Volunteers’ Week is the annual celebration at the start of June to highlight and recognise the contributions of volunteers in the UK who are vital to so many charities and community organisations.
Launched in 1984, it’s now in its 42nd year and is a dedicated opportunity to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the thousands of people who give their time to help others.
It also highlights the diversity and unity of volunteer work, with many organisations holding special activities and events for their volunteer teams.
When it comes to numbers, the statistics are impressive. Research from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations estimates 14.2 million people in the UK have formally volunteered at least once a month (2021/22), and 25 million volunteered informally at least once in the year.
And in monetary terms, the Royal Voluntary Service reported that volunteering added £4.6 billion in productivity gains to the UK economy in 2024.
At a local level, Richmond upon Thames has 750+ voluntary and community groups and is often the highest ranked London borough for volunteering.
You may have seen or visited the Volunteer Fair last month, which we organise each year and which is possibly the best opportunity you could have to meet a fantastic range of local good causes with rewarding volunteering roles to get involved with.
This year was a bumper year for both charity stallholders and visitors and was opened by the newly appointed Mayor of Richmond, Cllr Nancy Baldwin – who we know has a strong personal interest and is an ardent advocate for voluntary and community activity. Early figures from the event indicate around 420 potential volunteers came along to meet over 50 charities on the day.
We were lucky enough to chat to lots of active, enthusiastic and inspiring volunteers in the course of the afternoon, as they assisted at or ran many of the stalls that were present.
Amongst the conversations we had and the range of reasons given for why people began volunteering, we commonly heard the words “giving back”, “meeting people” and “community” - as well as more personal motivations such as “building my confidence up” and “I love making bonds between the families”.
When asked what the best thing about volunteering is, we had some wonderful responses and heard lots about “making a difference”, “helping” and “hope”. A couple that really sum up a LOT for us were “the humanity, fun, joy mixing with everyone” and the “satisfaction on seeing happy faces”.
We met so many fantastic individuals and are always so impressed with all they do in our local community. Saying ‘thank you’ to everyone who gives their time and support is a very small show of our appreciation but it truly is from the heart.
So much of what makes our community special comes from what we give to others and we hope all volunteers feel the love this Volunteers’ Week!
DID YOU MISS THIS YEAR’S VOLUNTEER FAIR?
The Volunteer Service team at Richmond CVS is here all year round to help anyone who would like to find a new local volunteering role.
If you missed coming along, your local volunteering database, Simply Connect, is available to register on and search at any time. Once registered, you’ll be signed up to a monthly(ish) newsletter which highlights a selection of new and current roles. Our Volunteer Service can help you to navigate the database, if you need a little help, and the team also offer bookable one-to-one appointments, as well as also holding occasional drop-in sessions in community locations.
If you know you’re interested in a more strategic, rather than hands-on practical role, our annual Trustee Recruitment Evening in the autumn is a date to look out for. It’s another chance to meet local charities in person with a specific focus on their trustee roles.
HERE TO HELP VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Local not-for-profit organisations can always get in touch with the team for help in recruiting and managing volunteers.
“Richmond CVS is a great place to start if you're looking for somewhere to volunteer or are looking for volunteers to join your team. Everyone who works there is passionate about what they do. They offer several services including running excellent training sessions for those working for local groups and charities, to advising on policies and 1-2-1 sessions for people looking for a volunteering role but not sure where to start.
At Richmond Furniture Scheme many of our regular volunteers have come to us through Richmond CVS. I also attend many of their training sessions - the people hosting these sessions are always extremely knowledgeable and approachable.
I would say that Richmond CVS are experts in helping you create your own community of volunteers, or in helping you find a community to volunteer with!” (Richmond Furniture Scheme)
