Bradford 2025 Case Study

Championing diversity, equity, and accessibility in volunteering

As the UK City of Culture, Bradford 2025 is delivering a year of culture, creativity, and arts to the district. The volunteer programme is about more than events - it’s about long-term community empowerment.

In one of the UK’s youngest, most ethnically diverse cities, Bradford 2025 is using Rosterfy to build a volunteering model that breaks down barriers and ensures everyone can get involved, regardless of background, ability or circumstance.

With over 2,000 volunteers from every postcode already involved, Bradford 2025 has made volunteering more accessible, inclusive, and representative of the district’s vibrant communities.

Accessible Portal

User-friendly volunteer portals ensure individuals of all backgrounds and ability can engage with ease.

Data Collection

Capture demographics and access needs to identify representation gaps and tailor volunteer support.

Self-Service Features

Empower volunteers to take control of their experience through the desktop portal and mobile app.

Centralised Database

A shared, centralised system makes it easier to recruit, manage, and retain volunteers at scale.

Breaking barriers to volunteering

In a city where 13 major languages are spoken and many residents are from minority or migrant communities, Bradford 2025 set out to remove barriers to volunteering and create accessible opportunities for all.

With Rosterfy, the team is delivering a more inclusive experience by:

Translating volunteer portals and training materials, to support multiple languages, including British Sign Language (BSL)
Collecting and analysing demographic data to identify gaps and improve representation
Enabling volunteers to share access needs during sign-up, so tailored support can be provided

The result is a volunteer base with strong representation from culturally diverse communities, individuals with disabilities, and young people (25% of volunteers are aged 18–27).

Inclusive recruitment at scale

Scaling an inclusive volunteer programme means making it simple and welcoming from the start. With Rosterfy, Bradford 2025 is doing just that.

Through a user-friendly, centralised portal, potential volunteers can:

Discover clearly defined roles with access and shift details
Sign up online without long or confusing forms
Choose flexible options like short-term, part-time, or remote volunteering

This community-led recruitment model removes friction and opens doors - especially for those who have traditionally been excluded from similar volunteer programmes.

Empowered volunteers

Volunteers are valuable contributors and Rosterfy’s intuitive platform puts them in control of their own experience.

With the desktop portal and mobile app, volunteers can:

Browse and select shifts that suit their availability and interests
Cancel or reschedule independently
Access training and onboarding materials at their own pace
See accessibility details up front for every opportunity

Whether volunteering at home or on-site, volunteers feel informed, confident, and supported by Bradford 2025.

Collaboration across the district

A key to Bradford 2025’s success lies in partnership. Working closely with local organisations - including Race Equality Network, places of worship, libraries, and community centres - Bradford 2025 take volunteering to the people, rather than waiting for them to come to it.

Rosterfy’s platform powers a centralised volunteer database for Bradford 2025, accessible to cultural, heritage, and arts organisations across the district. This not only strengthens programme delivery, but helps build long-term infrastructure for volunteer engagement.

Creating a legacy of belonging and participation

Every element of Bradford 2025's volunteer programme is designed with inclusion in mind - from multilingual training and expense coverage to scheduling around religious holidays and supporting access needs. Volunteers are gaining skills, building confidence, and shaping the future of their city.

With Rosterfy, Bradford 2025 is not just delivering a city-wide celebration - they’re creating a lasting legacy of participation, pride, and community connection.

WHITE PAPER

Inclusive Volunteering: How technology and data strengthen diversity

Is your volunteer programme truly inclusive?

Download this free guide to discover the importance of representative volunteer communities, how to identify and remove participation barriers, and the role of technology in strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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