Volunteering
The kindness of selfless volunteers helps charities and communities flourish.
The power of volunteers
All across the United Kingdom, there are thousands of community projects which simply could not exist without the amazing support, skills and time given by volunteers.
Whether it’s sorting out donations to a food bank, planting bulbs in a community garden or providing a kind, listening ear to someone in need, volunteers are both incredible and extremely important. Of all the reasons to volunteer, most people say they do so because they want to help others.
Here’s how to volunteer in your community and help your volunteers to thrive.
Support volunteering during the Month of Community
The Month of Community is a time to come together to celebrate everything that makes our communities great. It takes place during June, with events and initiatives from our partners running all throughout the month!
There are lots of ways you can support our amazing volunteers this June.
- Volunteers’ Week takes place from 1 – 7 June and is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities. Volunteers can share their stories and organisations will be hosting events to celebrate and thank their volunteers. Find out more about Volunteers’ Week
- Carers’ Week is taking place from 5- 11 June, with the goal of recognising and supporting carers in the community. As part of the week, you can take part in the ‘I care’ campaign, where you can show your support for the carers in your life. Take part in Carers’ Week
- If you’re part of a community project with volunteers, why not consider holding a Big Lunch to say thank you? Our friends at Cardiff Salad Garden CIC did just that, and it was a huge success! Read their story
How to recruit and manage volunteers
Bringing people together in your community is much easier if you have support from others. Recruiting some volunteers can help to share the workload, provide moral support and that lovely warm fuzzy feeling of achieving brilliant things as part of a team.
If you’re hoping to bring your community together and need support from volunteers to make it happen, we’re here to help.
Recruit volunteersManage volunteers
How to start volunteering in your community
- Research to see if there are any existing initiatives in your area, such as food banks, toddler groups or a community centre. These are often volunteer-led so get in touch – from our experience, they always welcome more help!
- Get in touch with a local or national charity. They often have lots of regional opportunities and the Co-op’s Co-operate site has a handy postcode search to find volunteering opportunities near you.
- If you’re looking for something less formal, why not post on your local neighbourhood WhatsApp, Facebook or Nextdoor group and ask if anyone needs support? That could be nipping to the shops, mowing a lawn or just popping over for a cuppa.
- Have you identified a need in your community and want to set up a project? We’ve got everything you need to get started
- Volunteer with a Big Lunch! Setting up or helping with a Big Lunch is a wonderful way to build connections and friendships in your community. Our free packs include everything you need to get started.
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Laura wanted inspiration, an idea that would bring her neighbours together and allow connections to form, but she didn’t know where to start. After hearing about The Big Lunch and chatting to people who had similar community get-togethers, Laura decided that inviting her street to come together for friendship, food and fun was the way forward.
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Amazing volunteer stories
Celebrating volunteers at The Big Lunch
Cardiff Salad Garden, a Community Interest Company (CIC) combining growing organic, fresh salad with working with disadvantaged people, were keen to organise a Big…
Building a community from scratch
When Claire from Birmingham moved to a newly built estate in 2017, she was keen to build connections with other families in the area.…
Saying thank you with a Big Lunch
In 2021, a very special Big Lunch took place in Chiswick to thank volunteers at the ‘Fight Hunger Feed Hope’ Food Bank.