The last year has been a bit of a mixed picture for volunteering. In some places volunteer numbers rose as people were inspired to support their local community during difficult times. Whilst in other places numbers decreased due to lockdowns and the need to self-isolate.
Whatever the impact, it has served as a sobering reminder of the valuable contribution that volunteers make and that we simply do not thank you enough.
This June there is a whole week dedicated to thanking to volunteers.
What is Volunteers’ Week?
“Volunteers’ Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It's a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you.”
The event usually supports a range of activities from sharing stories on social media to taking part in volunteering fairs. Despite continuing restrictions, there are still plenty of ideas of how you can take part this year, including:
- CELEBRATE: send thank you cards to volunteers or use social media to send thank you messages
- RAISE AWARENESS: write an article for the local newspaper.
- DEVELOP: attend training or an online conference
- SHARE: host an online coffee morning or quiz night
- GET ACTIVE: lead a wellbeing walk, community clean-up or treasure hunt, following Covid-19 guidance.
- COLLABORATE: contact other organisations to see if there are any opportunities for partnership projects or sharing of resources.
To find out more visit the event website: https://volunteersweek.org/
This year Volunteers’ Week is taking place during the Month of the Community and it also includes The Big Lunch. This is a great chance to celebrate community connections and recognise fellow volunteers. Find out more:
- https://www.volunteernow.co.uk/month-of-community/
- https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/the-big-lunch
FREE Training
If you would like to know more about how to recruit and support volunteers, book a place on the HuntsForum Connecting Communities Conference. This year’s theme is Volunteer Management and how the voluntary and community sector can move forwards from the past year.
The event is hosted online and is free to attend.
- 8 June, 10 – 11:30am, Redesigning Recruitment
- 9 June, 10 – 11:30am, Reviewing Retention
- 10 June, 1 – 2:30pm, Re-examining Volunteering
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