The National Council for Voluntary Organisations will become Volunteer Expo’s official Charity Partner following a new partnership with event hosts, Rotary.
Volunteer Expo, created and led by Rotary, will connect 6,000 new and existing volunteers with 110 charities and community-interest groups to encourage greater involvement with volunteering and social action projects.
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 Brits admit to 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 9 in 10 volunteers said they had met new people through volunteering and nearly 8 in 10 said it had improved their mental health and wellbeing.
It’s a real honour to be partnering with Rotary Great Britain and Ireland and to be a part of Volunteer Expo”
Amanda Watkin, General Secretary of Rotary Great Britain and Ireland, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be brining 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.
“Volunteer Expo is really about giving charities and community-interest organisations the chance to connect with people who are looking for a way to give something back but don’t know where to start. Not only as an antidote to the growing epidemic of social isolation we’ve seen highlighted from our research, but to strengthen the sector as a whole.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with NCVO and welcoming them on board as Volunteer Expo’s official Charity Partner and encourage all NCVO members to join us at the event as exhibitors, visitors and as part of our exciting programme of workshops and seminars.”
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’re excited to be making our resources available for Rotary clubs and to be the official Charity Partner for Volunteer Expo. We look forward to supporting the event to further increase the impact volunteering has in our communities.”
As part of the partnership, over 1,200 Rotary clubs and groups in England will be eligible for free NCVO membership as part of an initial pilot programme, with access to advice and support on topics including fundraising and volunteering.
Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring?
If you’re interested in finding out more about opportunities to exhibit or sponsor Volunteer Expo, pop your details into the form below, and a member of the team will be in touch to help you out.
