What is national volunteering, and why support it?

National volunteering is simply people volunteering within their own country. International volunteer sending organisations increasingly agree that national volunteering is a powerful tool which reflects a more contemporary approach to volunteering. VSO believes that people working together out of community responsibility and shared commitment is a powerful force that can make a major contribution to reducing poverty and promoting development. As community participation and voluntary action can play a major role in strengthening civil society, VSO is particularly interested in supporting national volunteering as part of Participation and Governance programmes.