National Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), which this year has the theme A Time to Say Thanks, is the annual celebration of volunteering: a week dedicated to thanking all volunteers for their time, energy, commitment and skills.
Volunteers from our LGBTQ+ community groups – including Lunch Positive, MindOut, Terrence Higgins Trust, Clare Project, Allsorts and Sussex Beacon – have played a vital role in the pandemic response and have been the lifeblood of communities during an exceptionally difficult couple of years. The coronavirus pandemic raised the profile of volunteering and more people than ever are aware of the immense contribution being made by volunteers in Brighton, and throughout the UK.
Volunteers’ Week is a time to recognise the invaluable impact volunteering has on the community. From the small scale, mutual-aid groups offering much-needed local support, to the thousands of existing voluntary and community groups, and the national organisations and programmes.
During the last year, Community Works registered over 300 volunteer opportunities for 169 organisations in Brighton & Hove alone. Nearly 1,500 new Brighton-based volunteers registered on the site.
Last year there were over 600 Volunteers’ Week events across the country, from award ceremonies to tea parties and barbecues. This year’s festivities include the Big Jubilee Lunch, as it coincides with the Jubilee holiday weekend. Charities across Sussex will be holding events to thank their volunteers and celebrate the power of volunteering.
For more info about Volunteers’ Week, CLICK HERE