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20/20 Vision – Take Another Look
At Volunteering
The Volunteering In Sport strategy aims to sustain 150,000 volunteers in their contribution to the development and delivery of Scottish sport and is supported by the Scottish Executive. During Volunteers Week lots of events will be held across the country to celebrate the achievements of volunteers and thank them for the vital contribution they make to community life. This includes the Michael Kuzmak ‘Imagine Volunteering’ photographic exhibition which will be at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh as part of the Art In The Mall exhibition from 10 –13 June. The exhibition features a number of inspiring images of volunteers in action and will be touring Scotland throughout 2004 and 2005. It was commissioned by Volunteer Development Scotland and aims to challenge the stereotypical images so often associated with volunteering, and to show the nitty-gritty, crucial and multi-faceted volunteering work that goes on unpaid in Scottish society. Volunteers Week is also about recruiting new volunteers. The www.volunteerscotland.org.uk website plays a key role in volunteer recruitment and is co-ordinated by the Volunteer Centre Network. The website already has over 26,000 volunteer opportunities registered from all over Scotland and has 4,500 organisations registered online. Kathryn MacKenzie, Convenor of the Volunteer Centre Scotland Network states: “There is no such thing as a typical volunteer – every year Volunteer Centres see a wide range of people volunteering, of all ages, equal numbers of men and women – from all backgrounds, races and beliefs. Many volunteers have disabilities or impairments and still play an active part in their community and get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment out of being a volunteer. We would love to encourage more people to take another look at volunteering” The vast range of volunteering opportunities available reflects the different reasons that people have for volunteering and their different backgrounds and interests. Examples of volunteering opportunities include: befriending, campaigning and advocacy work, counselling, driving, practical/DIY, home based volunteering, virtual volunteering, health volunteering, helping people with learning disabilities, catering, disaster/emergency relief, IT work, sports and recreation, charity shops, gardening, tutoring, youth work, arts and heritage volunteering. To get the full range and diversity of what’s available across Scotland look at www.volunteerscotland.org.uk George Thomson, Chief Executive, Volunteer Development Scotland states: “Passion, energy, commitment, life experiences, fun and diversity …Volunteers Week 2004 highlights all of these volunteer characteristics and more. Volunteering can have a positive impact. Depending upon the type of volunteering undertaken, it can improve health, provide an active social life or present new challenges. It can also improve career prospects and is a great way to develop new skills, build confidence and demonstrate drive and initiative. Make Volunteers Week the time you have another look at volunteering and what you can achieve through it” Volunteers Week is co-ordinated by Volunteer Development Scotland in partnership with the Volunteer Centre Network. This year, Volunteers Week is also joining forces with Giving Nation’s ‘G-Week’, which works with schools to raise young people’s awareness of volunteering and how they can get involved. It is hoped that the partnership will encourage voluntary groups to build partnerships with schools and vice versa. Doug Anthoney, Giving Nation Scotland Officer says: 'Giving Nation is delighted this year to coordinate our annual schools Giving Week in Scotland with Volunteers Week. For young people school can be an excellent place to discover volunteering, and by supporting volunteering schools can help pupils to learn good citizenship. We encourage charities that benefit from pupil volunteering to use the week to celebrate and recognise their contribution.' Volunteers Week is actively supported by celebrities such as Ally McCoist, Dougie Vipond, Karen Dunbar, Michael Mols, George Bowie, Billy Boyd, Scotland’s Three Tenors, Ant and Dec, Davina McCall, Eammon Holmes and Fiona Phillips from GMTV, Liz McClarnon from Atomic Kitten, Lisa Maxwell from The Bill, Ryan Thomas from Coronation Street, Tony Audenshaw from Emmerdale and Jack McConnell, First Minister. Volunteering Facts - Scotland Giving Nation
www.vds.org.uk/volunteersweek See Also |
There
will be a launch event on Tuesday 1 June at Hampden Park stadium, Glasgow
consisting of a photo call and a media conference commencing at 10.30 a.m.
The media conference will highlight and raise awareness about the Sport
21- Target 10 Volunteering In Sport strategy and young people from sports
clubs, volunteers and Scottish sports legends will be invited to play a
part in this celebratory launch. Volunteers Week is working in partnership
with sportscotland, the Scottish Sports Association and sport’s governing
bodies.