In the midst of the pandemic, governments have a crucial role to play in enabling and supporting the response of volunteers, providing them with effective and secure ways to assist their communities. In this session, Yoann Kassi-Vivier, Head of Reserve Civique, a program for the development of civic engagement policies to respond to COVID-19 in France, and Kirsty Peden, Community Engagement Manager at the Dumfries and Galloway Council and leading member of the South West Scotland response team, will share their experiences in shaping volunteering government programs to respond to the effects of coronavirus.