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Celebrating National Volunteers’ Week 2022

30/05/2022 by

A time to say thanks!

 

WHAT IS VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK?

Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It’s a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you.

Volunteers’ Week is supported and celebrated by small grassroots organisations as well as larger, household-name charities, who together run hundreds of activities across the UK. These activities showcase and celebrate volunteers and the contribution volunteering makes in our communities.

Volunteers’ Week 2022 is a time to say thanks. It goes without saying that volunteers have played a key role in the pandemic response. During an exceptionally difficult couple of years, people from all walks of life around the UK have taken the time to volunteer and make a huge difference to their communities – just as they do every year. This is a time for us to come together and thank all volunteers for their invaluable contribution.

 

WHY IS VOLUNTEERING IMPORTANT?

As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to improve volunteers’ wellbeing too.

It’s human nature to feel good after helping someone out. Volunteering can also help you gain valuable new skills and experiences, and boost your confidence.

If you’re interested in volunteering, here’s how to get started and some volunteering stories to inspire you. Have a look at our Volunteering Portal to find details of local opportunities.

  • 16.3m people volunteered through a group, club or organisation in 2020/21.
  • Most people have formally volunteered at some point in their lives, dipping in and out of involvement over time.
  • Volunteering patterns changed substantially during the pandemic.
  • Almost one in five (17%) people reported volunteering at least once a month, about 9.2m people.
  • Less visible is informal volunteering, which includes a wider range of activities including unpaid help for someone who is not a relative. In 2020/21, 54% of the population (29.4m) volunteered informally at least once a year and 33% (17.9m) did so at least once a month.

Read the volunteering statistics from NCVO’s UK Civil Society Almanac 2021.