National Volunteer Week offers a chance to say thank you to amazing volunteers

National Volunteer Week, held Monday 16 through Sunday 22 May, offers an opportunity for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to say thank you and recognise the efforts of parents and other community volunteers who support them to educate and care for children attending ECEC. 

The Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers, recognising those who help with reading, chaperone excursions, provide their time for working bees and contribute in a variety of ways to supporting children. 

Some ways in which services can participate in National Volunteer Week include: 

• Participating in local recognition events, like the National Volunteer Week parade which will be held in Adelaide on Monday 16 May
• Host a morning tea for volunteers
• Download and present a certificate of recognition 
• Nominate volunteers for broader awards which are relevant to your local or state area
• Give a small gift. In South Australia volunteers can be acknowledged with a small gift of appreciation from the Department of Education. Water bottles, keep-cups or stationery kits are available free to schools, preschools and centres to pass on to their volunteers. Contact [email protected] for more details.
• Protect their wellbeing and mental health 

Volunteer communities are diverse, and include parents, extended family members, caregivers and people from the community who share their life skills, expertise, knowledge and diversity to ECEC settings.

For more information on how to celebrate National Volunteer Week please see here.