New 2025–2029 volunteering strategy sets out inclusive, accessible and community-led goals to reflect Kingston’s diversity and enhance civic participation.
The Royal Borough of Kingston has unveiled an ambitious five-year plan to boost local volunteering, marking a renewed drive to create a stronger, fairer and more inclusive borough through community participation.
The 2025–2029 Kingston Volunteering Strategy, launched on Thursday at Tolworth Recreation Centre, is the result of two years of collaborative work led by Volunteering Kingston in partnership with Kingston Council, voluntary organisations, faith groups and hundreds of local volunteers.
Timed to coincide with National Volunteers’ Week and Kingston’s Communities Month, the launch celebrated the contribution of over 15,000 local volunteers who already give their time across more than 450 charities and community groups. From supporting food banks and community gardens to running art projects and environmental initiatives, volunteers are deeply embedded in the fabric of local life.
Kingston Council Leader Andreas Kirsch, speaking at the launch event, praised the borough’s enduring culture of volunteering and outlined the vision ahead.
“I’m incredibly proud of Kingston’s long-standing volunteering culture. I want to thank those who selflessly give up their time to work alongside and support communities. Their contributions help shape services and stimulate new approaches to meeting the needs of residents,” he said.
“We work best when we come together – not just during emergencies but in creating fairness, celebrating diversity and building inclusive, resilient communities.”
The strategy seeks to build on this foundation by tackling barriers to participation and making volunteering more accessible and rewarding for all residents. It identifies five key goals:
- Ensuring volunteering reflects Kingston’s diverse communities
- Supporting lifelong engagement, from young people to older adults
- Widening access by removing structural and personal barriers
- Celebrating volunteers’ impact and raising visibility
- Encouraging innovation and shared leadership across the voluntary sector
With online interest in volunteering up 13% nationally over the past year, Kingston’s trend mirrors this growing momentum. More residents are seeking flexible and skills-based volunteering roles that fit with modern life – whether it’s mentoring, digital support, or project management in community-led initiatives.
The strategy also underscores a new commitment to co-designing opportunities with volunteers themselves. By focusing on lived experience, accessibility, and flexibility, it aims to provide meaningful engagement across all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
According to Volunteering Kingston, the borough already benefits from an “invisible army” of individuals who contribute behind the scenes – from administrative help and befriending services to conservation work and cultural programming.
The new plan will also strengthen collaboration between public, voluntary, faith and private sectors, recognising that Kingston’s thriving civic ecosystem depends on deep partnerships and cross-sector leadership.
Kingston Council will work closely with schools, colleges and businesses to support new forms of volunteering, including youth-led initiatives, corporate programmes, and intergenerational activities.
“We want to embed volunteering in everyday life,” said a spokesperson for Volunteering Kingston. “Whether it’s a regular commitment or one hour a month, every contribution matters.”
