Volunteers’ Week 2020 – Time to say Thanks

Each year, Volunteers’ Week takes place from 1 – 7 June every year. This year, the organisers, NCVO, have decided that it isn’t appropriate to go ahead with their usual planned celebration. Instead, this year is an opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to volunteers. 

Say thanks online
Join Volunteer Centre Hackney and other charities in giving your thanks by taking part in #CheersForVolunteers this Monday 1 June at 8pm. We’ll be cheering our thanks to all the amazing people giving their time to support their fellow Hackney residents.

Giving virtual thanks
If you work with or support volunteers , the Volunteers Week website is still accessible and full of resources and ideas to help you show your appreciation for those that are supporting our community including online certificates. You might also want to have a thank you event or bring people together virtually. Some of the great ideas we’ve heard about from organisations include:

• Online quizzes
• Cook or Bake-Alongs
• Cuppa and a Catch Up
• Online games to share – VCH staff have been playing Scattergories at the end of our regular Team Zoom meetings!
• Does someone have a secret skill they could share online, like yoga or how to draw? 
• Taking a tour of a zoo, museum (search #museumfromhome for some ideas, or check out local museums online like Hackney Museum or Museum of the Home) or go to a gallery together online and talk about it afterwards

My volunteers aren’t online
As well as having a catch up over the phone, a personal card or letter might be really appreciated – or you could even some activities for them to do at home. These could be activities that could be done together over the phone – for example, reading and talking about a poem – or printing off and sending a quiz out to volunteers. You could send details of the Stay Home project to volunteers and take part in this together.

We’d love to find out how you are celebrating a virtual Volunteers Week. Share what volunteers have been up to using the hashtags #VolunteersWeek2020 and #HackneySpirit