Volunteers Week takes place every year during the first week of June and is coordinated by NCVO (the National Council for Voluntary Organisations).

During the week stories about volunteering are shared on social media and hundreds of celebrations and events take place. This year Volunteers Week will be celebrated between the 3rd and the 9th of June. It is a week when we can say thank you to volunteers for the contribution that they make to our community. The week also raises awareness about the benefits of becoming a volunteer and the diverse volunteering roles that are available.

As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to have a positive impact on the lives of those who volunteer, assisting volunteers in gaining new skills and boosting self-esteem. There are many voluntary organisations in the Sid Valley that rely on volunteers to help others.

Volunteers’ Week is all about celebrating the invaluable contribution which millions of volunteers nationally make to society every day. Volunteering builds connections, grows skills and gives back to society. And it’s been shown to be good for the wellbeing of volunteers too.

Volunteers are the champions of our communities – they selflessly give up their time and energy to help others, which really does have the power to change lives, for the volunteer and for the communities the organisation serves. There’s no better time to acknowledge and celebrate their invaluable contributions than during Volunteers’ Week. Sid Valley Help could not operate within the Sid valley without our volunteers and many other organisations rely on them too. I hope that all volunteers in the town feel valued and receive positive feedback, particularly during Volunteers’ Week.

I asked some of our volunteers earlier this week what made volunteering feel worthwhile. Chris said: “It makes me feel needed and I enjoy meeting with volunteers and clients as it teaches me never to give up,” while Jim feels that “it is very rewarding to help others worse off than myself.” Kim said: “it makes my day by visiting someone and seeing their face light up to have a visitor.” Jan helps with our Strength and Balance classes and said: “It is great to see people develop their confidence and social skills.”

As a volunteer myself, I am glad to be able to contribute to this community that I love. Make sure that volunteers that you know feel valued during Volunteers’ week.