Volunteers’ Week is back! How will you be celebrating all things volunteering?

At Dudley CVS, we’re proud to be taking part in Volunteers’ Week 2025, a national celebration of volunteers that starts on the first Monday in every June. This year marks the 41st anniversary of this UK-wide campaign, providing an exciting opportunity for you to really celebrate volunteers and recognise all the amazing things that they do for our communities.

But why do we need a week to celebrate volunteers?

There are an estimated 14.2 million individuals across the United Kingdom (UK) who give their time to volunteer formally at least once a month, while another 25 million have volunteered on a one-off occasion. That’s just over 20% of the entire UK population regularly giving their time freely to help others, enriching their local communities ever year.

The impact that this number of volunteers have can be hard to measure. Those who receive volunteer-help through the Royal Voluntary Service have given their perspective, sharing that they are less isolated, can cope better, feel physically healthier and are more connected to the community thanks to volunteers. Some have also looked at it from an economic perspective, estimating productivity gains of around £4.6 billion to our economy through individuals from professional and managerial roles who volunteer.

Thinking more locally though, volunteering may be having a positive impact right on your doorstep. Last year, we held our AGM and awards to celebrate 50 years of community action. Twenty four groups across Dudley Borough were nominated for an award, and they shared that 568 individuals had given their time volunteering in the last 12 months, adding up to 40,821 volunteer hours. That’s volunteer numbers for just 24 out of the estimated 1000 voluntary organisations operating in Dudley Borough.

So, imagine the actual number of volunteers giving back to our local communities, who are all present in your everyday life.  This could be volunteers who keep the local park you enjoy walking through clean, or volunteers who may be providing befriending or prescription delivery service to your neighbours. Your elderly family members may also be attending free social clubs put on by a local voluntary group, or you may be pleased to see your local community centre vibrant and busy due to local groups running classes. All of these not-for-profit organisations, groups and good causes, underpinned by volunteers themselves, are keeping our local areas thriving.

Volunteering also gives back to the individual. It can improve both physical and mental health, provide a sense of personal achievement and purpose, improve confidence and skills, reduce social isolation, and really enable individuals to make a difference. So, your friends, family members or colleagues who are volunteering may be, indirectly or directly, improving their own health and wellbeing while giving back to others.

So why do we need a week to celebrate volunteers? Well, volunteers have been described to us as “the backbone of everything” that voluntary organisations do in Dudley Borough. It really is at the heart of the voluntary sector, and volunteers provide invaluable help to the 184,000 registered charities, alongside the multitude of good causes and groups, who continue to support communities and empower change every day.

How can you celebrate Volunteers’ Week?

There are many ways that you can celebrate your volunteers, with a range of creative ideas below. It is important though to really consider your own volunteers, and celebrate them in a way that they would enjoy!

✨Free volunteer celebration events✨

Come along to Dudley CVS’s week of free celebrations, including a Volunteer Fair, celebration of outdoor volunteers at Stevens Park, and ‘Dudley’s Big Volunteer Thank You’ event. Across these events, there will be free tea, coffee and cake, opportunities to meet other volunteers and volunteer-involving groups, free volunteer goodie bags and a range of free activities!

 

✨Spotlight your volunteers – We want to hear from you! ✨

Why not shout about all the great things your volunteers do? This could be through a spotlight of one, or all, of your volunteers, or sharing a volunteer story that has really made a difference to your organisation. Share these spotlights or stories across your social media, website or any other type of media you may have. Don’t forget to use the range of free social media resources and the #VolunteersWeek too!

Dudley CVS will be spotlighting volunteers on our social media and website all week! We would love to hear from you about what volunteering means to you, an inspirational volunteer story you may have, or spotlighting a volunteer for making a difference!

 

✨Get involved✨

There is also a range of ways you can get involved and celebrate your volunteers. From hosting appreciation events, such as a coffee morning, afternoon tea or an awards ceremony, to giving your volunteers certificates, thank you cards or badges. You can also do things a little differently, like planting a tree in honour of your volunteers, present a client-nominated certificate or award, or nominate your volunteer group for national awards, such as the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.

There is also a range of free Volunteers’ Week resources to help you below, as well as other ways to get involved:

• Volunteers’ Week
• Royal Voluntary Service – Volunteers’ Week
• Healthwatch – Volunteers’ Week Ideas
• Baudeville (American organisation, who have been an integral part of recognition programs and practices in organisations across the country for over 40 years) – Volunteer Appreciate Ideas

Let’s get creative to highlight the diverse volunteer community, inspire positive change and celebrate National Volunteers’ Week together!