Volunteers' Week 2007

Put a smile on your volunteers' faces this
Volunteers' Week

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

Introducing....Volunteers' Week 2007

Welcome to the Volunteers’ Week 2007 newsletter, the first of a series in which you’ll find all the information and advice you need to make your celebrations a success.

Volunteers’ Week is now in its 23rd year and is still the number one occasion for recognising, rewarding and recruiting volunteers in the UK. Whether you belong to the third, public or private sector, there are plenty of ways in which you can support and celebrate the efforts of your volunteers – and they don’t all cost the earth!

Last year’s Volunteers’ Week was described as “a great opportunity to highlight the volunteering options available to everyone and show our appreciation to those that volunteer for us” by a Volunteer Information Support Worker at Motiv8. Taking part this year will provide you with a valuable opportunity to appreciate the volunteers who contribute to your organisations.
 
Join the 86% of people who celebrated Volunteers’ Week in 2006 and will be celebrating again this year. There are a number of ways in which you can get involved - we will be showcasing these and giving you tips on how you can prepare everything for the start of the Week in these newsletters and via the Volunteers’ Week website: www.volunteersweek.org.uk.

More volunteers!

Are you in the market for more volunteers? Over 80% of people who completed our survey last year said that they were able to recruit new volunteers as a result of Volunteers’ Week.

Volunteers’ Week is a great time to enhance awareness of your organisation’s activities and demonstrate why volunteers are so valuable to you. The registered users’ area of the Volunteers’ Week website offers tips and pointers on the variety of ways in which Volunteers’ Week can be marked. There’s also clear advice for those who have never recruited new volunteers before.

Consider putting together a stand in a public place, such as a library or supermarket foyer and ask any existing volunteers to help out by speaking to members of the public about their volunteering experiences. Alternatively, produce some promotional materials and ask local businesses to display these to reach more potential volunteers.

More merchandise!

This year, the online shop includes some new merchandise such as thank you cards, bunting and wristbands to help you promote Volunteers’ Week.

In response to feedback from last year we have streamlined the way in which we process orders and are pleased to let you know that we will be offering discounts for merchandise purchased before 27th April 2007. Discounts apply to non-members as well as Volunteering England members.

All items are available with the red Volunteers’ Week star – make sure you let everyone know what you are celebrating!

To find out more take a look at the Volunteers' week shop on the dedicated website  www.volunteersweek.org.uk

More publicity!

The Volunteer Centre in North East Lincolnshire was the first organisation to register their Volunteers’ Week event on our dedicated website.

Registering your event will inform the public about how Volunteers' Week is being celebrated in the local area and is a good way of letting potential volunteers know where they can pick up information on volunteering with your organisation.

To be in with a chance of winning £75 worth of Marks & Spencer vouchers in our free prize draw, make sure you register your own event.

Would you like to share ideas with colleagues?

Have you been celebrating Volunteers' Week for more than a few years?

Would you like to share ideas or some handy tips on what has made your celebrations such a success?  Or... would you like to have a joint celebration with another local organisation?

The message board is the ideal place to set up a discussion or respond to a current one. Take a look for yourself. 

For further information

For any Volunteers’ Week queries that you have contact the Volunteers’ Week team on: volunteersweek@volunteeringengland.org or 0845 305 6979