Aberdeen celebrates Volunteers’ Week

02 June 2020

Volunteers’ Week is being celebrated this week (Mon 01 – Sun 07 June 2020) providing the ideal opportunity to acknowledge and thank the thousands of volunteers for the contribution they make to community life all year round in Aberdeen.

Figures from ACVO (Third Sector Interface for Aberdeen) reveal that there are 70,500 people in the city who volunteer every year, which equates to 4.4m hours of volunteering. It is estimated that the economic impact of volunteering to Aberdeen is £67.3m per year.

This year’s week-long event also offers a chance to recognise and thank staff across Aberdeen City Council and partner organisations including the Third Sector, who volunteered and have been deployed to support the city’s efforts during the pandemic.

Aberdeen has a proud tradition of volunteering, which has been borne out with 7,000 volunteers currently assisting community responses to the pandemic.

Many charities, community groups and groups of volunteers are helping those in desperate need as a result of Covid-19 by working in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, partner organisations and the Third Sector to ensure that those in need of support in these unprecedented times are getting the help they need.

5,720 food parcels were distributed by charity CFINE and partners during April – with more than 100 volunteers contributing over 3,000 hours to help combat hunger.

The North East Rider Volunteers Scotland (NERVS) have travelled 4,360 miles between January-April and completed 403 jobs delivering medical equipment, essential items to disadvantaged families and transporting nursing staff to and from NHS facilities.

More than 1,500 Aberdeen City Council staff volunteered to be part of the city’s response to Covid-19. This has included supporting the Covid-19 crisis line around the clock. Since its launch on 24 March a total of 14,481 calls have been made to the crisis line.

There have been 5,100 calls to shielded people ensuring they have all the support they need, which has led to over 700 shielded people being supported with 70 staff redeployed from all the sectors to support this piece of work – Third Sector, Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership and Aberdeen City Council.

Aberdeen City Co-Leader Councillor Jenny Laing said: “We are very fortunate in Aberdeen to have so many dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to help and support those in need. The fantastic work done by the thousands of volunteers in the city every year has never been more evident than now as we face Covid-19.

“The selflessness shown by volunteers from so many different charities and the wonderful efforts by Aberdeen City Council staff working in partnership with the Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian to meet the challenges of Covid-19 has been a ray of light in what has been a very dark time for many. I would like to thank each, and every one of them for their outstanding efforts in ensuring the people of Aberdeen get the support they need.”

To show your support to the thousands of volunteers in Aberdeen and the thousands of public service staff who have volunteered to support the city’s response to Covid-19 please follow Aberdeen City Council (@AberdeenCC) on Facebook and Twitter for a week highlighting great examples of local heroes.

To share information about the work taking place in your community or if you would like to nominate a local hero please email comms@aberdeencity.gov.uk or tag your hero on social media using #abdnhero #VolunteersWeekScot #VolunteersWeek2020ABZ

Alternatively, download a colouring #abdnhero rainbow from the Aberdeen Together section on the council’s website and display your hero’s name in your window.

There are currently 492 volunteering opportunities available online at ACVO’s www.volunteeraberdeen.org.uk