Wessex Community Action is the council for voluntary services in Wiltshire and provides practical support for community organisations on funding, governance, planning, policy development, recruiting and leadership. This monthly volunteering column looks at all aspects of volunteering and how people can give up their time for the benefit of their communities.

In just a few weeks celebrations will be under way to mark the 40th Volunteers’ Week – an annual chance to recognise and thank those who give up their time to support their communities.

The week, from June 3 to 9, allows voluntary organisations to throw open their doors (metaphorically as well as literally) and showcase their work through open days and celebration events both online and in person. It’s an opportunity for anyone who has thought about volunteering but never quite got round to it or for those who labour under the misapprehension they don’t have anything to offer, or their lifestyle won’t fit around it, to have those myths busted.

This year the week culminates in The Big Help Out on June 7, 8 and 9, where people will be encouraged to sign up for taster days with charities and voluntary groups to discover the truth about volunteering and its benefits, not just for society but for them as well.

Groups can learn how to take part at volunteersweek.org where they can find out about running a taster day, supporting and managing volunteers, using social media and launching a volunteer project as well as register for email updates. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the same site to find out how to go about it and get useful advice on what to expect.

Wessex Community Action (WCA) will be supporting Volunteers’ Week and The Big Help Out through the Volunteering in Wiltshire page on its Wiltshire Together platform, a free online portal that allows users to browse and pledge interest in opportunities listed by charitable organisations across the county. The page is full of information, ideas and contacts.

Volunteer and Community Development Worker Sarah Pickering said: “Volunteers’ Week is primarily a chance to celebrate and thank our amazing volunteers, it’s also a great opportunity to give volunteering a try without commitment.”

WCA supports voluntary organisations with welcoming and integrating new volunteers into roles, particularly when there are barriers around equity and inclusion. It’s a subject that is often discussed at its popular Volunteer Managers’ Forum.

Sarah said: “Our next forum meeting is on May 15 at Hazel Hill Wood near Salisbury where we will be discussing how groups can support people who face barriers to volunteering, such as disability, and working to create good practice that make volunteering accessible and welcoming for everyone. “We want everyone, especially those who have disabilities, to experience the benefits of increasing their wellbeing and gaining a sense of purpose through volunteering.”

Jo Kitching is CEO of homeless charity Doorway in Chippenham and has a number of volunteers with hidden disabilities. She feels it is important to accommodate their needs because of the value they bring. “It's not just that they give value to the job, it's that they give value to the experience for us,” she said. “So it's really important that we understand what life is like for people who have any kind of disability.

“We have volunteers who've experienced trauma and they will be triggered by certain things so we're very open with them about that. And we have people who are coming out of breakdowns and serious depression and we have quite open conversations about what the signs might be for them.

“It's really important for us that we do have volunteers of all flavours because the people that we support are of all flavours.”

To find out more about the volunteering support WCA can offer contact Sarah at volunteerdev@wessexcommunityaction.org.uk. Find out more about Volunteers’ Week and The Big Help Out in Wiltshire on Wiltshire Together’s Volunteering in Wiltshire page at wiltshiretogether.org.uk/wiltshire-volunteering.