enlightening session. I very much believe it was exactly the kind of help/input that we needed to help us focus on the future. The follow up work that you have so far provided to help us make sense of and prioritise the results of the session is also proving to be invaluable and we very much look forward to meeting you again for a follow up session at a future board meeting.'

To find out more please visit: Pro Bono web page