1-7 June 2026 is Volunteers’ Week, the annual UK-wide campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers.
We’ll be joining the rest of the UK to celebrate Volunteers’ Week, a time to reflect, appreciate, and most importantly say thank you. Here’s how to get involved in Volunteers’ Week 2026.
A SIMPLE THANK YOU
We know that volunteers are the lifeblood of communities. Whether they’re mentoring young people, clearing footpaths, running foodbanks, or simply offering a friendly voice on the phone, their contribution is priceless.
But recognition doesn’t need to be grand. A simple thank-you card, a shout-out on social media, or even a shared cuppa and chat can go a long way in making someone feel valued, and know that they matter.
It is the perfect time to think about what you can do to show appreciation for the volunteers who make it possible for your organisation to succeed, not just for this national campaign week, but throughout the year.
SHOWING YOUR APPRECIATION
You could:
- Say ‘thank you’ directly to a volunteer – often the simplest, smallest approaches can make biggest difference
- Share feedback with volunteers about the impact volunteers in your organisation make
- Send a personal note from a Volunteer Co-ordinator, the CEO, a trustee, or a beneficiary
- Make time to have a cuppa and a chat with a volunteer
- Share a volunteer’s story on your website or social media. Make sure to use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek and #WythnosGwirfoddolwyr
GET INVOLVED
Let’s make this Volunteers’ Week one to remember – one that shows volunteers that they really matter, celebrates their contributions, and opens new doors for even more people to get involved.
To find out more, please visit the Volunteers’ Week website.
CREATING QUALITY VOLUNTEERING EXPERIENCES
The best way to show you value your volunteers is to invest the time in creating high quality volunteering experiences that best meet the individual capabilities, motivations and aspirations. Make sure that your volunteering opportunities provide spaces in which volunteers can feel safe, included and welcome.
To find out what this means in practice, take a look at the Code of Practice for Involving Volunteers, the suite of volunteering resources on TSSW Knowledge Hub and the Investing in Volunteers standards, a good practice award, which can be used as a benchmark.
GET NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERS!
Our Welsh Charity Awards are currently open for nominations until 30 June 2026. We’re recognising and celebrating the fantastic contributions charities, community groups, not-for-profits and volunteers make to Wales. We have two volunteer categories:
- Volunteer of the year (volunteers aged 26 or over)
- Young volunteer of the year (25 or under)
We also have a brand new category for individuals who have made an exceptional and lasting impact on the voluntary sector in Wales, the Graham Benfield Outstanding Achievement Award.
KNOWLEDGE BITES
3 June 2026, 11 am – 12.30 pm.
As part of Volunteers’ Week 2026, we invite volunteer involving organisations across Wales to join this 90-minute Knowledge Bites webinar. This session offers an opportunity to listen to the learning of others, hear lived experiences, and take away practical ideas to strengthen how you welcome, include and support volunteers.