Volunteers litter picking

Looking towards Volunteers’ Week 2022

Published : 10/05/22 | Categories: Volunteering |

WCVA’s volunteering team outline the approach to this year’s celebrations.

Volunteers’ Week is a UK-wide annual festival of volunteering which takes place from 1-7 June every year. This special week is a time for volunteer-involving organisations to celebrate their volunteers. Organisations are encouraged to decide how best to mark the week in their own way.

Volunteers in Wales have continued to play their part in the response to the pandemic and are now helping re-build communities to aid our nation’s recovery. Some are returning to voluntary roles they had before the pandemic, some continue to offer their support to organisations and individuals affected by COVID-19, while others are fundraising and preparing to welcome refugees from Ukraine.

With so much going on, we decided the theme for Volunteers’ Week 2022 should remain ‘A time to say thanks’ – or ‘Diolch!’, ‘Ta!’, ‘Cheers!’ to all volunteers who have dedicate time and effort to help others, or the planet, during the past year.

VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK 2022 SCHEDULE

1 June 2022 – Volunteers’ Week launch – A time to say thanks

Join the first day of Volunteers’ Week 2022. These last few years have highlighted the vital role volunteers play across the UK. We want to make sure everyone is aware that this is a week to recognise the impact of volunteers, think about volunteering and plan to support volunteering in the future.

2-5 June 2022 – The Big Jubilee Lunch

This year’s Volunteers’ Week festivities also include The Big Jubilee Lunch. What better way to celebrate the impact volunteers have in their communities than The Big Jubilee Lunch! You can join in online, on your doorstep, in a park or over the fence. This is your chance to celebrate community connections, recognise fellow volunteers and talk to others about your experience volunteering. This weekend in June is the UK’s annual get together for neighbours and communities.

5 June 2022 – Thank You Day

The last couple of years have been testing for all of us. Let’s all get together and say thank you to everyone who has helped us through. Learn more here.

6 June 2022 – Power of Youth Day

On 6 June, Volunteers’ Week is coordinating with the #iwill movement for Power of Youth Day. Power of Youth Day is an annual celebration of the contributions children and young people make to society through volunteering and social action.

7 June 2022 – Volunteers’ Week close – A time to say thanks

Final thanks! Use this day to recap how you’ve showed appreciation for your volunteers this year and don’t forget to invite all to join you for a week of celebration again in 2023!

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways to get involved:

  • If you are a community leader, you can organise a local online event to say thank you to local volunteers.
  • Schools, colleagues, universities and workplaces can shine a spotlight on students or staff who volunteer and inspire others to get involved.
  • Volunteer-involving organisations can hold a thank you event for their existing volunteers. (It could even be a taster to show others what volunteer roles are on offer!)
  • Businesses could highlight the value of volunteering to their employees and customers, sharing stories of what has been done by volunteers to make a difference in their own communities.
  • Volunteers’ Week is also a chance to highlight the variety of volunteer roles and activities, showing ways in which people can get involved as volunteers in their local communities.

RESOURCES

A wide variety of ideas, materials and support is available from participating organisations to help you along the way:

Volunteers’ Week UK resources

Campaign Pack Volunteers Week 2022

Month of Community, The Big Lunch and The Big Jubilee Lunch resources

Thank You Day resources

Power of Youth Day resources

Whatever you decide to do, we’d love to hear from you and would love to give as much recognition for volunteers as possible across social media platforms, so please get involved and use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek and #WythnosGwirfoddolwyr.

BEYOND VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK

Please remember to show appreciation towards your volunteers and highlight their achievements all throughout the year. Volunteers’ Week is a great way to celebrate together this June, but we hope it inspires a culture of gratitude and appreciation for all volunteers, always.

Get in touch: volunteering@wcva.cymru.

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