Volunteers’ Week 2024 with AVOW

Guest article by AVOW

Volunteers’ Week is a chance to celebrate volunteers and volunteering throughout the nation, and specifically here in Wrexham.

Every year, AVOW holds a celebration of volunteers and volunteering, celebrating those who work tirelessly for the good of their communities.

Roughly 30% of the people in Wales are volunteers, with most volunteers giving 5 hours or more every week to making Wrexham a better place to live. It is likely that most of us have encountered someone volunteering or know of someone who volunteers.

They run play groups, sports teams, uniformed organisations, and support groups. They visit the lost and the lonely. The improve the mental health of their communities. Not to forget the volunteers who are doing the admin tasks, getting grants, taking money to the bank. We may not realise it, but without them a large proportion of events and opportunities happening in Wrexham would simply disappear.

This year is the 40th anniversary of volunteer week and AVOW is looking to do something special to mark the occasion.

During Volunteers Week AVOW will be hosting two events. An evening event for youth volunteers (under 25) and youth volunteering, and a daytime event. We will be inviting a selection of volunteers, along with their organization, to this event. Each one will be celebrated with their very own certificate to mark just how important volunteers are.

This year, we are also launching three special awards…

AVOW Volunteer Superstar Award to be awarded to an individual volunteer whose commitment to voluntary work within the county has contributed to and enhanced the wellbeing of their community.
The AVOW Young Person Volunteer Superstar Award to be awarded to an individual volunteer whose commitment to voluntary work within the county has inspired others.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week, there is also the AVOW Special Award: 40+ Years Volunteering Superstar award. This award will be open to all those who have done 40 years volunteering or more!

We are asking individuals and organisations to nominate volunteers for these awards. The nominations will then be sorted by an independent panel of judges, and AVOW will contact the finalists.

Nominations close on midnight on the 12th of May, 2024.

So get your nominations in now! To nominate, simply visit our website, where you can find all the information, and handy tips on how to make the best nomination.

To make this year really special, AVOW are also reaching out to councillors, artists, musicians, writers and actors both local and international to record a short video for us thanking all the volunteers of Wrexham for all their hard work.

Our medial volunteers are busy messaging managers and social media accounts, but you don’t have to wait to be invited. Just record a simple selfie-video saying something like ‘“Hello I am [Your Name Here], I want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers in Wrexham for all their hard work this year, and every year”, and send it over to media@avow.org

Or reach out to us if you need help recording the video, or want more information.

Volunteers make an incredible difference to the lives of individuals throughout Wrexham County, and by extension to our community. From litter-pickers to carers, from artists to accountants. They give our community so much – Volunteers’ Week is our chance say thank you.