Baroness Barran, minister for civil society, has marked the start of Volunteers’ Week by thanking people who have helped communities through the pandemic.
Volunteers’ Week 2021 runs from 1 to 7 June and is now entering its 37th year.
Barran said: “Over the past very difficult year, I have been heartened to see volunteers step up to help their communities cope with unprecedented hardships.
“We have seen the value of a connected society and the vast range of opportunities to get involved. From the NHS Volunteer Responders to numerous local initiatives, volunteers have ensured that families had access to food and supplies, as well as contributing to the success story that is the British vaccination programme.
“This Volunteers’ Week, I’d like to thank the volunteers across the country, and encourage everyone to get involved in the events this week to celebrate those who helped us in our time of need.”
The theme of this year’s Volunteers’ Week is “A time to say thanks”. The aim of the week is to encourage recognition of the efforts of people who volunteer.
Hundreds of events, both online and in person, are set to take place to celebrate the range of ways in which volunteers give their time.
‘The sector has not had anywhere near the support they have required’
Rachael Maskell MP, the Labour shadow minister for civil society, used a column in her local paper this weekend to say that the year has proved that “we are at our best when we serve one another, gaining mutual benefit from our actions and interactions and most of all deepening our relationships as we weave ourselves together”.
However, she argued that the sector has not had the support from government that it required.
Meanwhile, recent research led by the Royal Voluntary Service found 12.4 million people have volunteered during the pandemic, with 4.6m of them doing so for the first time.
Over 3,000 mutual aid groups have been created and an estimated 3 million people have been involved in one.
'It is hard to overstate their incredible impact'
In England, Volunteers’ Week is coordinated by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). Interim chief executive Sarah Vibert said: “Volunteers’ Week is an important chance for everyone to recognise all of those who have delivered vital work as volunteers over the past challenging 12 months.
“There are so many people to thank, from the huge number of first-time volunteers in communities around the country to all those who usually volunteer but have not been able to because of the pandemic.”
She added that volunteers “are always working at the heart of every UK community” and that “it is hard to overstate the incredible impact they have made during an incredibly difficult year”.
“The pandemic has rightly raised the profile of volunteering, and more people than ever are aware of the immense contribution being made every single day by the amazing volunteers across the country,” she said. “We must ensure this recognition continues.”
Themes
Each day of Volunteers’ Week 2021 focuses on a different theme, to recognise the roles different types of volunteering have played in communities across the UK in the last 12 months.
This will include youth volunteering (2 June), employer-supported and skilled volunteering (3 June), and environmental and conservation volunteering (5 June).
The week will also highlight the stories of volunteers through their own “Volunteer Voices”, and encourage everyone to celebrate the impact of volunteers in their own community through The Big Lunch on 6 June.
Volunteers’ Week 2021 is taking place during the #MonthOfCommunity. Running throughout June, this brings together organisations through a range of events including Volunteers’ Week, The Big Lunch and Small Charity Week, and culminates in Thank You Day on 4 July.
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