Friday 12th June 2009
Volunteering Week looks to "Recruit, recognise and reward" Volunteers
Last week markettiers4dc helped raise awareness for Volunteering England, which in its 25th year of celebrating Volunteers Week, was encouraging people to discover that there are a multitude of opportunities near you to get involved in volunteering – no matter what your job or lifestyle... Whether it's joining a St John's Ambulance service or coaching a local rugby team, volunteers form an integral part of the community and the economy.
Volunteering England (the volunteering development agency), wanted to ask people from all walks of life to consider how they can volunteer in their local area. Far from the traditional perceptions of volunteers, an increasing number of young professionals, students, and parents are finding that volunteering is an excellent way to develop their existing skills base and even top up their CV in a productive way. Despite misconceptions, you can also volunteer without affecting your eligibility for job seekers benefits, making it a brilliant opportunity for those who have recently faced redundancy and unemployment to gain new and build on their present skills. There are 800 volunteer centres around the UK, offering flexible opportunities for all.
Volunteering Week featured 25 special nationwide events (to coincide with their 25th anniversary), to recognise, reward and recruit volunteers across a huge range of social sectors – from health to social care, youth programs to sport, arts and culture.
markettiers4dc were tasked with creating coverage opportunities across radio, online and TV – spanning the entire week, tied to the key Volunteering Week themes and driving people to the website http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/.
In conjunction with Volunteers Week's charity partners (including British Red Cross, Victim Support and St John's Ambulance) we created a bank of case study volunteers across the UK who conducted radio interviews throughout the week alongside Volunteering England CEO Justin Davis-Smith. An audio feature was also recorded with Justin and distributed to stations to prolong coverage throughout the week and ensure their key messages were heard by as many as possible! Radio coverage was achieved across the UK including BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, BBC South West, and BBC Somerset; and across the commercial network playing on, among others, Heart Somerset, North Devon and Sunrise Radio in Yorkshire.
GMTV featured case study volunteers on their sofa throughout the week, while BBC East Midlands Today did a heart-warming piece from the St John's Ambulance station in Derbyshire. The aim was to make people realise that volunteers and volunteering opportunities were right on their doorstep, wherever they may live, establishing a vital part of the community while being personally rewarding as well.
Justin Davis-Smith, CEO of Volunteering England said of the initiative: “We hope that everyone who is able to will take advantage of the activities and resources VE has developed for Volunteers' Week on this special anniversary.”
