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Partnerships

Our mission is to create a Scotland where everyone can volunteer, more often, and throughout their lives.

We work with partners (individuals, groups and organisations) through actions, initiatives and campaigns, to achieve our mission.

To find out more about partnership opportunities please get in touch with our Partnership and Communications Manager, Margaret Starkie margaret.starkie@volunteerscotland.org.uk

Volunteering Action Plan

The Volunteering Action Plan aims to create a Scotland where everyone can volunteer, more often, and throughout their lives. The Plan builds upon Volunteering for All: The National Framework and provides ‘actions on the ground’ achieved through co-production, learning and a spirit of reciprocity and is designed to provide actions over a 10-year period as a living plan. Find out how to get involved in driving change within Volunteering over the next 10 years.
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Volunteers' Week

Volunteers’ Week is a UK wide campaign that takes place from 1-7 June every year. It’s a time when volunteer involving organisations are encouraged to thank and celebrate their volunteers, past and present. The Volunteers’ Week campaign started in 1984 and is led by a representative organisation in each of the four nations. Volunteer Scotland lead the campaign in Scotland.
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Cross-Party Group on Volunteering

Volunteer Scotland is secretariat of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Volunteering. Cross-party groups (CPGs) are groups of MSPs and other people who are interested in a subject or issue. The purpose of the group is to raise awareness of volunteering in all sectors to ultimately increase participation rates in all its forms, to ensure volunteering has a high profile in the Scottish Parliament and influence Scottish Government Policy.
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National Strategic Group for Inclusion in Volunteering

In 2017, we formed this group with a range of organisations to see equality of opportunity for all people to volunteer in ways that are right for them, with the support that each person needs to make volunteering possible. By listening to people who experience exclusion from volunteering, we will identify best practice to reduce barriers and enable all people to volunteer. We aim to increase understanding by challenging stereotypes and assumptions, and by creating safe spaces for people to acknowledge uncertainty and exchange knowledge and skills. We have created shared resources which you can access in our Volunteer Practice Tips and Templates section.
View resources here

Make Your Mark in Volunteering (OPiT)

Make Your Mark supports everyone in Scotland to volunteer with historical, cultural and nature organisations. To get started, choose whether you’re a volunteer or an organisation that involves volunteers. The campaign aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland. The goal is to encourage the heritage sector to take the lead on inclusive volunteering practices and experiences. The campaign connects links between volunteers and organisations in the heritage sector, with a focus on supporting and increasing volunteering amongst underrepresented groups. Make Your Mark is supported and managed by the Our Place in Time Volunteering Group.
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The Big Help Out

The Big Help Out is a national day of volunteering happening on May 8th (in Scotland and across the UK). It coincides with the Bank Holiday Monday of the King's Coronation weekend. Volunteers and Volunteering Involving Organisations can get involved.
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Month of Community

The Month of Community campaign is led by Eden Project and takes place from the 1st – 30th June every year. The Month of Community is a time when we come together to celebrate everything that makes our communities great. Millions of people take part and to say cheers to volunteers, connect with their neighbours, welcome refugees, support carers, raise awareness of loneliness, or simply to say thank you.
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UK Volunteering Forum

The UKVF exists to facilitate collaboration between the four national agencies supporting volunteering across the UK - a devolved matter in each country (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). These agencies include NCVO, Volunteer Now, Volunteer Scotland and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Amongst other activities the UKVF aims to create a shared understanding of national strategies and values, to identify and influence UK and international level policy priorities, to support the creation and effective dissemination of UK-wide volunteering research, to support the promotion and access to relevant national quality standards of volunteering practice and continuously improve the volunteer’s experience and to support (which includes identifying and developing) national campaigns which promote volunteers and volunteering UK and internationally. The UKVF meets every 6-8 weeks.

Become a Charter Champion

The Volunteer Charter sets out the 10 key principles for assuring legitimacy and preventing exploitation of workers and volunteers. Find out more and pledge support today!
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