According to new research from the Royal Voluntary Service, seventy per cent of students are looking to do volunteer work this summer: welcome news for volunteer managers and coordinators who have seen numbers fluctuate during the coronavirus pandemic.

We've gathered the latest news highlighting equalities groups, both inside and outside the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. This includes the National Trust's Pride celebrations, autism charities offering a toolkit for employers, and a new report on racism in the aid sector.

A new report from the Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG) has revealed that 40% of heritage organisations have no volunteering strategy, despite 45% of heritage organisations relying on volunteers to help with critical work, and 70% saying they could not function without volunteers. This suggests a huge gap between the need for volunteers and these organisations’ overall planning and sustainability.

It’s been a brilliant start to the summer for many of our members, as they’ve stopped to reflect on their achievements and the hard work of their volunteers. Find out what they’ve been up to, and how you can support them.

This Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), Voscur has joined forces with Bristol City Council and Can Do Bristol to thank the city’s COVID-19 pandemic volunteers, from those who’ve done odd jobs or tasks for neighbours, to those who formally volunteer with a local organisation.

We want you to get involved both online and offline, thanking the people and organisations that have made a difference in your community during these testing times. Here’s how…

Following an initial update from the Office for Civil Society in early November, the government has issued new and detailed guidance on safe and effective volunteering in England during the coronavirus pandemic.