Category: Community Page 1 of 5

Building Community Through Heritage Volunteering

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On 19th April 2023

In Community, Heritage & Culture

Heritage volunteering offers a unique opportunity to not only contribute to preserving and promoting cultural heritage but also to build and strengthen community ties. As volunteers work together to preserve historical sites, they become a part of a group. In this blog post, we share ways heritage volunteering can be used to create a community.

Shared goals

Volunteering for a heritage site allows people to come together around shared goals. Volunteers who are passionate about history and culture can work together to ensure that these sites and artefacts are preserved for future generations. As they collaborate, they share their knowledge and experiences, so they can build a sense of belonging to a group.

Sense of Ownership

Volunteering for a heritage site also creates a sense of ownership and pride in the community. When volunteers give their time and energy to preserving local heritage, they get a rewarding feeling for making an impact. They are invested in their work, and this creates a feeling of attachment and belonging to the community.

Social Connections

Volunteering for a heritage site is a great way to meet new people and make social connections. Volunteers come together and share a common interest in preserving and promoting heritage. As they work together, they get to know each other and develop friendships, which strengthens the sense of community and means people are more likely to continue volunteering.

Education 

Volunteering for a heritage site provides opportunities for education and engagement. Volunteers learn new aspects of history and culture, and they can share that knowledge with others. Volunteers can also learn new skills through volunteering. As they engage with visitors and other members, they develop a sense of purpose and value in their work, which contributes to the sense of community.

Key Takeaways…

In conclusion, heritage volunteering can be a powerful tool for bringing people together and building community. Heritage volunteers can feel part of a group and benefit from this. So why not consider volunteering at a heritage site in your community? You may be surprised at the impact it can have on you and those around you.

If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website or book a demo! 

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Get Ready For Volunteers Week 2023!

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On 12th April 2023

In Community, News & Views, Volunteer Management

Volunteers Week 2023 is fast approaching, so here are some ways to prepare for it! Volunteers Week is the annual celebration of volunteers in the UK. The important week is all about recognising and celebrating the hard work of volunteers. 

When is it taking place?

Volunteers Week will be taking place from the 1st – 7th of June. The week takes place in the Month Of Community, which is a whole month of dedicating time to come together to celebrate everything that makes communities great. Other events in the Month Of Community include Small Charities Week and The Big Lunch.

Volunteer-involved organisations across the UK will run activities to honour volunteers. Various activities will be taking place from volunteer recruitment events and open days to celebration and recognition events.

A range of partners help to make Volunteers Week special each year. This year’s partners include National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Volunteer Scotland, Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland) and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Click here if you are interested in getting in touch and becoming a partner for 2023!

How to prepare and get involved

Volunteers Week is just a couple of months away so it might be a good idea to start planning now. There are many small ways you can recognise your volunteers which don’t need to break the bank! 

Social Media 

Social media is an easy, free and effective way of recognising your volunteers which can be shared with all of your followers. Use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek to say thank you to your volunteers. You can share stories of the impact your volunteers have made and encourage them to share their own volunteering journies. 

Celebrations

You could host small parties or awards nights to celebrate your volunteers. Highlight your volunteers’ successes to show them how their hard work has helped your organisation. You can show them the impact they have made within the organisation and reward them with a certificate. Volunteers Week have a free certificate template you can use here. 

Events

Running an event is a great way to get everyone together and spread the message. The Big Lunch is a great example of this. The event for neighbours and communities takes place every year in the UK. Running an event doesn’t have to be expensive, it can be run online or in a local park. You can then spread the word by promoting the event on social media! 

Here are some tips for planning your event.

Recruit and support

You can use Volunteers Week to promote the benefits of volunteering to help gain interest and encourage others to volunteer for your organisation or volunteering programme. You can also promote training for your volunteers to keep them supported, NCVO offers plenty of training material which can be found on their website. 

We have some ideas from previous blog posts for celebrating and recognising your own volunteers’ hard work which you can read here and here. 

Resources to use

The Volunteers Week website has lots of free resources you can start using now to promote the week. You can encourage your volunteers to share the resources on their social media pages too! 

Start getting involved and celebrate and inspire volunteers around the UK!

If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website or book a demo! 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on G2, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

Volunteering Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas

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On 11th January 2023

In Charity, Community, Education, Hospice, Local Authority, NHS, Sport

Charity work and volunteering are usually largely associated with the festive period, people want to donate their time to give back to help those less fortunate during Christmas.

Before Christmas, we posted a blog discussing the many available opportunities and ideas of where to volunteer at Christmas time. The reality is these organisations need help and support from volunteers all year round and not just during the festive period and volunteer managers may also find a large decrease in volunteers after this time. People in need aren’t just homeless or lonely during the festive period, similar to the well knowing saying from the Dogs Trust organisation, “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”.

Support for people in need will need volunteers and donations more than ever especially due to the cost of living crisis. There are plenty of opportunities where organisations need help from volunteers all year round below and some ways volunteer managers can retain these volunteers throughout the year. 

Volunteering At Crisis

Crisis is a charity for people experiencing homelessness, each year they support thousands of people to help find safe and stable accommodation. Over the festive period, Crisis had thousands of volunteers across the UK providing companionship and serving and delivering hot meals. These volunteers are still needed throughout the year as homelessness is an ongoing issue, Crisis estimated that around 227,000 people were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness across England, Scotland and Wales in 2021. The charity is consistently creating new opportunities so you can find the one that suits you best.

You can find available volunteering opportunities near you on the Crisis website. 

Volunteering At Age UK

Age UK is a charity that helps older people that don’t have care or support from others or anyone to turn to, leading to 1.2 million older people in the UK experiencing loneliness each year. You can become a part of the Age UK community and provide support and raise money so people can get the help they deserve. Although older people may be particularly lonely during the festive period, they will also experience this all year round. A simple way you can make a difference is the telephone friendship service, just as little as 30 minutes of your time a week to talk to an elderly person over the phone can largely impact an older person’s life.

Volunteering At Charity Shops 

Volunteers for charity shops are needed now more than ever, since the pandemic thousands of volunteers in retail have been lost. The number of volunteers at charity shops in the UK has fallen by 24% since 2019.

There are plenty of organisations including Barnardo’s UK, British Heart Foundation and more that have hundreds of charity shops across the UK. Roles could include working the tills, decorating window displays or managing donations. Barnardo’s UK currently has 10,000 shop volunteers keeping their 700 shops up and running, but without the help of volunteers, these organisations could struggle. 

Tips For Volunteer Managers

As a volunteer manager, it may be difficult to retain these volunteers to carry on volunteering throughout the year and not just at Christmas time. Promoting that volunteering is a rewarding New Years’ resolution idea on your organisation’s website or social media, could encourage people to continue volunteering. 

Another way to retain your volunteers throughout the year is to offer flexible scheduling options for roles. People may be drawn to volunteering over Christmas because it means they only have to volunteer for a day or two. By making future opportunities flexible, people won’t have to commit to volunteering full-time.

You can read more about how to engage and retain your volunteers in 2023 here!

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How To Reward Your Volunteers This Christmas

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On 14th December 2022

In Christmas, Community, Holidays, Volunteer Management

It’s important to reward your volunteers all year round and not just at Christmas time, but if your volunteers celebrate Christmas, then it would be nice to say thanks for all the help and support they’ve given to your organisation this year. Due to the cost of living crisis, it may be a struggle this year for charities to fork out gifts for all their volunteers however, most of the ideas listed below are affordable.

Personal Cards

Writing a letter or Christmas card that is personalised to each volunteer with a unique message shows that you have recognised the work of each individual volunteer and are thanking them for the difference they have made to the organisation.

An inexpensive way of doing this is sending personalised emails to your volunteers instead this way you can save on printing costs. Ensure you keep track of the types of things each volunteer does throughout the year to keep your organisation going, this shows you have appreciated their hard work and have noticed the small things they do. 

Certificates And Awards

Reward your volunteers with certificates to celebrate their hard work, you can be flexible to match the certificate to the volunteer. On the certificate, you can include things like how many hours have been completed by the volunteer this year to show how much they’ve helped the organisation and the difference they’ve made. These certificates could also be sent out via email to save printing costs. 

Handing out physical awards could be a more expensive way to reward your volunteers however, you could handmake the awards to make them more affordable for your organisation. An easy alternative instead of buying awards is printing out what you want the award to say and framing it. Award ideas could include “Most Enthusiastic Volunteer”, “Most Motivating Volunteer” or “Volunteer Of The Year” and other similar personality traits that carry your organisation. 

A Christmas Party

A Christmas party may be a struggle for most charities and organisations due to the cost of living crisis. Venue hire and catering may be out of budget so a cheap alternative is to have a virtual party over an online call involving a Christmas quiz with small prizes to be won.

Even though this is very lockdown-esque way to celebrate, it’s an affordable and easy alternative that doesn’t involve much planning to get all your volunteers in one place. There are many available Christmas quizzes online or you can have some fun and make up your own! 

Homemade Gifts 

Homemade baked goods or Christmas ornaments are an inexpensive way to reward your volunteers this Christmas. Who doesn’t like baked goods at this time of year, this is also a cheap option that anyone would be happy with. Some ideas for Christmas baked goods can be found here.

Making your own Christmas tree decorations or ornaments is a sustainable and affordable way to say thanks, this way volunteers can re-use the decoration each year and be reminded of the hard work they have achieved. There are plenty of ideas online for DIY Christmas decorations. Eight cheap and easy decoration ideas can be found here!

Give Volunteers Recognition On Your Blog

If your organisation has a blog, you could write a blog post thanking your volunteers. This means their work can also be recognised outside of the organisation. Similarly, you could create posts for social media with the volunteers’ names and a photo of their efforts. This is a free and easy way for volunteers to feel special and receive acknowledgement for their actions. 

Make sure your volunteers feel appreciated and recognised all year round for their hard work – not just at Christmas time.

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Where To Volunteer This Christmas

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On 7th December 2022

In Christmas, Community, Holidays

Volunteering at Christmas time is one of the most popular times of year people choose to donate their time to help, therefore opportunities usually get filled up quickly. 

Many families and groups of people are struggling every day but with the most difficult time of year being just around the corner and due to the cost of living crisis, the help of volunteers is needed now more than ever. 

To everyone who celebrates Christmas, it is fulfilling to help make someone else’s Christmas the best it can be. Many charity appeals are organised in the run-up to Christmas to help those in need. Some examples of where to volunteer in the UK this Christmas can be found below, these include The Salvation Army, Crisis Christmas centres, Age UK and many more.

Homeless Shelters 

The festive season can be particularly hard and lonely for homeless people, and shelters are likely to be particularly full this year due to the cost-of-living crisis. Helping out during Christmas at homeless shelters usually involves sorting through donations, serving food and offering general support by communicating with people who may be lonely during this period. 

Centrepoint, the charity that supports homeless young people, warns that this could be the worst homelessness crisis in the charity’s 50-year history, as the pandemic has led to thousands of young people losing their jobs and their accommodation therefore extra help from volunteers and donations are needed now more than ever. Volunteer opportunities for Centrepoint can be found here. 

Crisis is a national charity for people experiencing homelessness. With the help of others, Crisis want to ensure as many people as possible can leave homelessness behind this festive season. They will be extending their services in London providing support and accommodation in hotels from the 20th of December to the 25th of January. You can find available volunteering opportunities for Crisis here. 

Women’s Shelters

The Christmas holiday period can often see more frequent incidences of domestic violence, due to factors such as more time spent at home with abusive partners, and additional financial pressures due to the cost of living crisis. You can contact a Women’s Aid domestic violence service or refuge in the area where you live to see if they have any volunteering opportunities available for you to offer your support this Christmas. Some available opportunities from The Pankhurst Trust can be found on their website.

Charity Shops

Charity shops are particularly busy during the run-up to Christmas so stores may need some extra support. The Salvation Army are currently looking for volunteer helpers to get involved with all kinds of activities for their many community charity shops. Their shops are suitable places for people of all ages and abilities to volunteer, tasks include operating the till and creating festive window displays. The Salvation Army has available opportunities here. 

Warm Banks

More than 3000 registered organisations have opened or are opening up free, warm, welcoming spaces for the public this winter across the UK with Warm Welcome. These warm spaces are usually in a heated building, which members of the public can use to help them save on their home energy bills. You can contact local charities involved with Warm Welcome to see if they need volunteers for their warm banks.  

Food Banks

Give someone the food they need this Christmas and dedicate your time to helping a food bank. You can find a local food bank with opportunities near you using The Trussell Trust website.

FareShare is another food bank charity that stops good food from going to waste and gives it to people who need it. Fareshare has plenty of opportunities which can be found on their website. 

Supporting People Feeling Lonely This Christmas 

Elderly people can feel isolated and lonely at this time of year especially when they are in a care home.  Through volunteering, you can support older people who may otherwise spend the holidays alone. According to Age UK, “Almost 1.5 million older people feel more lonely at Christmas than any other time of year.” You can volunteer for Age UK to do their telephone friendship service where you phone an elderly person weekly, last Christmas, Age UK supported 28,345 telephone friendship calls to older people. 

Remember that volunteers for are needed all year round for charities like these and not just at Christmas. If you need help organising volunteers during this busy festive period, check out our website.

 

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The Best Ways To Volunteer During The Cost Of Living Crisis

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On 30th November 2022

In Community, News & Views

The current cost of living crisis will affect us all, but the impact will be disproportionately felt by those who are already struggling. Charities and organisations that provide essential services such as food banks, warm banks, mental health services, and helping people facing homelessness are being largely affected. UK Fundraising reports, for example, that 9 out of 10 food bank charities fear they can’t meet the rise in demand. Charity Times also reports that some charities are now referring their own staff to food banks.

Volunteering in food or warm banks is crucial during these times. However, there are also other volunteering options such as befriending schemes for people feeling isolated. Some suggestions for where you can donate your time to help are listed below. 

Food Banks 

Nearly seven million people are said to be going hungry in the UK, including two million children and this is becoming a more significant struggle due to the cost of living crisis. 

The cost of living crisis is leading to increased need and rising costs for food banks which has also meant there is a need for more volunteers to donate their time. Staff and volunteers at food banks are working tirelessly to support people in their communities. Food banks in the Trussell Trust network provided more than 2.1 million parcels to people facing financial hardship.

Homeless Shelters 

For many people across the country, there is a big risk of being forced into homelessness because of the inability to keep up with increasing living costs. It is impossible to deal with the rising cost of living when you are already struggling to find a secure and stable place to live. Crisis research published in March 2022, showed that families on the breadline face an average £372 deficit between their Local Housing Allowance and the cost of the cheapest rents in their local areas.

The Crisis charity receives almost no government funding. The generosity of their supporters and corporate partners is what allows them to continue to be there for everyone that needs them. Support from volunteers allows them to deliver services to help people experiencing homelessness. 

Supporting The Well-being Of Others 

Well-being and mental health also play a big factor during this crisis. Money problems can cause high amounts of stress and people may be feeling down. With the run-up to Christmas fast approaching, people may not be able to afford to give gifts or celebrate it in the way that they usually do so volunteering to support the well-being of others is crucial.

Warm Banks 

As energy prices rise along with the cost of living, an increasing number of so-called warm banks have been popping up around the UK. These warm spaces are usually in a heated building like a community centre or village hall. Members of the public can use them to help save on their home energy bills. One story from the BBC is of two friends who have set up a warm bank offering homemade soup. People can stay as long as they want to keep warm, and it helps them to feel less isolated or lonely. This couldn’t be done without the help of volunteers, other stories of warm banks can be read here. 

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What Qualities Should You Look For In A Volunteer?

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On 21st September 2022

In Community, News & Views, Volunteer Management

When reviewing a volunteer’s application, it is essential to look for specific qualities so you can ensure they will be a good fit for the role and match the enthusiasm of others within the organisation. The qualities and skills the volunteer has are sometimes more important than the number of volunteers you have on board. If your charity has certain goals and values, volunteers should be chosen to meet these so that these goals can be fulfilled. Here are some essential qualities to look for when recruiting volunteers. 

Passion

Your volunteers should be passionate about what your organisation does and excited about getting involved. Passionate volunteers will be more motivated about doing the work and be better at what they do. If your volunteers are all passionate about making a difference then they will most likely get on well with other volunteers in your charity or organisation as they are like-minded. A shared love for volunteering is a good way to establish and build relationships with others.

Being A Team Player 

Most volunteering is done in a team therefore your volunteers need to be a good fit, get on well with others and be team players as working together is what helps to make a difference. If all volunteers are enthusiastic and positive about the work the organisation does then it’s likely that everyone will get along with each other due to having similar interests. This can also help increase your organisation’s volunteer retention rate as long-lasting friendships can be created meaning people are more likely to stay and volunteer for your organisation. 

Commitment 

Finding long-term committed volunteers can ensure your organisation or charity has ongoing supporters over time that will be devoted to helping make a difference. By recruiting committed volunteers you can increase your organisation’s volunteer retention rate. It is important to check before recruiting a volunteer that they can do the times needed for the shifts and have access to transport. If you recruit committed and reliable volunteers that you trust then you won’t have to worry about volunteers not turning up for their shifts or cancelling last minute. 

Interpersonal skills 

Having excellent social skills is a key quality to look for in a volunteer. As there are many different roles available in a range of environments with new people, so it is crucial to be able to adapt to these situations. If a volunteer has strong soft skills they can maintain better relationships with others and build trust. Interpersonal skills can also mean that the volunteer is a good leader. Leaders can communicate effectively with others in the team which is crucial for a volunteering role. 

Key Takeaways…

When recruiting volunteers for your organisation it’s important to look for these qualities so you are sure they will complete the volunteering tasks to the best standards. Ensure you recruit people who have knowledge about the organisation’s impact and are motivated to help make a difference.

 

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Ethical and Sustainable Volunteering

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On 24th August 2022

In Community, News & Views, Volunteer Management

What is ethical and sustainable volunteering?

Sustainable volunteering is making a difference with long-lasting change without leaving a destructive footprint behind. Doing good by volunteering doesn’t always mean that you are having a positive impact on the environment around you. For example, many charities with shops could be working with suppliers who have not followed sustainable practices.

People who want to be ethical and sustainable when volunteering believe it is important to contribute to long-lasting change. You may think you are doing the right thing by volunteering but if your efforts and contributions are not making a long-term difference then it might not be worth volunteering for that specific organisation. It is crucial to do research into the charity or organisation as there are many that leave a community in worse conditions than they were when the organisation initially approached them.

The benefits of sustainable and ethical volunteering include becoming more aware of environmental issues and learning how to tackle them. By completing sustainable volunteer work, you are not only doing good for the environment but also doing good by helping others.

What makes a volunteer manager ethical? 

It is essential when wanting your volunteer work to be ethical and sustainable that your volunteer manager is also ethical when creating opportunities. Some ways a volunteer manager can achieve this is by: 

  • Ensuring criminal record checks have been completed for each volunteer. 
  • Making sure volunteers don’t replace paid employees.
  • Actively seek feedback from volunteers to be able to improve and maintain healthy relationships with them.
  • Giving up the time to train volunteers if necessary for the opportunity they are involved in, this also shows that the volunteers are valued.
  • Offer flexibility, so that if a volunteer wants to take time off they are able to. 

Sustainable and ethical volunteering opportunities 

There are so many charities and organisations with volunteering opportunities available in the UK that it can be hard to tell which organisations are influencing change and not leaving behind destructive footprints. Charities and organisations that work towards having a lasting impact on communities and the environment are just as important as having a primary goal of helping others.

There are many options for sustainable and ethical volunteering opportunities. An effective sustainable volunteering opportunity would be to get involved by helping out in your local charity shop. Research has shown the second-hand economy is more than just a means of achieving environmental sustainability. There are many accessible options for volunteering in local charity stores as they are in most UK towns. 

Other sustainable volunteering ideas are collecting and recycling rubbish or any other items that may pollute the environment. There are many litter-picking charities such as Cleanup UK and Keep Britain Tidy that have groups all over the UK with many available litter-picking volunteering opportunities.

Key takeaways…

If you are adapting to a sustainable lifestyle then it’s a good idea to also take part in volunteering that is sustainable and ethical too. You may think all volunteering must be ethical but that’s not always the case, many organisations leave behind a destructive footprint in communities they’re supposed to be helping. To confirm they are also ethical, ensure the volunteer manager is ethical in their actions and completes all the necessary measures before approving a volunteer.

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How The Cost Of Living Crisis Will Affect Volunteering

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On 10th August 2022

In Community, Local Authority, News & Views, Volunteer Management

The ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in disposable incomes that the UK has experienced since late 2021. Due to this, the rising cost of living is already starting to have a big impact on volunteering and will continue to do so. The crisis makes the reimbursement of expenses for volunteers a more demanding issue. As fuel prices are rising, in some places as much as £2 a litre, volunteers who don’t normally claim expenses are now starting to.

Research completed by vHelp on volunteer expenses shows that 88% of respondents from volunteer leadership roles and organisations were aware of volunteers choosing not to claim expenses. However, this figure of volunteers claiming expenses is expected to increase. The rising cost of fuel prices could also affect charities and organisations that now have to reimburse a larger amount than before which could leave them struggling. 

Expenses

8% of charities still don’t reimburse volunteer expenses. This could put off people from wanting to volunteer for these organisations due to higher travel expenses and the volunteers refusing to pay for these costs themselves. This is why it is extremely important to reimburse volunteers’ expenses otherwise it can lead to a loss of volunteers for your organisation.

Organisations with a complicated expense claiming process, where reimbursement takes a long time can also put volunteers off. 44% of respondents from vHelps research show that ensuring volunteers get paid was a concern of theirs.

Here at TeamKinetic, we provide a quick way for volunteers to claim expenses on our system so they get paid back straight away. We also have a masterclass session for TeamKinetic customers on the ‘Expenses Module’ which will be taking place on the 4th of October so make sure you sign up now to secure a place.

The effect the cost of living will have on charities

The increase in expenses may also be worrying to charities. But volunteers bring much more value to your organisation than the cost of expenses. According to vHelp, the increase in fuel price mostly impacts volunteers who support charities in rural areas due to the only mode of transport to get there for their shifts is by car, which can cost more for the charity to reimburse compared to a bus ticket or no cost for travel at all.

Not only will charities and organisations be affected by the cost of living crisis due to struggling to afford to reimburse volunteers, but charities will also be affected by the decrease in donations by the public. The cost of living crisis means that people’s disposable income will be greatly affected so they might not have the funds to donate as much to charities as they did previously.

According to an article by The Guardian, a fifth of UK households now have an average shortfall of £60 a week between what they earn and what they need to cover essentials. This leaves people with the lowest amount of extra money in 5 years. The expected value of £20 that people usually donate will also be expected to fall to £17.20 by 2026. ‘Chance Changing Lives’ charity that relies on ‘In Kind Directs’ consumer product donation services said they “may have to have a cut-off point very soon as donations have slowed down to such an extent that there may soon not be enough to go round”.

Charities need to start planning now to tackle the cost of living crisis which could massively affect their organisation and their volunteers. Support from funders and the government may be needed in order to help the charity sector during this crisis. 

More support on how charities should adapt to the cost of living crisis can be found here.

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

It’s time to recognise and celebrate your volunteers!

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On 26th May 2022

In Community, Volunteer Management

Today is the day! The beginning of Volunteers’ Week is here (in the UK). Are you ready to celebrate your volunteers and the impact they’ve made?

We know how important volunteers are to organisations across the UK – Volunteers’ Week is a time to show your gratitude. This year Volunteers’ Week crosses over with the #MonthofCommunity, have you thought about the ways you can incorporate your community in your celebrations?

Celebrate the achievements.

The main focus is to celebrate your volunteers and their hard work, but it can be a time to raise awareness of the benefits. This goes for those volunteering and those whose volunteering efforts have helped.

Benefits for volunteers include connecting with others, increasing a volunteer’s social skills and making new friends. Volunteering can also help a volunteer’s mind – mental health is important and becoming a volunteer can help this. For those looking to advance their career, volunteering is a brilliant way to gain develop skills to help with this.

There are a plethora of benefits to volunteering; Volunteers’ Week can show those on the fence that volunteering really is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

Celebrate your volunteers’ impact.

Show your volunteers just how much they have helped your organisation- show them the numbers (so to speak!) People are much more likely to start volunteering, or get up and volunteer again if they’re able to see first-hand the impact they can/are making.

Letting a volunteer know what they’re impact is can be the greatest way that volunteers are celebrated this week. While there are many ways you can measure the impact a volunteer has made, just by simply letting them know about the difference they’ve made can raise spirits.

We know for many organisations they rely solely on volunteers to run- without them, what are organisations supposed to do? Keeping volunteers onboard is crucial, and Volunteers’ Week can help you keep them closer than ever.

What are you waiting for?

Why don’t you combine Volunteers’ Week, the #MonthofCommunity and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee? Celebrate all three at the Big Jubilee lunch tomorrow – a day of milestones for many. Whichever way you decide to thank your volunteers over the next week- let us know! Tweet us over at @TeamKineticUK or find us on Facebook and Instagram under the same name- we want to hear from you!

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