With just over two months to go until Volunteers’ Week 2023, taking place 1-7 June, Martin Whitfield MSP has welcomed the announcement that the theme for this year’s week-long event is ‘Celebrate and Inspire’.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide event, now entering its 39th year. The week sees charities, voluntary groups, social organisations, and volunteers themselves come together to recognise the incredible impact that volunteering has in communities around the UK.

Welcoming the week and its theme, Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“Volunteers are active at the heart of every community across South Scotland and the whole of the UK, making a difference day, day out. So taking the time during Volunteers’ Week to celebrate and recognise their efforts and all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector and society as a whole has never been more important.

“The theme for this year – ‘Celebrate and Inspire’ – aims to highlight that the diversity of volunteers is their strength, show that there is more than one way to volunteer and encourage people to be the change that we all want to see. I welcome the theme and look forward to helping celebrate volunteers during the week.”

Alan Stevenson, CEO at Volunteer Scotland, which coordinates Volunteers’ Week in Scotland, said:

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of Scottish communities and what better time to celebrate their very many vital contributions than during Volunteers’ Week. In celebrating volunteers and sharing their stories, we highlight the enormous breadth of volunteering opportunities on offer and demonstrate the many benefits – especially for volunteers.

“It’s important that this Volunteers’ Week we celebrate and inspire and in doing so help those new to volunteering to take their next steps. So, here’s to Scotland’s inspirational volunteers – thank you and have a great Volunteers’ Week.”

Every year hundreds of events, both online and in-person, take place to celebrate Volunteers’ Week and the huge range of ways in which volunteers give their time. This year will be no different. A wide variety of activities will be happening across the country from volunteer recruitment events and open days to celebration and recognition events. There is no one way to take part, celebrate volunteering and get involved in this year’s campaign.

You can find out more about how to get involved and get resources to plan your own participation on the Volunteers’ Week website in Scotland www.volunteersweek.scot.