Please help us to promote Volunteers' Week by forwarding this email to your members and contacts

Volunteers' Week Newsletter

Volunteers' Week is a national celebration of volunteers and volunteering which takes place from 1 – 7 June of each year

Click here to view the online version of the newsletter

Introduction

Volunteers’ Week is co-ordinated in England by Volunteering England.  More information about the Week is available from the website at www.volunteersweek.org.uk or you can email the Volunteers’ Week team at Volunteering England at volunteersweek@volunteeringengland.org.  

Reward, recruit and recognize

Volunteers’ Week is now in its 22nd year.  It continues to be an ideal opportunity to thank the millions of people who volunteer across the UK each year while also providing the perfect time to recruit new volunteers.   

During Volunteers' Week this year we will be promoting diversity; the diversity of volunteering opportunities available, and the diversity of volunteers.  Volunteering programmes with a range of diverse opportunities are often the most exciting and most attractive to volunteers. A diverse range of volunteers also enables you to reflect the needs of your local community and/or client group. The Volunteers’ Week website has information about diversity and recruitment and more information will be added as the Week approaches.   

Get involved

Each year there are hundreds of activities held during Volunteers’ Week, from thank you parties to open  days.  Whatever, you do, the aim is to promote volunteering.  If you’re not sure what to do, here are just a few ideas to get you started. 

Get together with like-minded organisations and set-up an information booth in your local shopping centre.

Give them a break – take your volunteers out for a day of pampering.

Display Volunteers’ Week posters and merchandise in your shop window.

Run a volunteer speed-dating event to allow potential volunteers to find out about opportunities available to them.

Write to your local paper and tell them about your wonderful volunteers.

Boost team spirit amongst your volunteers and organise a sports day or a barbecue.

Undertake a volunteer survey and release any interesting findings to local media.

Or keep it fun and simple – have a thank you celebration and create a party atmosphere by decorating the room with balloons and streamers.

For more ideas visit the registered users area of the Volunteers’ Week website. 

What's on

Some of the events taking place during Volunteers' Week this year include:

Millennium Volunteers in Weston Super Mare are putting on a photography exhibition showing Millennium Volunteers in action;

Maldon and District CVS-Volunteer Centre will be hosting a special lunch to recognise and reward the work of the volunteers across the district; and

An open day at Arnos Vale Cemetry in Bristol to enable potential volunteers to visit the site to view planned maintenance work,

Don't forget to let us know if you are organising an event for Volunteers' Week by adding the details to the what's on page of the Volunteers' Week website to help us build up a national picture of activities, this will help to promote your events to the public, and will give other groups some helpful ideas on events so let us know what you’re up to.

VIP challenge

An invitation to join the Volunteers’ Week Challenge has been sent to all MPs, suggesting they take part in a volunteering opportunity during the Week in their constituency. They have been asked to contact their local Volunteer Centre if they would like guidance as to appropriate activities. They may or may not contact you – the idea is that your local paper will see this as a good photo story, promoting the work of your centre and Volunteers’ Week 2006.  We will produce a template press release for you to use that will soon be available on the Volunteers’ Week website.  Just add the relevant details in the marked spaces.  Please do let us know if you have any queries.

If you would like to follow up the invitation to participate in your Volunteers' Week events, why not contact your MP direct.  

Please visit this site to find out which constituency you are in or who your local MP is. Or alternatively visit here for details of your MEP.

Please let us know if your MP responds to the Volunteering Challenge and contacts you for advice or details of what they're doing. 

Resources - how we can help

To support your events there is a range of Volunteer’s Week branded merchandise, such as pens, balloons and badges available to purchase from the online Volunteers’ Week shop. 

Specially designed Volunteers’ Week certificates are also available as a download from the website so you can print as many copies as you need and distribute to your volunteers during the Week – it’s a simple  way to show your appreciation.

Please place your merchandise order early to avoid disappointment.

Facts and figures for publicity

When contacting the media it is always useful to back up your stories with facts and figures.  You may find some of the findings from the 2005 Home Office Citizenship survey useful.  

Over half the population volunteer (20.4 million people).  68% of people in England had volunteered informally while 44% of people volunteered formally in the previous year.

The survery also found that women are more likely to volunteer.  41% of women and 32% of men volunteer informally at least once a month although figures for formal volunteering were closer at 31% and 27%. 

Young people aged 16 to 19 are most likely to volunteer informally once a month (50%) while those aged 75 and over are the least likely (29%).

People from the mixed race ethnic group are most likely to participate in voluntary activities (44% in informal volunteering and 34% in formal volunteering) while those from the asian and chinese/other groups are least likely (30% in informal volunteering and 20% in formal volunteering).

43% of people at risk of social exclusion volunteer at least once a month. 

Have you got a story?

In addition to facts and figures it is important to back up stories with relevant case studies. 

Quirkiness and difference are important but so are human interest and the personal circumstances surrounding the volunteers. If you know of anyone who might fit the bill – and may be prepared to be a case study – please tell us. Newspapers, television and radio are unlikely to run stories without case studies, so we need your help.

You will not be burdened with administration or negotiating with journalists, it’s just a question of making a recommendation and checking that the person is happy to participate then we will do the rest. 

If you are able to help please e-mail us