For Volunteers’ Week 2020, AVM asked leaders from across the sector to share their thoughts on what Volunteers’ Week means for them during a global pandemic. We will be publishing a new blog daily, from Monday 1st June.

Information and links to resources for Volunteers’ Week in England are also available below.

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  Netball volunteers and a volunteer strategy: a silver lining around a very grey COVID cloud (part 2)
  In the second of our two-part series on adapting England Netball’s volunteer strategy to Covid-19, Imogen Greatbach shares how the strategy has evolved
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  Netball volunteers and a volunteer strategy: a silver lining around a very grey COVID cloud (part 1)
  In the first of a two-part series on adapting England Netball’s volunteer strategy to Covid-19, Laura Elson shares her reflections on strategy development
• 
  Looking to the future of volunteer management in the new normal
  Ruth Leonard, Chair of AVM, shares her thoughts on what the future of volunteer management might look like in the post-pandemic ‘new normal’
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  What’s the point of a volunteer manager?… on furlough during Volunteers’ Week
  AVM Director, Rachel Ball, shares her thoughts on what it’s like to be a volunteer manager on furlough during the annual Volunteers’ Week
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  Volunteers’ Week 2020 #WaveForVolunteers – special ‘shout out’ to all COVID-19 Volunteers
  This week people from across the UK have been coming together to say a massive thank you to millions of volunteers. On Thursday 4 (more…)
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  The vital role of volunteers during Covid-19
  Rebecca Kennelly, Director of Volunteering at RVS, discusses how the charity has been at the heart of Britain’s biggest mobilisation of volunteers since 1939
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  A volunteer manager’s experience of mutual aid
  A volunteer manager reflects on their experience of volunteering in their local community, and what lessons their organisation might be able to learn
• 
  Volunteer-led fundraising vital in post-lockdown recovery
  David Grout, who heads up Fundraising Volunteering at Marie Curie, shares his thoughts on the future of volunteer-led community fundraising
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  Resilience and determination – why volunteers are never more needed
  Andy Broomhead, Head of Volunteering at Diabetes UK, shares how they adapted plans to celebrate Volunteers’ Week in light of the global pandemic
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  L&D For Volunteers in the Covid Age
  Nigel Ross, an L&D Professional specialising in the voluntary sector, shares his thoughts on how the global pandemic has changed L&D for volunteers
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  Collaborating for Volunteers’ Week 2020
  AVM, facilitated by Andy Broomhead (Diabetes UK), hosted 38 organisations for an information and networking session on Volunteers Week 2020. The group heard from (more…)

National Volunteers’ Week

Throughout the last month, we have been working with Tiger de Souza to share information about the national plans for Volunteers Week in England. Thanks to Tiger and a group of volunteers from our profession, this year’s Volunteers Week efforts are truly owned by volunteer managers.

There is fantastic activity happening in all countries across the UK, with Volunteers’ Week being supported by Volunteer Scotland, WCVA and Volunteer Now in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This week we will be joining others to share and connect to the national messages. You can still get involved in one or all of the following opportunities. Join many of your colleagues in saying thank you in a connected and collaborative way. Download the messaging toolkit to give you all the details you need. Don’t forget to use #VolunteersWeek on everything you do.

1. Send out the coordinated, consistent press release on 1st June highlighting the importance of volunteers. Download the template from the AVM website.
2. Share the Volunteers Week 2020 film ‘commUNITY makes us’, narrated by Claire Balding and Gethan Jones. It celebrates the contribution of volunteers before, during and after the pandemic. You can find the English and Welsh versions on YouTube to share.
3. Encourage your organisation, both internally and externally, to show their appreciation by using the Wave Your Appreciation for Volunteers approach from Volunteering Australia. If you do use this please use #WaveForVolunteers alongside #VolunteersWeek
4. Link your activities, case studies and communications to one of the seven-day themes. 
   • Monday – Listening & support (e.g. helplines, citizens advice)
   • Tuesday – Health & well-being (e.g. mental health, tackling social isolation)
   • Wednesday – Fundraising to support service delivery (e.g. charity shops)
   • Thursday – COVID-19 response and informal community civic action
   • Friday – Nature & Outdoors
   • Saturday – Arts & Culture
   • Sunday – Sport & Leisure
5. To help give a boost to the message on social media, join others in a ‘howl’ through Pack.org over the course of this week. Pack.org is a way for people to work together on social media to help share a key message or campaign. Sign up up to the VW2020 Pack.
6. Run virtual activities with The Big Lunch on 6th & 7th June to bring volunteers together to say thank you.
7. Send out the co-ordinated, consistent press release on 8th June that highlights that volunteers are #NeverMoreNeeded and link to that wider campaign. A template will be available soon.