E-Portal Blog Series: Say thank you!

Two words, not complicated – if I can give one tip to anyone in the voluntary sector working alongside volunteers it is to remember to say thank you.

Voluntary sector organisations come in all shapes and sizes some have paid volunteer managers some don’t, some have budget to pay expenses some don’t, some can hold volunteer recognition events, some can’t

But they can all say thank you.

Over the years I have spoken with many many people who volunteer and I have heard – they didn’t even say thank you as a common complaint. We all recognise that VCS organisations are busy, often stretched capacity and increased demand and within that environment it is easy to take the help given by a volunteer for granted. But volunteer retention is important and volunteers who feel valued and appreciated stay and they bring in others.

Volunteers are people and they can be friends and mentors when I started in the voluntary sector in my twenties we had office volunteers coming into support and help the charity. Twenty years on I am still in touch with some of those volunteers

even though they have long since stopped volunteering and moved away – they attended my wedding, I took my newborn to meet them, we exchange recipes and stay in touch. The reach of their volunteering has been so much more than their inital contribution to the charity, they stayed because of the personal relationships as well as the tasks we were doing together.

Saying thank you is the simplest way to recognise contributions but there are many others – remembering birthdays or their volunteering anniversaries, organising social events, featuring their stories in newsletters or simply making a cup of tea and having an informal check in and chat.

I started out this blog talking about how volunteers are a strategic asset, but I want to end with the simple message. Relationships are the real power in our sector. While a heartfelt ‘thank you’ is the foundation of that relationship, there are endless ways to make sure your volunteers feel truly seen and valued. If you are looking for inspiration or practical ideas on how to celebrate your team, from formal recognition to those small, everyday gestures, I recommend checking out NCVO’s guide on thanking volunteers. It’s a great resource to help you turn that gratitude into a culture that keeps your volunteers staying longer and smiling wider.