International Volunteer Day is a time to mark the incredible achievements and contributions of volunteers across the world, to celebrate their power and collective efforts towards meeting the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals. Every day, over one billion people are taking action and volunteering.
When disaster strikes, volunteers are the first to respond. Embedded in communities, they can help reach those who are excluded and build bridges to government services. Volunteering is often the first step towards active citizenship. It supports people to become agents of change in their own communities- whether that’s demanding better access to health care, or education services, or taking action against the climate crisis.
Across VSO’s programmes, our community, national and international volunteers are working together in communities to improve access to services, help children receive better quality education, and improve their livelihoods. On International Volunteer Day we want to celebrate their efforts. We hope that you will join us in marking these incredible achievements.
Hear from our volunteers this IVD
Reflections of 30 years: My time as a teacher trainer in Nepal 1985
Meet Anna Robinson a British volunteer who volunteered as a VSO teacher trainer in Nepal in 1985. 30 years on from first arriving on placement, Anna has returned to Nepal. In this blog Anna shared her highlights and learnings from her experience.
Video blog: In conversation with two education volunteers in Rwanda
Melba from Colombia and Claude from Rwanda are two very different education specialists with one thing in common, they both volunteered with VSO in Rwanda. We brought these two volunteers together to share their reflections on what it was like to volunteer with VSO. Watch the videos now.
Meet the 2024 Volunteer Impact Award winners
Our annual Volunteer Impact Awards celebrates the incredible impact made by VSO volunteers across the world. Learn more about our four 2024 winners.
Our volunteers give their top tips for aspiring volunteers
From local volunteering to global development projects, everyone has the power to make a difference. Hear from VSO volunteers across the globe as they give their top tips on how to make your volunteering experience impactful and enjoyable.
Find out your volunteer type with our International Volunteer Day quiz!
From peacebuilders to climate champions, everyone has the power to make an impact. Take our fun interactive quiz to find out which kind of volunteer you are.
Join us in celebrating VSO volunteers
Join us on Friday 6 December 10:00-11:15 (GMT) when we'll get to honour the inspirational work of VSO volunteers from different corners of the globe.
From improving educational outcomes for adolescent girls in Mozambique, to setting up early learning centres for Afghan refugee children in Pakistan, to equipping young job seekers with marketable skills essential to enter the blue economy, or sustainable livelihoods sector - the awards celebrate the work of VSO volunteers in improving the lives of the most marginalised people in society.
Share your actions with us using the hashtag #WeVolunteerFor
You can take part in our celebration of International Volunteer Day. Share your own volunteering experience on Instagram, X (Twitter) or LinkedIn with the hashtag #WeVolunteerFor, and your story will be shown alongside all others on the wall below.
We're celebrating 20 years of volunteer collaboration with Randstad!
Through volunteering, Randstad staff have had the unique chance to participate in VSO projects, offering their expertise in human resources, business development, private sector engagement, and communication/media. Over time, this has evolved into a deeper collaboration, with VSO and Randstad co-creating initiatives that strengthened their ability to support marginalised communities together. These efforts have helped truly transform women's and youth's lives by improving access to the labour market.
To commemorate this milestone, we’ve published a special anniversary magazine filled with inspiring stories from volunteers, highlighting the impact of this partnership on communities and the volunteers themselves.