Almost 20 million UK adults got involved in some form of volunteering in the last 12 months.
The impact that volunteers have on our society is truly incredible.
And in 2020, Rotary is bringing to life an event that will inspire a whole set of new volunteers to get involved and invigorate existing volunteers with a programme full of things to learn, see and do.
The event will be taking place May 1st-3rd, 2020 at the NEC in Birmingham.
Amanda Watkin, General Secretary of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, explained the decision to launch the new event.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing Volunteer Expo to life in 2020.
“We know that volunteering plays a huge part in our society and transforms the lives of millions of people around the country every single year.
“For Rotary, this is an exciting progression away from our previous annual conference format into a large-scale Expo, inviting the public and the charity sector to engage with our organisation in a way they’ve never done before.”
For Rotary, this is an exciting progression away from our previous annual conference format into a large-scale Expo.”
Amanda continued: “For charities and community-interest groups, this event provides a fabulous opportunity to recruit volunteers, share their story and promote the vital work they’re doing. We would encourage them to visit our website and take a look at our exhibition packages.
“Rotary members are some of the most passionate volunteers around, and of course we’re excited to welcome them along too.”
The event will include over 100 fascinating exhibitors, leading speakers sessions, intimate seminar workshops and opportunities take part in interactive onsite volunteering activities.
As part of the event, Rotary has partnered with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), who will join Volunteer Expo as the event’s official charity partner.
.@RotaryGBI are launching @VolunteerExpoUK, the first event of its kind in the UK, to harness the power of volunteering on 1st-3rd May 2020.
Learn more: https://t.co/LzJtSlGaGa#VolunteersWeek
— NCVO (@NCVO) June 7, 2019
Both Rotary and NCVO have each been at the heart of promoting voluntary social action for over 100 years and this partnership comes on the back of two significant pieces of research from each organisation this year.
Rotary’s annual State of the Nation report recently found that almost half of Britons admitted feeling lonely, with television, social media and even smart speakers providing ‘superficial’ alternatives to face-to-face interaction.
NCVO’s ‘Time Well Spent’ report found that nine in 10 volunteers said they had met new people through volunteering and nearly eight in 10 said it had improved their mental health and well-being.
Rotary and NCVO have each been at the heart of promoting voluntary social action for over 100 years and this partnership comes on the back of two significant pieces of research from each organisation this year.”
Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO, said: “It’s a real honour to be partnering with Rotary Great Britain and Ireland and to be a part of Volunteer Expo.
“Rotary is a tremendous force for good in helping people connect with their communities and empowering them to make a difference.
We look forward to supporting the event to further increase the impact volunteering has in our communities.”
For more information, visit the Volunteer Expo website.
