{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"As Trustees\u2019 Week gets underway, and we head towards the end of year, now\u2019s a great moment to thank our volunteers. Let\u2019s thank them for their astonishing contribution.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6490/fdl-homepage.jpg","width":1268,"height":664,"altText":"The Scouts Fleur in purple","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThank you. Two words that say so much. And if there\u2019s ever a time to say them, then 2021 is it. Our volunteers have really gone through the mill this year, they started the year delivering Zoom sessions and have ended it navigating the safe return to face to face meetings, contributing to a resurgence for Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe never take our volunteers for granted. They\u2019re the heavy-duty batteries that power our movement and help our young people shine bright. They inspire our members, and, let\u2019s not forget, they\u2019re ambassadors for Scouts in local communities too. But just like batteries, volunteers need topping up - with motivation, support and also periods where they can rest and recharge,\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re reading this, then the chances are that you are one of the very hard working volunteers we\u2019re talking about (in which case thank you). However, you may also be a volunteer manager wondering about the best way to recognise someone locally who\u2019s really gone above and beyond. In which case, you\u2019ve come to the right place. We hope to give you some great ideas to say thank you in way that\u2019s meaningful, sincere and timely.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we come towards the end of the year, this is a moment for us to recognise the incredible efforts and positive impact of every one of our volunteers.\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 you can make one of these special awards. There\u2019s no 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 \u003Ca href=\u0022https://scoutsbrand.org.uk/home\u0022\u003E\u003Cu\u003Ebrand centre\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/a\u003E, 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 or arrange for one to be printed.\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 \u2018\u003Cu\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://scoutsbrand.org.uk/catalogue/item/general-certificate\u0022\u003EGeneral Certificate\u003C/a\u003E\u2019\u003C/u\u003E and the \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https://scoutsbrand.org.uk/catalogue/item/bear-grylls-certificate\u0022\u003E\u003Cu\u003EBear Grylls Certificate\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/a\u003E.\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\u003EThink carefully about the person you have in mind. Not everyone is happy in the limelight, while others love a bit of public recognition. If you\u2019re a volunteer manager, why not arrange to visit a group and thank the volunteer in front of the young people and fellow volunteers? This will need careful planning, and of course you\u2019ll need to follow the safety guidance for meeting face to face.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThinking more widely, local media is always on the lookout for good news stories. Why not contact a journalist (or ask your local communications volunteer to do this, if you have one) and explain why a volunteer has made such a positive difference.\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 a general thank you, but being specific about their special contribution. This will really show that you have taken the time to notice their unique talents, which makes the thank you so much more meaningful.\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 well-deserved break? Do you know someone who could step in and run a meeting one week? We all love Scouts, but we like our free time too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00226\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENominate someone for a special thank you from their Country Commissioners \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur Nation teams have been busy hatching a plan to help you thank volunteers. If you would like to nominate a volunteer to receive a special, written thank you from their Country Commissioner, then \u003Ca href=\u0022https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/913768280af74ad089ab87e80c12ef5d\u0022\u003Eplease fill in this form\u003C/a\u003E. We\u2019ll do the rest.\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\u003ELet\u2019s also 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 and we should accept that.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo matter what you do in Scouts (and of course many of you have more than role) we never take it for granted. The difference you make, keeping groups going, supporting families and helping young people gain skills is incredible. Sometimes words aren\u2019t enough (which is why actions speak louder). But that shouldn\u2019t stop us saying these two again:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThank you. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"03 November 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":50383,"nodeName":"Saying thank you (and really meaning it)","title":"Saying thank you (and really meaning it)","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/6490/fdl-homepage.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd0c842420","caption":"FDL Homepage","type":"jpg","size":93039,"width":1268,"height":664,"altText":"The Scouts Fleur in purple"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Saying thank you (and really meaning it)","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDM4MyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/november/saying-thank-you-and-really-meaning-it/"}