Volunteers’ Week 2023: Building on the legacy of The Big Help Out

Volunteer recruitment has never been more important for the organisations we work with. Our Time Well Spent data shows that volunteer numbers are down. In areas like campaigning or fundraising, numbers are as much as 50% lower than pre-pandemic levels.

But the good news is that satisfaction levels remain high. Those that do volunteer, love it. This is why we’re proud to support The Big Help Out. We’ve heard so many positive stories from our members who got involved with the campaign.

I’ve been part of the Volunteers’ Week campaign planning this year. We want to make sure the fantastic energy created by The Big Help Out flows into the week. And we need your help!

In previous years, Volunteers’ Week has mostly focused on thanking people who already volunteer. This year, as well as saying thanks, we also want to inspire more people to take up volunteering.

This year, we want to:

• highlight that our diversity is our strength. This is a chance to show that there’s never a ‘typical’ volunteer. Having volunteers from all walks of life is incredibly important.
• show there’s more than one way to volunteer. One of The Big Help Out’s objectives was to showcase the range of volunteering opportunities available. Volunteers’ Week is another great opportunity to do this. From Brownie leaders to trustees, there are so many ways for people to get involved.
• encourage people to be the change they want to see. By sharing volunteers’ stories we can show the impact volunteering has and inspire others to find out more.

1. Revisit what you did for the Big Help Out and re-share your asks this Volunteers’ Week. If you’re running events, make sure you add them to The Big Help Out app and publicise them as part of your Volunteers’ Week communications.
2. If you’re hosting celebration events for your current volunteers, ask them to bring along friends and family. Use the opportunity to see if they may also be interested in volunteering. You could even reuse some of your Big Help Out recruitment messaging.
3. Share your volunteers’ stories on social media and with local media. By celebrating your current volunteers you can inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Why not use the week as an opportunity to highlight some of your new volunteers?
4. Use the #TheBigHelpOut and #VolunteersWeek hashtags. The more we all use these hashtags, the more engagement and awareness we’ll build!
5. You can find loads of great resources on the Volunteers’ Week website. These include social media assets, logos, volunteer certificates, thank you cards, and even selfie frames!

New Time Well Spent research

Join us for the launch of our full Time Well Spent report on 27 June.

We’ll go through the data in detail and explain what it means for your organisation. You’ll also be able to ask questions and hear from our expert panel.

Book your place at our launch event

Volunteering help, guidance and training

Our volunteering help and guidance includes advice on topics such as volunteer management, recruitment and retention.

Read our involving volunteers guidance

We also offer regular training courses in volunteer management, and volunteering and the law.

Browse our upcoming training courses

I hope you have a fantastic Volunteers’ Week, however you’re choosing to mark it. On behalf of NCVO I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers up and down the country. You are at the heart of every UK community and are helping to make the world a better place.

If you’re interested in volunteering but are unsure where to start, read our guidance on finding the right volunteering role.