03 Jun Volunteers’ Week 2026

Volunteers contribute vital aid to many groups, organisations and events, including the English Riviera Airshow, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary

Welcome to Volunteers’ Week. A time to celebrate, heap praise and give thanks.

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes and bring with them an incredible range of skills and knowledge. Some do a lot, some do a little, and some dedicate their lives to it. All are invaluable.

This week (1^st-7^th of June), we take time out to recognise the efforts of those who give up their time and contribute their skills to organisations and events across the country.

The world would be a much poorer place without volunteers, and as we have written so many times before in this column, many groups would not exist, and events would simply not take place.

There is an incalculable monetary value of volunteering in Torbay, although at a national level someone has tried to put figures to it, and they are truly mind-boggling.

The organisers of Volunteers’ Week reckon that 14.2 million people in the UK have formally volunteered at least once a month and 25 million people in the UK volunteered informally at least once in the year.

All that means that volunteering added £4.6 billion to the UK economy in 2024. Let me write that again…£4.6 BILLION!

Launched in 1984, Volunteers’ Week has been running for more than 40 years, providing a platform for organisations and communities to thank past and current volunteers for their priceless efforts.

This column is a very small part of that. I wish we could do more than a few words, because you all deserve more. But that, as we all know, is not how it works. If only.

We do what we can, when we can and are proud to be hosts of the Community Champion Awards each year (watch this space for details of the 2026 event coming up in October) and we regularly host receptions for our volunteers.

We also promote their efforts on Torbay Radio (107.9 FM, on your smart speaker, on the internet, or on DAB) each Tuesday morning between 9 am and 11 am on the Community Champions show, a showcase for the amazing talent being utilised by charities, groups, and organisations across Torbay.

Olivia from Nightstop joined David in the Torbay Radio studio to share more details about this vital service for young people in the Bay

Last week, Olivia Downes came onto the show to chat about the fabulous work taking place at NightStop, a YMCA South Devon project that helps prevent homelessness among young people aged 18-25 years old.

Young people stay with volunteer hosts who provide them with their own room, evening meal and breakfast, washing facilities, clothes wash, and someone to talk to or a quiet place to have some headspace whilst alternative housing arrangements are made.

It is a fabulous project, but one that needs volunteer hosts to keep going, and all you need is a room, a big heart, a few listening skills and be able to provide a meal or two. If you are interested, contact YMCA South Devon on 01803 551578.

On a completely different note, yesterday we heard from Christopher Kerr, who is one of the people behind the ICF’s SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) World Cup and Paddle UK SUPER Festival, that is coming to the Riviera in three weeks, between Wednesday, June 24^th and Sunday, June 28^th.

It will be a milestone moment as it is the first time the International Canoe Federation has hosted a SUP World Cup event on this scale in the UK, a celebration of stand-up paddleboarding that brings together elite athletes, community paddlers and those wanting to try something new.

But it goes without saying that without volunteers, an event of that scale could not go ahead, and they are still on the lookout for more people to come forward. So if you fancy becoming a pontoon starter, a results runner, a timekeeper, or the like, then do get in touch via email at [email protected]. It is a great way to be at the heart of the action.

And finally, where would last weekend’s spectacular Riviera Airshow be without volunteers? In a word. Grounded. It has now been running for ten years, but it would not be deliverable without an army of volunteers. No Red Arrows, no Typhoons, no events village, no live music. Nothing.

So spare a thought today and all this week, and be thankful to the thousands of volunteers that enhance your life. You might not see them, but you can be sure they are. And thank goodness for each and every one of them.