Launch of #ShoutVolunteering campaign – 7 easy things everyone can do

I am pleased to report that the #ShoutVolunteering campaign is now officially launched!

There is a website (www.shoutvolunteering.com), social media images, other resources and even a t-shirt (see above).

#ShoutVolunteering is a campaign that EVERYONE can join in, individuals, organisations and businesses.

The website has the full details but in summary it is an ongoing campaign that has 7 quick and easy things you can do to shout about volunteering:

#1 Talk about volunteering
Millions of people volunteer in the UK each year but yet we hear very little about it in everyday conversation. Through the simple act of talking about our volunteering we will raise awareness and importance of volunteering.

#2 Engage on social media
Volunteering does not have the marketing budgets of global companies so to help raise its profile the #shoutvolunteering ask to you is to make a deliberate, increased effort to engage with volunteering related posts on social media.

#3 Suggest volunteering to others
This ask is NOT about persuading others to volunteer as any volunteering must be done voluntarily through a person’s free choice. However, just by asking them to consider volunteering may plant a seed for them to decide later they want to do it.

#4 Remind decision-makers of key messages
Wherever you are communicating with decision makers, for example in a meeting or by email, remember these key messages as it must not be assumed everyone is aware:
– Volunteering is not a nice to have but an essential part of how our society functions
– Volunteering is not free
– Volunteering does not just happen by itself
– Volunteering must be voluntary, a free choice by the person carrying it out
– Volunteering has a multiplier effect, meaning that changes to the overall level of volunteering lead to a much more significant change for society and the economy
– Volunteering is not just about charities, it is the social infrastructure of communities.

#5 Use your platform to #ShoutVolunteering
This ask is aimed at those who have a platform/audience to adopt #ShoutVolunteering as part of their work: Businesses, Celebrities, Influencers, Content creators, Mayors and High Sheriffs.

#6 Use the hashtag #ShoutVolunteering
Simply use the hashtag #ShoutVolunteering when you are carrying out any of your #ShoutVolunteering tasks. As this is an unfunded campaign, using #ShoutVolunteering helps create a movement, bringing together and, importantly, promoting the disparate posts and content about volunteering. It will encourage others to join in and participate.

#7 – Explain why we need to #ShoutVolunteering
Volunteering is seen as a positive thing to do but often treated as a ‘nice to have’ as it were the icing on the cake of society, but the reality is that it is a key ingredient of the cake itself. Volunteering is an essential part of how our society functions but in almost every sphere volunteering is undervalued and under-appreciated. Checkout the website to see the list of many reasons why we need to #ShoutVolunteering.

JOIN IN

#ShoutVolunteering is an ongoing campaign, so not time limited meaning you can engage with it whenever suits. It’s an unfunded campaign so reliant on people power to participate and hopefully appears as a neutral independent campaign that is not particularly affiliated to a certain organisation. 

It only just been officially ‘launched’ but if it’s successful it will be a slow growing thing and hopefully you will see more about it in the coming weeks/months.

Also, I hope if you are reading this you will also be someone who is happy and proud to #ShoutVolunteering