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Year of the Volunteer 2005
2005 is the Year of the Volunteer, a year-long celebration of the amazing work volunteers do and a call to action to get more and more of us volunteering.
Early in 2004, Chancellor Gordon Brown designated 2005 as the Year of the Volunteer. The Home Office, as the government department with responsibility for encouraging active citizenship, is working in partnership with two well-established volunteering organisations Volunteering England and CSV to coordinate the Year.
Volunteers' Week With Berkshire Scouts
Volunteers' Week is a national celebration of volunteers and volunteering which takes place from 1 – 7 June of each year. The Week aims to promote innovative ways to thank, recruit and involve volunteers and raises the profile of the work of the UK’s 22 million volunteers. Now in its 21st year, Volunteers' Week is a major event in the UK’s volunteering calendar.
Throughout the Week there is a burst of activity as volunteer managers publicly thank their volunteers and highlight their contribution to the organisation and the wider community. The publicity also means that it’s also a great time to recruit new volunteers and recruitment will be the major theme for 2005 with a particular focus on employee volunteering and young people.
Groups and organisations of all kinds and sizes take part in Volunteers' Week – from private sector companies, to hospitals and schools, and major charities and small community groups, as well as individuals.
For more information on Volunteers' Week click here
do-it.org.uk provides a database of opportunities for volunteering organised on a postal code basis.
Volunteering England works to promote volunteering as a powerful force for change, both for those who volunteer and for the wider community. The Volunteering England web site offers a range of resources for anyone who works with or manages volunteers as well as to those who want to volunteer. Volunteering England is distributing small grants to help get people involved.
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An increasing proportion of Britain's 22 million volunteers are supported by their employer, either in work time or outside of work hours. This is known as Employee Volunteering. The Employee Volunteering website has the full information.
CSV is leading the Year of the Volunteer, 2005 alongside Volunteering England. Each month has a different theme - pick a theme that interests you and get involved! Check out the website.
CSV's next Make a difference day is 29 October 2005