'Plug longest gap with new Community Day bank holiday' say TUC and voluntary sector

As the country gets ready for the last bank holiday before Christmas - the longest gap without a public holiday in the year - the TUC and voluntary sector organisations have stepped up their campaign for a new Community Day holiday in October that will give people a break from work and celebrate the contribution community and voluntary groups make to the fabric of Britain.

The TUC, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Volunteering England, Community Service Volunteers and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action say that a new bank holiday should be used:

to encourage people to volunteer and get involved with community groups and activities - not just on the day, but on a continuing basis;
to provide an opportunity for community and voluntary groups to publicise their work and develop new activities to engage their communities;
to provide an opportunity for society as a whole to recognise the importance of the often unsung efforts of volunteers and community groups, and the role they play in promoting the diversity and variety which is such a great strength of the UK's civil society; and
to give an opportunity for voluntary groups to have days of action and local communities to hold gala days and other ways of increasing and celebrating community spirit.

The campaign is winning support around the country from both individual volunteers and the organisations that rely on voluntary activity, both large and small.

Cath Bavage, manager of Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets, said: 'Last year, over 29 per cent of the adult population participated in formal volunteering in Tower Hamlets, and more than half of all local residents have volunteered at some point in their lives. But that still leaves a large number of people who haven't yet taken the first step towards volunteering. A Community Day bank holiday could be just the thing that converts them. It would provide people with a chance to dip their toes into the water of volunteering, without having to make an ongoing commitment - a sort of 'try before you buy'. The combined energies and efforts of thousands of local people volunteering for one day could have a hugely beneficial impact on community cohesion, as well as helping to improve the physical environment in which we all live and work.
'And what's more, a day volunteering with your friends and neighbours could be so much more fun than the usual British bank holiday staples of traipsing around a DIY store, eating too much, or arguing with your relatives!'
Shape is a leading disability arts organisation which aims to improve access to the arts for deaf and disabled people whilst supporting deaf and disabled artists to challenge perceptions and promote Deaf and Disability Culture. Steve Mannix Chief Executive, Shape Arts, said: 'A dedicated Community Day would be fantastic for all those people associated with Shape. We already have over 150 dedicated volunteers and we would use this day to increase awareness about the brilliant work that they do and the exciting opportunities that exist, in Shape Tickets for disabled people and for others volunteers too.'
Jan Blackburn, Volunteer Development Manager at NCH,the leading children's charity, said: 'A Community Day bank holiday would make a huge difference to the children and young people who benefit from the support of volunteers at our centres across the UK. If every one of our thousands of existing volunteers had an extra day to give, children and young people could get more support from their mentors, local NCH playgroups would be able to provide more activities and our volunteer drivers could give more children a fun day out.
'There are many different types of volunteer roles at NCH which make a real difference to children's lives and an extra day's help would make a huge difference to the some of the most vulnerable and excluded children and young people and their families in the UK.'
Alison Kembery, aged 43 from Sunbury in Surrey, is a CSV full-time volunteer supporting people with severe learning disabilities at a residential home in Blakesley in the Northamptonshire countryside.
'I live with three residents and look after a 29-year-old woman who I help care from the moment she gets out of bed. The bank holiday is just like any other day to me. It's my choice to do this. I'm not forced to do it and I could leave at any time. I do it because I feel I'm doing something worthwhile and adding value to someone's life. I think the Community Day bank holiday sounds like a fabulous idea! If people had the choice of volunteering, they might say 'Yeah, let's give it a try!' which could encourage them to volunteer more regularly.'
Daniel Teasal (21) is volunteering as a support worker at a special needs school in Buckinghamshire, helping children with learning disabilities to lead more independent lives. He will be working this August bank holiday Monday on a normal 2.30-10pm shift.
Daniel said: 'I don't think I'm missing out by volunteering while other people relax. The bank holiday is like any other normal day to me. I think a Community Day bank holiday is a great idea, and a very good thing for everyone to get involved in. It would give people a taste of helping others and might make them do it again in the future. Volunteering also benefits the volunteer and as well as being a way to gain valuable experience it also makes you feel good about yourself.'
TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'A new Community Day would plug the long gap between bank holidays, give parents a day off at half term but most importantly provide a real celebration of what's best about Britain - the strength and cohesion provided by people getting involved in communities and voluntary groups, including unions.'
Justin Davis-Smith, Acting Chief Executive of Volunteering England said: 'We would urge everyone enjoying this bank holiday to reflect on how they could make a difference to their community or a cause they care about with an additional day off work. There are already 22 million people in this country who give their time and effort to help other people and the impact they could make with an extra day would be phenomenal. It would also give people who have never volunteered the chance to give it a go and experience the benefits of increasing their skills, meeting new people and feeling more personally fulfilled that volunteering can provide.'
Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, Executive Director of CSV, the UK's largest volunteering and training charity, said: 'Research shows that 11 million people would volunteer if asked. A community day is an excellent way to involve them to reduce crime, boost health, protect the environment and help young people to read and write. What better way to bring people together to make a difference and strengthen our communities?'
Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) said: 'We badly need a national day on which we can celebrate the inspirational work that voluntary and community organisations do throughout the year. By demonstrating the impact and scope of the sector, it would also encourage more and more people to engage in community activity to build their skills and most importantly help transform other people's lives. I hope Gordon Brown will make this a priority.'
Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA, said: 'This is a great initiative. Getting involved in local community action can make a real difference to people's lives and their neighbourhoods. It can restore our sense of community, making our area a better place to live and instil a sense of shared endeavour. We might not be able to change the world but we can all do something to change our neighbourhood.'

Community involvement is not just good for society, but benefits the individuals involved through developing new skills and improving their health, highly likely to be useful in the rest of their lives including their workplaces, says a joint statement produced by the campaign: http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/communityday.pdf

It would also help fill the UK's public holiday deficit. There are three fewer days off work in the UK than the average for the EU. There is more about bank holidays and their history at http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/bankholidays.pdf

Contacts:

TUC: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

http://www.tuc.org.uk/

NCVO: Pete Moorey, NCVO Media Manager T: 020 7520 2569; M:07894 022 006; E: pete.moorey@ncvo-vol.org.uk

CSV: Paul Donohoe T: 020 7812 0037; M: 07779 624 385 ; E: pdonohoe@csv.org.uk

Volunteering England: Cat Dean T: 020 7520 8932; E: cat.dean@volunteeringengland.org

NAVCA: Neil Cleeveley T:0114 289 3954; E: neil.cleeveley@navca.org.uk http://www.navca.org.uk

Shape Arts: Mark Atterbury E: Mark@shapearts.org.uk

Press release (1,500 words) issued 22 Aug 2007

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