Author: Annabelle Pelster

All the challenges of the last few years has, from my perspective and rather counter-intuitively, generated a sense of ambition within the Voluntary and Community Sector that also motivates volunteers. Respect for and contribution to local communities is now wider, it is more action orientated and has more traction then that bygone age called 2019.

Looking at Kingston as a borough, how it performed, came together, responded to challenges since 2020 (lock downs, needs, vaccinations, new levels of poverty previously hidden etc.) gives us a clear picture on how important it is to maintain and build on the partnerships and successes of our collective work. That includes the volunteer experience. To get there I have been “Horizon Scanning” and now lay out a wish list that reflects the importance of always thinking forward. However first, a caveat: this list is what a possible future could look like albeit relying heavily on reasonable funds, resources and partnerships (and the Kingston Volunteer Strategy to also guide us) to make it a reality and success. The purpose of promoting these possibilities is to put then out there front and centre  and stimulate alternative suggestions.

• Hubs, e.g. in pubs/shops/community spaces. Take a model of community space as promoted in the 2021 report on Surbiton Resilience “Every-day life in Surbiton” and replicate where practicable across the borough. Volunteers are attracted to helping in their micro-local locations, this would be a brilliant stimulus to that.

• Food Hero’s. Embed the foodbank street collection system that sprung up locally during the last 6 years into the fabric of the borough so that it survives and thrives going forward.

• Time-bank/Skills exchange. Create a borough wide system with focus on stimulating volunteering in women whose first language is not English. This would both increase volunteering numbers and be a massive boon to the volunteer experience of a significantly socially isolated part of our community.

• “Friends of” groups. Expand existing groups for parks/open land/under-utilised green spaces, which is being demonstrated by successful models in other localities. Friends of groups tend to tap into individuals not engaged in their communities already.

• Sports. Bringing together a range of volunteer led sporting activities/clubs under one banner that stimulates physical activity. Sports volunteering could add so much positive value to public health campaigns. This model could equally apply to the local smaller arts and culture groups.

• A social action portal. Create a web-based interface that advertises all social action activities locally no matter how small/micro in nature. This would be really helpful in attracting younger people to activities.

This list is not definitive, as they say “other pipedreams are available” but I commend them to your thinking if, like us at Volunteering Kingston, re-imaging the Volunteer Experience is important to you.

June 2026.

National Volunteers Week is always an opportunity to reflect on trends. Over the last couple seven years Voluntary Sector professionals, especially those working in Volunteer Services, have reflected how in the post pandemic world there had been a seismic shift in registrations away from “time-rich” volunteers and towards younger volunteers. That phenomenon was partly explained by health worries from the older volunteers but equally importantly a new wave of enthusiasm for supporting the community from the younger end of the volunteering spectrum. This introduces a plethora of mediums we are able to use to communicate effectively with young people. Whether it is school assemblies, Fresher’s Fairs, the usual social media avenues or the latest apps, young people have never been as accessible as they are today.

Face to face still has its place; we know from experience that visits to local schools how the registration numbers rocketed in the days following that outreach. Not only do our team enjoy presenting to a Sixth Form assembly they also appreciate the feedback they get. Volunteering, as an experience, has to evolve constantly to the changing world we live in. On the digital side, the excellent work of our team ensures we maximise our reach and that effort is demonstrated by the profiles we receive. If there is a new digital app on the block we should take advantage of it, the days of Twitter/X and Facebook domination are long over.

Young people want more control over their time; the trend is towards bite-sized volunteering that makes a difference on the ground. Dozens of administration roles on our Team Kinetic base do not interest younger volunteers so volunteer centres need a full range of opportunities to entice applications to succeed with this cohort. Similarly, Saturday shifts at a charity shop, whilst useful for those looking to experience work environments for the first time, are not always attractive to these energetic young volunteers.

Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, yes, the numbers have declined from pre-Covid days, but what we do find is those from the retired/semi-retired bracket that stay involved in volunteering bring with them extensive and helpful experience. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is blessed with those whose experience in significant work environment are able to bring that experience to bear for the benefit of the community.

Equally important is the way that older volunteers can also positively impact the younger volunteers by the nature of shared interaction of volunteering. Role models, mentors or just old hands, call them what you will, what the turn into for young people is a font of knowledge. When the combination of youthful exuberance and older experience combine the gain for volunteering and voluntary organisations is clear and tangible.

Thank you to all our young and older volunteers.

Kumuna Kamasoh, Volunteer Officer, Volunteering Kingston.

Wishing you a wonderful first day of National Volunteers Week! To celebrate, Volunteering Kingston has prepared some downloadable thank you cards, for you to send to a volunteer you believe should be proud of their efforts.

This year, as in every year, National Volunteers’ Week (1st – 7th June) coincides, because it falls in the month of June, with the dedication to celebrating communities that is Communities Month. Those celebrations are as important as ours are in the volunteering services arena.  

National Volunteers’ Week in 2026 should be all about reconnecting with communities. If ever there was a proper time to say well done, to volunteers and the groups that come together in our communities, it is here and now. The contribution of volunteers has ensured our society remains functioning over the past couple of decades of our society’s peaks and troughs. 

The thought of celebrating may not be appealing right now, while the demand for foodbanks keeps reaching a new peak, being positive whilst millions of displaced people continue look for safety and with money in the Voluntary Sector remaining as tight as ever. Personally, whilst I understand this thinking, I believe greater hurdles calls for a greater need for reconnecting. June 2026 and the joint approach of National Volunteers Week and Communities Month is such an occasion. 

Volunteering Kingston, and volunteer services across London and the country, will be celebrating National Volunteers’ Week, in conjunction with others, to show our appreciation to volunteers who have dedicated their time and effort to support their communities, but we are also hoping to reconnect those who used to engage locally or are dipping their toes in for the first time. We are working with others to ensure the value of those who selflessly contribute continues later into the month. 

Welcome to National Volunteers Week and Communities Month 2026, Kingston style. Events will be held across June to not only mark our appreciation but to be central in strengthening bonds that bind individual volunteers, volunteer-involving organisations and the statutory sector locally, all working in local communities. Keep your eyes peeled, it will be celebratory and most importantly full of opportunities to re-engage your local community spirit. 

National Volunteers Week 2025 closes today and has been a tremendous success, and here at Volunteering Kingston, we are constantly reminded of the invaluable contributions of volunteers. We believe in spreading this celebratory spirit to all organizations engaging with their communities. That is why we are thrilled to support and promote the upcoming Celebrating Communities in Kingston event, set to take place on Thursday, June 26th, at the vibrant All Saints Church in Kingston, from tbc to tbc.

The Celebrating Communities in Kingston event, inspired by the previous Big Thank You gathering and Discovering Volunteering events, is designed for everyone eager to explore local volunteering opportunities and express gratitude to those already making a difference. This event is a collaborative effort with partners like The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Kingston Hospital, Kingston University, Kingston Voluntary Action and many others, all contributing to its planning. With such fantastic support, we hope to welcome a remarkable number of residents to join in on the festivities.

Please see the Celebrating Communities Eventbrite page for more information, and to sign up.

Volunteering in your community isn’t just for National Volunteers Week or Communities Month, it’s 27/7/365. Whether is supporting Kingston 2025 this summer or the Kingston Carnival in September, whether its planning for supporting people in crises at Xmas or contributing to the all year round battle against homelessness, the work and the need goes on. Here at Volunteering Kingston we are proud that the Kingston Volunteer Strategy launched on June 5th will help shape the future of volunteering locally but we remain fully aware it’s the volunteers and the communities of Kingston that give an they remain the ultimate hero’s.

Michael Green – Projects Manager – Volunteering Kingston.

My colleagues at Volunteering Kingston asked me if I would like to contribute to their National Volunteers’ Week activity. As someone overseeing similar work in Volunteering Barnet, I was very happy oblige. I’ve decided to share some thoughts on something that I am passionate about – inclusivity in volunteering.

You may recall and have seen a programme, from a few years ago, on the BBC called “Then Barbara met Alan”, which powerfully explored the history of the disability rights movement in the UK and the phrase ‘Nothing about us without us’. It highlighted the importance of choice and control for Disabled people and the less-than-helpful attitudes that society can often have towards disability. National Volunteers’ Week is an ideal opportunity to challenge barriers to volunteering and to champion that volunteering should be open to everyone. Inclusion in volunteering is something we should all take interest in.

Figures from our volunteer services – Volunteering Kingston and Volunteering Barnet – tell us that approximately 13% of our registered volunteers are Disabled, or require additional support. That is a significant number of volunteers who are excited to give their time to support a local community or cause. If you think of Disabled volunteers as a community of people with one set of needs, you would be missing a range of talents, enthusiasm and perspectives. Of course, Disabled people volunteer for as many different reasons as non-disabled people; and people’s experiences are just as varied. A Disabled volunteer could be:

· A teenager with a learning disability looking for work experience.

· An autistic parent who wants to use their perspective to help families with autistic children.

· A wheelchair-using CEO who wants to give their business expertise to help struggling charities tackling food poverty.

· A person with anxiety who wants to meet new people and make friends without pressure.

· A marketing executive with chronic asthma who wants to join an environmental campaign.

· A visually impaired accountant who wants to volunteer as they have been advised it will support their career progression.

· A deaf student who volunteers at a charity shop because they are interested in vintage fashion.

For organisations that want to involve more Disabled volunteers, and therefore benefit from more perspectives and lived experiences, here are some top tips you might find helpful: · Learn about the social model of disability and challenge your thinking about people’s potential. · Take care that you use accepted, up-to-date language. See best practice guides.

· Look carefully at the required skills and experiences for your volunteering roles – what is essential and what is a ‘nice to have’. For example, if you have an autistic volunteer who does not feel comfortable using the telephone, but would be excellent at other parts of the role, consider making adaptations.

· Consider having versions of your role descriptions in large print, audio recording, BSL interpretation and Easy Read form.

· Provide clear information for others to make decisions, rather than deciding for them. For example if your building has a step, do not say “not accessible to wheelchair users”, but rather “there is an 8cm step”. The volunteer can then decide for themselves and ask for an adjustment where possible.

· Allow volunteers to give their time from home if possible.

· Money is tight in the voluntary sector, we know. However, when making funding applications consider how you could ask for things that make your organisation, and therefore volunteering opportunities, more accessible and inclusive.

· Be willing to have an honest and open conversation about disability and the needs of your volunteers, but be guided by the individual.

· Accept that sometimes a volunteer’s impairment or health condition may mean things take longer or are done in differently. However, you may even find that someone’s adjustments or adaptations are better for everyone.

If you are a Disabled person who is interested in volunteering, our Volunteer Services would welcome hearing about your experiences and suggestions of how we can improve our service. Please do get in touch.

National Volunteers’ Week serves as a reminder that volunteering is for everyone, but let’s keep that thought front and centre all year round, and do what we can to make it happen.

Anna Denham – Programme Manager (Volunteering Barnet).

Today saw the official launch of the Kingston Volunteer Strategy, taking place this morning (Thursday 5 June 2025 at The Studio, Tolworth Recreation Centre). This exciting event is a key feature of our local National Volunteers’ Week 2025 and Communities Month celebrations.

Developed through two years of collaboration, the Kingston Volunteer Strategy—alongside its Four-Year Plan—sets out a shared vision for strengthening the volunteering experience across the borough. It represents the collective efforts of partners from the voluntary, community, faith and public sectors, all working together to recognise, support, and grow volunteering in Kingston.

At the launch, we heard directly from volunteers about their journeys, as well as from key leaders shaping the Strategy. Speakers included Cllr Andreas Kirsch, Leader of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council, Sarah Ireland, Chief Executive, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council, Sanja D Kane, Chief Executive, Kingston Voluntary Action and myself, Sarah Whitby, Community and Environmental Services Operations Manager, Groundwork London.

Copies of the full Strategy, the abridged Strategy and the Four-Year Plan 2025-29 can be found here: Kingston Volunteer Strategy.

The collaborative effort to create the Kingston Volunteering Strategy has generated a sense of ambition to grow, nurture and support volunteering. Respect for and contribution to local communities is now wider, it is more action-orientated and has more traction than previously. We look forward to 2029 and this Strategy cementing that sense of ambition.

Sarah Whitby. Communities Operations Manager, Groundwork London (for Volunteering Kingston).