Volunteers’ Week began in 1984. Initially it was run on a local level but in order to raise greater awareness of the importance of volunteers the National Centre for Volunteering* took the lead in promoting the Week.
The planning and development of Volunteers’ Week in England is now led by the Volunteers’ Week team at Volunteering England. The volunteer development agencies across the UK (Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), Volunteer Now (based in Belfast), Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) and Volunteering England work together to shape the major themes for the Week.
Each year more and more organisations get involved in the Week and participants take part in various events throughout the UK. These range from award presentations to setting-up information booths or sponsored walks and team challenge events with everything in between!
*Since April 2004 the National Centre for Volunteering merged with other organisations to form Volunteering England, the new national integrated agency for volunteering in England. 