There was a surge in local people wanting to community groups stepped forward to offer volunteer. VAI increased online communication, coaching and tutoring for children with English deployed staff to urgent new tasks and as a second language. The outbreak of of the recruited volunteers to support local VCSF armed conflict in Ukraine gave another impetus partner organisations to fulfil their new needs, to refugees needing comfort and support in supported by the Volunteer Centre. the UK. A large part of our activities went online, VAI undertook a project to improve voluntary including our annual conference which was sector resilience (with National Lottery Fund attended by 60 participants, and our Volunteer support). A further project aimed to bridge of the Year Awards and AGM. gaps between would-be volunteers and local voluntary and community organisations by The VAI website was redesigned, and a improving their practice for an era of remote COVID-19 support section added, with daily working. Also, with support from MOPAC, VAI information updates. Additional online support ran online community safety forums. to those recruiting and managing volunteers was also established. Capacity building support continued to be vital, especially for smaller groups through one-to- Emerging from the crisis one advice and group sessions. VAI also held In the aftermath of the pandemic, life returned open briefings, regular advice sessions, funding to something more like normal in 2022. But advice sessions and National Lottery one-to- this was not an easy time. The pandemic one surgeries. In 2020-21 VAI provided over had scarred the community and left many 70 face-to-face advice sessions to 60 local individuals isolated and deprived. Mental organisations, including advice on fundraising, health issues were rising. Many returned charity registration funding, governance and only tentatively to workplaces, and many starting a community organisation. Another 50 continue to feel concerned and vulnerable. The organisations benefited from telephone and educational development of many children had e-mail support. suffered from the closure of schools and would struggle to make up ground. Voluntary and Celebrating 50 Years of Service 39