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

Free prize draw!

Have you entered our free prize draw yet? To win £75 worth of M&S vouchers, all you have to do is let us know about your Volunteers’ Week event by posting it on our interactive map of England.

Get Snap Happy and Win £200!

In association with Dixons

This year we are running a photography competition to reflect and celebrate the contribution of volunteers in your local communities. We are looking for fantastic photos of volunteers in a variety of different roles and settings.

If you are a keen photographer, this is your chance to win £200 to spend on anything from new camera equipment to an IPod, courtesy of Dixons.co.uk

All accepted entries will be displayed on the Volunteers’ Week website at the beginning of Volunteers’ Week and the winners of all three prizes will be showcased both on the website and in the June issue of Volunteering Magazine! 

All of the prizes have been kindly donated by Dixons.co.uk, who themselves run an extremely successful employee supported volunteering programme.

Prizes include:
1st Prize - win £200 of dixons.co.uk vouchers
2nd Prize - win £100 of dixons.co.uk vouchers
3rd Prize - win £50 of dixons.co.uk vouchers

Enter the competition by completing the Entry Form and submit by email with your photo to events@volunteeringengland.org. Photos submitted without the entry form will not be accepted.

The deadline for entries in Friday 25th May 2007 – any photos submitted after this date will not be accepted.

For more information on the competition rules click here.

Good luck and get snapping! 

VIP Challenge

MPs and local celebrities around the country are gearing up for the biggest ever VIP challenge for Volunteers’ Week 2007. Partnering with their local Volunteer Centres, they’ll be raising the profile of volunteering in their area, gaining local press coverage and building vital links between opinion formers and the community.

If you’re a Volunteer Centre and you’ve not already heard from your MP, why not get in touch and let them know how they can get involved. For contact details, as well as information on their interests that could help you find the perfect volunteering opportunity for them, visit www.theyworkforyou.com 

Volunteers’ Week is all about the three R’s: Recognise, Reward and Recruit.

Showing your volunteers how much you value them needn’t cost an arm and a leg. You could:

• Recognise their contribution by implementing their ideas.
• Organise a social outing for volunteers and staff, so that you can get to know one another better.
• Make them feel that they belong in your organisation. Arrange a date and time when volunteers can bring friends or relatives to visit.
• Nominate your volunteers for a national Award. The Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service 2008 will be open for nominations on 2nd June 2007. If you have an exceptional group of people who you think are unsung heroes, log onto www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk and request a nomination form.
• Meet them on a regular basis, just to say ‘thank you’ over a cup of coffee.

For more suggestions on how you can recognise your volunteers, go to the Volunteers’ Week website.

Time for a team challenge!

If you haven’t figured out how you would like to mark Volunteers’ Week yet but would like to get other staff members involved, why not challenge your colleagues to a carry out some volunteering? From a one-off project, like painting a community centre or clearing up playground, to a longer term commitment, employee volunteering is an excellent way to give something back to your community.

Volunteering England staff have carried out construction work and gardening at a city farm and also at a National Trust site, in the past.

For some guidance on how to plan your team challenge, click here to enter the registered users' area.

Merchandise

Time is running out to apply for a discount on Volunteers’ Week merchandise. Place your order before 27th April and receive a 20% discount on all items. Visit our online shop today.

We will be sending all Volunteering England members a couple of free posters in coming weeks. They’ll have maximum impact when displayed in a prominent place, either near your entrance or perhaps in the staff lounge/ kitchen.

If you are not already a Volunteering England member, but would like to receive some free posters, e-mail the Volunteers' Week team at volunteersweek@volunteeringengland.org
with your name, title and full address.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Volunteering England member, information can be found on the Volunteering England website.

Volunteers' Week logo

Don’t forget that the red star Volunteers’ Week logo is available to download for free in the registered users’ area of the Volunteers’ Week website. To register, complete the simple registration form.