Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June 2015: Celebrating volunteering in Bucks

Community

Volunteers’ Week provides the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic role played by all the volunteers who dedicate their time, skills, energy and enthusiasm to the 2,500 registered charities in Buckinghamshire, and more unregistered “groups” carrying out charity work, plus the hundreds of Community Interest Companies.

At Community Impact Bucks we will be saying thank you at a special event to mark the contribution of each of our highly valued volunteers – from our Trustees, gardening volunteers, charity mentors, sustainability mentors, business-skilled volunteers, to our office and admin volunteers. During Volunteers’ Week we will be encouraging volunteers to share their own stories and motivations on social media using the hashtag #ivolunteer.

Nick Phillips, Group Chief Executive at Community Impact Bucks, said:

“Volunteering has a massive positive impact on the lives of people in Bucks. Volunteers’ Week is an extremely important occasion to mark the efforts of the 23 million people who volunteer across the UK in their communities. Many of these individuals are ‘unsung heroes’, either volunteering on the front line such as police or first aid response teams or behind the scenes to support the important work carried out in the community in so many ways. Whether you volunteer as a one-off, for a few hours, or on a regular basis, using your practical or business skills, it all makes a difference.”

Volunteering facts

  • In 2012-13 volunteering output contributed an estimated £23.9billion to the UK economy. This is equivalent to over 1.5% of GDP.
  • There are over 160,000 voluntary organisations in England, many of whom rely on volunteers.
  • 41% of people in the UK volunteer formally at least once a year and 27% do so at least once a month.

Community Impact Bucks is a charity that gives support, advice and training to other charities, community groups and rural communities throughout Buckinghamshire. Through our expertise, knowledge and grass roots’ engagement we enable the voluntary and community sector to achieve its full potential to build a thriving, vibrant community.

Visit www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk for a huge variety of volunteering opportunities in Buckinghamshire. Follow us on Twitter @CommunityBucks and at facebook.com/CommunityImpactBucks.