‘Why I volunteer’ – How to get Involved…

Are you a local community group with volunteers helping you make a difference? If so, then we’d love you to get involved in the upcoming ‘Why I volunteer’ campaign.

The New Year is a time when many people are searching for new ways to get involved and give back to their communities – and so we think there’s no better opportunity than now for this new campaign that aims to shine a spotlight on the incredible work you and your fellow volunteers do.

What is the ‘Why I volunteer’ campaign?
The ‘Why I volunteer’ campaign is a new initiative we’re supporting that’s being launched by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Using short videos, it will tell real people’s stories about why they volunteer, what they do and how it has changed their lives. The aim is to celebrate groups’ and individiuals’ achievements and inspire others to get involved too by showing a variety of people at different ages and stages of life who all find time to give back – and encouraging them to think about how they could too. The videos will show people that others like them are volunteering and inspire them to join in by taking up a role that best suits their skills, interests and availability.

The videos will be used in digital communications, including on social media and in e-newsletters, to highlight the value of volunteering and celebrate the local people who make such an important contribution to the area. An example of how this could look is below:

We would love you to get involved and please also share this email with anyone else you know who might like to take part too.

How can my group and volunteers get involved?
Once you’ve got a willing volunteer ready to record, get in touch with the council’s communications and marketing team to tell them about your group and let them know you’d like to be involved – communications@basingstoke.gov.uk

They will then come back to you with more information about the campaign and, if you are ready to go ahead, some tips and guidelines for recording your short video clips. They’ll also explain how to send your clips in once you’re done recording.

The council’s team will edit the clips into a short video, send that to you to check you are happy with it, and then look to publish it online and on social media – tagging you in on social media, if you’d like them to.

Where can I find out more?
You can get in touch with the council’s communications and marketing team directly to find out more.