What’s Happening in the Third Sector?
Volunteering toolkit for 2026 by Charity Digital
Charity Digital have shared some helpful resources to help charities boost their volunteering in 2026.
It covers everything from making volunteering more inclusive and attracting corporate volunteers, to using technology and flexible roles to better support people who want to give their time.
It also links out to trusted sector bodies like Royal Voluntary Service, NCVO, SCVO and Volunteering Matters, and the Charity Digital Volunteering Hub, making it a great one-stop shop for any charities looking to strengthen their volunteering programme in 2026.
Should we have ‘community service’ days?
A recent story from our Lancashire neighbours got us thinking. A Preston City Councillor has suggested regular “community service days”, inspired by Rwanda’s Umuganda scheme, where people come together once a month to improve their local area. People help out with tasks like tidying parks and fixing community spaces.
So… could this work here?
Done well, community service days could be a real boost for volunteering and community life. People showing up together builds community pride, breaks down barriers, and helps neighbours actually get to know each other.
They could also be a brilliant way to bring in people who’ve never volunteered before. Especially those who just want to do something practical and close to home.
The big risk is that it might start to feel forced. Volunteering, by definition, is about freely giving your time to do something. If it sounds like something you have to do, rather than want to do, people will switch off.
There are also questions around inclusion. Not everyone can spend their weekend in physical roles like digging, lifting, or litter-picking. There needs to be a mix of roles that work for different people. And without proper planning, these days can quickly become a bit chaotic!
Community service days won’t replace volunteering, but they could be a good way to get more people through the door. And that’s always something worth doing!
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