Volunteers contribute £2.6bn to the Scottish economy and deserve to be celebrated says Volunteers' Week Scotland organisers
The work of the third of Scots who volunteer their time for free is to be celebrated in June.
Charities and organisations that value the unpaid support they get from volunteers are being encouraged to get involved in activities during this year’s Volunteers’ Week, which runs from 1-12 June.
Volunteers’ Week Scotland is part of a UK-wide campaign to promote the role of volunteering.
As well as paying special recognition to volunteers, the campaign aims to remind people about the value of volunteering. Studies suggest that around 28% of adults in Scotland formally volunteer with an organisation, and a further 42% contribute by informal volunteering.
Together this work contributes £2.6 billion to the Scottish economy.
Organisers are keen to encourage events that focus on accessing volunteering opportunities, helping employers to support employees into volunteering, and overcoming barriers to involving volunteers.
This year’s Volunteers Week Scotland will include five themes: impact, health and wellbeing, employability, fundraising and be the change.
The Scottish Volunteering Forum, a group which includes Volunteer Scotland, Voluntary Action Scotland, Children 1st, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and Befrienders Networks, is organising Volunteers Week Scotland.
Forum chairman Paul Okroj said: “Whether taking part in activities to improve the local environment, spending time with people who need help, or providing other essential services and support, the efforts made by volunteers make an enormous difference. Such a significant contribution deserves special attention.
“Volunteers’ Week Scotland is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the huge difference made by volunteers up and down the country. We want to make a big impact, and that’s why I encourage everyone to get planning and get involved.”
Organisations planning to organise events or activities should visit Volunteer Scotland website for suggestions on how to get involved, this includes using the #volunteersweekscot hashtag, joining a volunteers’ week Thunderclap and plotting events on an interactive map.
Chief executive of Volunteer Scotland, George Thomson, said: “Volunteers’ Week Scotland is a chance to say thank you to volunteers for their contribution and to celebrate the power of volunteering to bring communities together.
“It is also an opportunity to encourage more of us, where we can, to play a bigger role in our communities. The focus of our work this year is to encourage more people, from more diverse backgrounds, to volunteer more often.”
This year Volunteers Week has been extended to 12 days to coincide with the Patron's Lunch on Sunday 12 June, when the service of Her Majesty the Queen to more than 600 charities and oranisations will be marked on her 90th birthday.
