Volunteering

Yarrow’s Opening Doors volunteering project matches volunteers with people with learning disabilities with shared interests so they can access sports and arts together. It’s a three year project, funded by City Bridge Trust. They delivered 309 sporting and cultural opportunities to 93 adults with learning disabilities over the course of the year. 

Mercy Ships runs the largest civilian hospital ship in the world, providing free, safe surgery on its hospital ship and in land-based programmes in some of the world’s poorest countries. The charity also trains local medical workers and refurbishes hospitals and clinics in order to leave a legacy of improved healthcare.

Here's a selection of some of the ways volunteers are complementing the work of the NHS. 

Maternity Mates in East London recruit, train and match-up volunteer Maternity Mates with pregnant women in need of extra support in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest, with plans to expand into other London boroughs, and then a nationwide service. 

Suicide Crisis provides innovative services for people who are at risk of suicide, including 24 hour face to face crisis support. It was set up by Joy Hibbins following a traumatic experience of her own which she said showed her that a different type of service was needed for people who were at risk of suicide.

Royal Free Charity, Young Volunteer Programme offers a selection of roles for younger people, whether they want to pursue a career in healthcareor want to give back to their local hospital.  They currently have 250 young volunteers split between the Royal Free (150) and Barnet & Chase Farm (100) hospitals.

Volunteers from across England have been selected as ambassadors for the thirtieth anniversary of Volunteers’ Week, which takes place from 1 – 7 June 2014. (Full list in notes.)

The annual event, launched in 1984, marks the contribution that millions of volunteers make to charities and other organisations. Hundreds of events will be taking place as charities, schools, hospitals and other organisations take time during Volunteers’ Week to thank their volunteers.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has announced that Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and Tennis2Be are the winners of their annual voluntary sector photography competition, sponsored by Pureprint. The winning images were exhibited at NCVO’s Annual Conference on 20 April 2017, where Rob Wilson MP, the Minister for Civil Society, awarded the prizes.

Many of England’s volunteer centres faced a substantial hit to their income in the last financial year, new data from NCVO shows.

Volunteering England and NCVO have today announced the names of the trustees from Volunteering England who will join the board of NCVO as part of the organisations’ proposed merger.

A volunteering programme run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has displayed ‘an impressive capacity’ to help unemployed people into paid work, according to an independent evaluation (pdf, 955KB).

Voluntary Action Sheffield has developed materials to demonstrate to potential volunteers the positive impact that volunteering can have on their CVs in cases where they may have been unemployed for some time or have limited or no relevant work experience in the field in which they wish to work.

Check out our colourful collection of stories about volunteering. From the volunteers taking vulnerable young people on sailing adventures to the wonder widows offering emotional and practical support to the bereaved. 

Charities are counting down the days until Volunteers’ Week 2018, taking place 1-7 June, now in its 34th year. The annual campaign sees charities and voluntary groups get together to recognise the contribution volunteers make to our communities every day.

1-7 June 2013

Hundreds of events will be taking place across the country this week to celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2013, with charities and other organisations taking the time to say thank you to the volunteers who support their work throughout the year.

Events are being planned across the country to mark Volunteers' Week 2016, taking place 1-12 June. The annual campaign, which was established in 1984, recognises the contribution volunteers make to our communities every day. This year it has been extended by an additional five days, enabling more people than ever to take part.

To mark the launch of Volunteers’ Week 2021, 1-7 June, a government minister and charities around the UK are encouraging everyone to use it as ‘a time to say thanks’ to all those volunteering during the coronavirus pandemic.