WHAT IS VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK?
Volunteers’ Week is an annual event run by NCVO, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations. It is a time to say thank you for the fantastic contribution volunteers make. As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to improve volunteers’ wellbeing too.
It’s human nature to feel good after helping someone out. Volunteering can also help you gain valuable new skills and experiences, and boost your confidence.
During the week, hundreds of events and celebrations take place across the country, saying thank you to volunteers and recognising their invaluable and diverse contribution to the UK.
HOW ARE WE CELEBRATING IN MILTON KEYNES?
There are lots of events happening in Milton Keynes too….please send us yours to be included in the programme, which you can see below.
We will be running volunteering drop-ins and pop-up activities in various locations in Milton Keynes – please come along to one of them to meet our team and to find out how you could be contributing to the amazing Voluntary and Community sector in MK!
We have also teamed up with a number of local groups and organisations to publish blogs sharing their volunteering stories and roles. Special focus will be given to organisations such as Wolverton Community Orchard, Volunteering Matters, Buckingham Canal Society, MK Safety Centre (known as Hazard Alley), MK Sailability, Blue Cross and others!
We will also be telling you about our own volunteer-led projects and the support Community Action: MK gets from our volunteers!
6TH JUNE: GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY – all welcome!
Get involved in this one off volunteering project for Buckingham Canal Society. You will have a chance to be part of a team helping to restore part of a canal bridge or you may be helping to improve part of the tow-path at Cosgrove. This gets very muddy in winter and is almost impossible to walk along so the work is to help disabled people enjoy the canal more and also be of great assistance to other walker and boaters.
* If you would like to find out more about the volunteering day at Lock Lane with Buckingham Canal Society and to sign-up to take part, please e-mail info@buckinghamcanalsociety.org.uk or ring 01908 661217, or turn up on Thursday 6th June at 10.00 in Lock Lane, MK19 7JR.
HOW TO FIND A VOLUNTEER ROLE IN MILTON KEYNES?
There are hundreds of volunteering roles available at the many amazing groups and organisations in Milton Keynes.
You can search for roles online through Simply Connect, the volunteering platform for Milton Keynes – follow this link to find a volunteering role that suits your interests, location and availability now!
You can also visit our weekly volunteering drop-in at Acorn House, MK9 3HP to speak to one of our volunteering advisors!
If you are a local not-for-profit group or an organisation and need volunteers to help you with your projects, you can use Simply Connect to advertise your opportunities – follow this link to find out more and to set-up your free organisational account.
HOW TO STAY UP-TO-DATE & HEAR NEWS FROM VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK?
Tune in to our blog (sign-up to receive our newsletter here) and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date, and to read some inspirational stories and case studies about volunteering in Milton Keynes!
To find out more about what is happening as part of the Volunteer’s Week nationally, visit: https://volunteersweek.org.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS – FREE ONLINE COURSE
Volunteer Scotland and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership at The Open University Business School have developed a short course on volunteering. The course is about the essential things you need to consider to ensure a positive experience for individuals engaging in volunteering.
Please follow this link to find out more and to enroll.