CSV, the UK’s Volunteering and Learning charity, have just launched a lovely campaign that I wanted to share with you.
The campaign is called Volunteer Champions, and has been launched to celebrate the people all over the country (and indeed the world) who quietly give up their time to try and make the world a better place.
Volunteering can take so many different forms, and a lot of us probably do it without even realising; helping out in a charity shop, caring for a friend or family member with disabilities, picking up litter from parks or beaches, mentoring young people, manning a cake stand at a local school fair… There are unsung heroes in all our communities who do these things every day for little or no recognition.
CSV wants to change that, with a campaign that really highlights the continued importance of volunteers over the last 50 years – a time of immense political, social and cultural change in society, much of which has been brought about by the work of ordinary folk like you and me giving up their time for causes they believe in. They have a fascinating timeline on their website sharing images and profiles of volunteers and their work from the last 5o years.
Their aim is that by the end of the Volunteer Champions campaign in June they will have celebrated and recognised the work of current volunteers, and hopefully even inspired some new ones. Lovely posts like this one from Premmeditations are exactly the kind of thing they’re hoping for.
If you’d like to get involved with the campaign, there are lots of ways you can do so; both by sharing your own personal experiences of volunteering, and also championing the inspirational volunteers who are active in your community.
1. You could tweet about the campaign, using the hashtag #VolunteerChampions and copying in @CSV_UK
2. You could write a blog post or a Facebook status about the campaign, talking about your own experiences of volunteering or giving thanks to a volunteer who has inspired you. There are some blog resources like photos and badges online here.
3. You can spread the word about the poster competition for young people (age 14-25) which is being organised by CSV and the V&A
If you don’t have a blog, I would love you to share your experiences of volunteering in the comments below. Have you ever volunteered? Do you at the moment? Have you ever been helped or inspired by other volunteers?
Dorkymum | Stories from Tasmania 
Tweeted! X.
You are the best, thank you! x
Volunteerism is truly the backbone of any society. The way we help our neighbors, strangers, and loved ones. I am so fortunate to work at the Honors College at my university and I see amazing volunteerism in all our students. They spend time at animal shelters, hospitals, hospice facilities, public radio stations, pre-schools, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, HIV/AIDS clinics… It is amazing that they do all this AND keep their straight A’s in college. It is part of our mission to be socially responsible, and I am proud they understand this and take it to heart.
I love that you say that even small gestures count. It is a good reminder to make the call to an elderly friend or neighbor, or to pick up litter that everyone else walks by. We start small but things grow from these gestures and the world becomes a better place.
Thanks for this post – you are making a great difference!
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