Volunteers Week 2026: Celebrating Digital Inclusion volunteers

Volunteers Week

Volunteers Week was launched in 1984 by a coalition of volunteering based organisations, with the aim of providing a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts. With around 14.2 million people in the UK formally volunteering at least once a month, everyone who dedicates their time deserves recognition.

The benefits of volunteering

Volunteering can bring a sense of community, achievement, and wellbeing, forming a vital part of a thriving society.

NCVO research tells us that volunteers report positive impacts on their lives such as enjoyment (89% of those polled), making a difference (for 89%), a sense of achievement (for 88%), and increased social connection (for 87%).

Digital Champions

Many of the hubs in the National Digital Inclusion Network are supported by volunteers, ranging from administrative support, befrienders, running events and more.

A type of volunteer close to our heart, here at Good Things Foundation, is the role of Digital Champion. Digital Champions support people to be able to engage with the digital world - whether that’s through teaching digital skills courses, holding drop-in tech help sessions, or providing one-to-one support to people new to digital.

Volunteering as a Digital Champion is a great way to increase digital inclusion and help people access essential services: Housing, employment, benefits, immigration services and so on. With these services moving increasingly online, our aim to support people to become healthier, happier and better off can only be achieved with the help of Digital Champion volunteers across the UK. 

One way that Good Things supports volunteers is through providing quarterly training specifically for Digital Champions. The idea is not to dictate what to do in every situation, as we know that volunteers will know their learners and the situation much better than we could. However we can provide an approach to delivering digital skills that emphasises patience, empathy, and building confidence. 

Tools for volunteers

Guides for Learn My Way

Whatever your style of delivering digital skills support, we have guides to help you deliver effective support using our free online learning platform, Learn My Way.

With these guides, you'll have everything you need to boost engagement and create a more inclusive digital learning experience for your community. Each guide also includes signposting to additional resources to help you expand your support and learning offer.

Guides for the AI Gateway

AI is becoming more and more relevant to those learning digital skills as it becomes embedded in so many areas of the digital world. Help your learners gain a better understanding of AI and the confidence to see it as a helpful tool they can control with the AI Gateway - a free learning platform on responsible AI skills and literacy.

Want to start volunteering but not sure where to look?

We have collated some resources to help you start your volunteering journey.

• NCVO: I want to start volunteering
• National Careers Service: Volunteering advice
• Good Things Foundation: Could you be a Digital Champion?