The annual week-long thank you to Dumfries and Galloway’s volunteers will take place from next Tuesday (June 1).
Organisations across the region will pay tribute and celebrate the work of volunteers, both during COVID-19 and every day, to help the needy and vulnerable.
Certificates of thanks will be presented, with a special COVID certificate also having been created as a one-off to mark the special circumstances that continued over the last 12 months.
A programme of 17 free events for volunteer-involving organisations and potential volunteers from Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway (TSDG) will take place online with a full list available at: https://thirdsectordumgal.org.uk/volunteers-week-2021-free-events/
Norma Austin Hart, Chief Executive Officer at TSDG, said: “If there was ever time to acknowledge the work of volunteers in a time of crisis, then this is it. How amazing our army of volunteers have been during Covid; looking after the vulnerable in our communities, supporting each other, and finding time to go the extra mile.
“We all know someone who has been helped by a volunteer or maybe you are a volunteer yourself. Let us use Volunteers’ Week 2021 as a time to sing the praises of everyone who has kept our region going throughout the Covid pandemic.”
Prior to the celebrations starting, a Summit Award was presented for an outstanding contribution to volunteering to Rachael Baird, Head Youth Volunteer with the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers in Stranraer. The accolade is part of the Saltire Awards, which marks the achievements of young volunteers in Scotland, and is only presented to those who have carried out over 800 volunteering hours.
Wendi Cuffe, Volunteer Champion at Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, helped present the award and said involving volunteers in an organisation added value, increased service quality, and introduced new skills and experiences.
“Many organisations in Dumfries and Galloway could not function without the teams of dedicated volunteers,” she added. “Personally, through volunteering, I have been challenged to try something different, achieved personal goals, discovered new skills, but more importantly met new friends and felt happy.”
TSDG will feature volunteers and organisations across their online channels and any group wanting to take part can email [email protected] or contact them via social media at @thirdsectordg for more details.
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