The National Body for Volunteering, Volunteer Scotland, is celebrating the diversity of volunteers during its 30th Anniversary Year by joining with Members of the Scottish Parliament to promote the value of volunteers during Trustees’ Week in Scotland, which takes place 10th till the 16th November.
Trustees’ Week is an annual event each November recognising the difference thousands of volunteer trustees make across Scotland. And this year marks three decades of promoting the value and worth of volunteers as Volunteer Scotland celebrates its 30th anniversary as the national body for volunteering.
2014 continues to be a significant year for volunteering in Scotland and a great time to be highlighting the contribution volunteers make to the communities of Scotland, includingthrough managing and running Scotland’s Charitable Trusts. Volunteer trustees as leaders are central in supporting individuals, communities and the country and volunteers everywhere are at the heart of Scotland’s communities and making them better places.
The Scottish Parliament took the opportunity to join the Trustees Week celebrations by endorsing the wide range of work that volunteer trustees undertake.
George Thomson, Chief Executive of Volunteer Scotland, says:
“At Volunteer Scotland we recognise the vast wealth of experience that volunteer trustees bring to our communities, we are also keenly aware of the immense pressures they are under in running the diverse range of Scotland’s Charitable Trusts. We are also aware of the many challenges volunteer trustees face in, with increasing workloads, increased demands on services and promoting a more equal Scotland. Trustees’ Week is an opportunity for us as a community to thank volunteer trustees in undertaking their invaluable volunteering role.
“In Scotland each year 30% of adults give over 160 million hours of precious time in a vast range of community settings. This makes a huge difference to people, to the economy, to services, and the environment and all done freely. Trustees’ Week celebrates the good in volunteering and as we look ahead to the changes of the next 30 years one thing I’m sure is that volunteering will continue to be friendly, uplifting and rewarding.”
Pledging their support for Trustees Week and Volunteer Scotland, MSPs stressed the value to local communities of greater recognition of the immense task many volunteer trustees face and pledged to help raise awareness of their volunteering throughout Scotland.
Martin Docherty, Policy Advisor at Volunteer Scotland, says:
“We’re delighted with the tremendous cross party support and leadership for volunteering shown by our MSPs this year especially as we celebrate the contribution of Scotland’s Volunteer Trustees; it’s definitely a hands up from Parliament for all they do.”
Nanette Milne MSP was among the first to support the campaign.
Nanette Milne MSP for the North East said:
“Volunteers are at the heart of the vital work which is undertaken by so many organisations across Scotland.
“We have a rich tapestry of Volunteer Trusteeship in Scotland and they should be recognised for their efforts and the huge benefits they contribute to communities across the North East.”
If you want to join the celebrations this year by volunteering or want to find out more, visit: www.volunteerscotland.org.uk