Today marks the beginning of a national campaign to acknowledge and show gratitude to the thousands of people that have given their time freely to support their communities in the past twelve months.
Each day of Volunteers’ Week will focus on a different aspect of volunteering, shining a spotlight on the various types of activities that have played a significant role in the last twelve months.
Monday
Today is the launch of Volunteers’ Week. Get involved by sharing your messages of thanks for volunteers across social media using the #VolunteersWeek hashtag. Watch out too for our special messages of thanks on Twitter from @WCVACymru and @VolWales.
Tuesday
On Tuesday we will focus on volunteers that have provided support in times of crisis. This year, hundreds of volunteers supported their communities in the aftermath of Storm Dennis. Thousands more have been aiding their neighbours and communities near and far as people face significant changes to their lives through the direct and indirect impact of coronavirus and the restrictions on day to day life.
Wednesday
Wednesday we will be focusing in on the huge numbers of young volunteers that demonstrate the #PowerofYouth and the value that they bring to our communities. We have stories and will be showcasing some films that shine a light on the contributions young people have been making in the last twelve months
Thursday
To ensure that the volunteers themselves get heard, Thursday will be a day for volunteers to share their stories, tell us why they got involved in volunteering, and what difference volunteering makes to them. We will be using the hashtag #Ivolunteer to share these stories so we can capture what volunteers have to say about Volunteers’ Week.
In a nationwide expression of thanks for volunteers, we invite everyone to join us in a #ClapforVolunteers, which will take place as part of the #ClapforCarers at 8pm on Thursday 4 June.
Friday
On Friday Volunteers’ Week shares a day of campaigning with World Environment Day. We are joining Keep Wales Tidy and Local Nature Partnerships Cymru to recognise the contribution volunteering makes to improving the health of the planet. We will have films and case studies of volunteers that support the environment and lots of information on extra ways volunteers can get involved.
Saturday
The gratitude for volunteers will continue into the weekend as on Saturday we extend thanks to those that volunteer through employer supported volunteering initiatives, and those that use their professional skills to support their communities. During the recent crisis we have seen a large number of organisations and businesses find creative ways to make a contribution. On this day we hope you’ll join us in saying thank you to the employers and employees that have made this possible.
We will also be launching our updated resource for employers that are looking to embed employer supported volunteering into their organisations.
Sunday
Finally, on Sunday we will look back at the week, at the highlights of the many ways that Wales has come together to say thank you to its nation of volunteers.
Volunteer takeover
This year we have welcomed two young volunteers to ‘takeover’ the campaign on social media – keep your eyes peeled for Iris and Emma on our Volunteering Wales Twitter and Facebook pages throughout the week, they have a few surprises in store.
We hope you will join us on what is due to be a big week, full of gratitude for the volunteers that keep our nation moving forward.
Volunteers’ Week campaign pack
If you want to recognise the week with us, take a look at our Volunteers’ Week campaign pack for ideas and further resources.