We have an important update regarding a significant national development in the volunteering sector. The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, is developing a new digital platform called GoVo, which they describe as a “gift to the nation” for charities and the public.

While organisations like ours have successfully delivered local volunteer coordination for years, using tools such as our Volunteer Hub, GoVo aims to inspire the next generation of volunteers, provide a frictionless ‘on-board once’ route into volunteering, and help a wider range of charities build a robust pipeline of support. RVS has made it clear that GoVo is not a Volunteer Management System (VMS) and “will not look to replace existing platforms or current infrastructure networks,” but rather aims to amplify existing work to reach a larger audience.

Ensuring local needs are at the core

Local infrastructure and expertise are the foundation of successful volunteering. That’s why our participation in the GoVo England Infrastructure Working Group is so critical. We are one of only three infrastructure organisations nationally involved in this group, and our role is to ensure the new platform is designed to complement, not compete with, the existing local ecosystem.

Our focus during this working group, which runs from November 2025 to February 2026, will be on:

• API Integration: Ensuring GoVo’s open API (a programming method for software developers) integrates smoothly with the diverse volunteer management systems (VMS) already used by local organisations.
• Brokerage: Co-designing features that allow local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) to effectively use GoVo for their work.
• Supporting the grassroots: Ensuring the platform can support even the smallest community groups.

This is a vital opportunity to shape the platform’s development to be responsive and usable for the local sector. Our goal is to ensure that GoVo builds on and enhances the vital work already happening at a local level, empowering more people to volunteer and build stronger, happier communities.

We look forward to sharing further updates as we continue this collaborative process.