{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"With Volunteers\u2019 Week just around the corner (1\u20137 June), our UK Commissioner for People, Amir Cheema, talks about why now\u2019s a great time to think differently about how we recognise those in Scouts who are going above and beyond","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6764/certs.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThe world has changed. But one thing\u2019s stayed the same \u2013 the outstanding generosity of our volunteers. You\u2019ve proved time and again just how dedicated you are, even in these toughest of times. Seeing the countless stories of our volunteers going the extra mile appearing across social media inspires me every day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ll remember that the first week of June is Volunteers\u2019 Week. It\u2019s a time when we traditionally say thank you to the 160,000 adults who make Scouts possible. This year, it\u2019s going to feel a little different. It\u2019s not a time to celebrate, and it\u2019s probably not the right moment for cake and balloons. But it definitely is a moment for us to recognise the incredible efforts and positive impact our volunteers are making on the lives of young people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy recognition matters \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not easy to keep twenty Cub Scouts engaged and entertained on a Zoom call. It\u2019s not something any of us were trained for and so many of us are simply doing the best we can. But that\u2019s totally in the spirit of Scouts. In my experience, having a go at something with enough enthusiasm and kindness usually means it\u2019ll succeed in the end. That kind of response deserves a really meaningful thank you.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m sure many of you saw the BBC One Show special on Sue Flynn, a Beaver Scout Leader who\u2019s worked for the NHS for 40 years and volunteered for Scouts even longer than that. She\u2019s been juggling her responsibilities as a key worker, while still delivering meetings to young people online. Truly inspirational \u2013 but I know Sue is just one of many going the extra mile. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Scouts, we never take our volunteers\u2019 generosity for granted. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important we think about how we can reward and recognise our volunteers. Because we can\u2019t meet face to face, this requires a bit more thought than usual. Here are some ideas for you to think about:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommissioners\u2019 Commendation Award \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re a District Commissioner or County Commissioner, then it\u2019s in your ability to give one of these special awards. These are for a volunteer in your area who\u2019s truly shone. You don\u2019t need to wait for any special time of the year and there\u2019s no limit on the number you can give out. Log in to the brand centre, search for \u2018commendation\u2019, then follow the on-screen instructions. You\u2019ll be able to personalise the certificate and create a PDF to send on.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECertificates for all \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe have two other special certificates that can be personalised by any volunteer: the \u2018General Certificate\u2019 and the \u2018Bear Grylls Certificate.\u2019 Both of these are available on the brand centre for you to adapt and send to a fellow volunteer. Don\u2019t forget to tell them why they deserve it!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00223\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA public thank you \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the start of Volunteers\u2019 Week, we\u2019ll be sharing a special thank you post on our social media channels. Why not share this with your own friends, tagging in and thanking those volunteers you feel deserve a special shout out? Is there a way to join an online meeting and thank a volunteer with all the young people on the call too? Think carefully about what would work for the person you have in mind.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now especially, local media is on the lookout for good news stories. Why not contact a journalist and explain why a volunteer (or team of volunteers) have made such a positive impact on the local community?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00224\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA private thank you \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJust as special can be a personal note to a volunteer, not just saying thank you, but explaining the difference they\u2019ve made. For example, if you know a volunteer who\u2019s been running virtual meetings, you might want to mention how this has provided such valuable continuity, connection and support for young people whose education has been disrupted. This could be in the form of a written note or video call.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00225\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESome time out \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you know a volunteer who\u2019s been going flat-out to keep Scouts running, is there a way to give them a break? Do you know someone who could step in and run a meeting one week (or join your weekly session with another group) to give them a well-deserved rest? We all love Scouts, but we like our free time too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00226\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESend something in the post\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother way to thank someone could be by ordering a meal online (pizza\u2019s always a winner) and getting it delivered to their home \u2013 or another small token of thanks. We all love presents, don\u2019t we?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00227\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOrganise a volunteer and parent/carer-only social online\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConsider running an online thank you session for your volunteers and parents. Invite some friends and families along to recognise our volunteers\u2019 contribution. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime to start planning \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m sure you\u2019ll have more great ideas, but the important thing is that we all do something. Let\u2019s respect the rules around social distancing and keep each safe while still doing something meaningful.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s important to remember that everyone\u2019s life circumstances are different, and volunteers are able to give differently at different times and in different ways. That\u2019s OK. It\u2019s also OK to continue to be safe and look after yourself, your loved ones and work, before even thinking about Scouts and volunteering.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we look back on all this, I know we\u2019ll be so proud of the way you\u2019ve lived your Scout values and supported our young people. So, I\u2019d just like to finish with a thank you from me. We\u2019re so lucky to have you.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"22 May 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48509,"nodeName":"Why saying \u2018thank you\u2019 is more important now than ever","title":"Why saying \u2018thank you\u2019 is more important now than ever","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/6764/certs.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd0ded5110","caption":"Certs","type":"jpg","size":547413,"width":1920,"height":1080,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Why saying \u2018thank you\u2019 is more important now than ever","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODUwOSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/may/why-saying-thank-you-is-more-important-now-than-ever/"}