About AVS
Vision
Agency for Volunteer Service ("AVS") is dedicated to playing a proactive and pivotal role in the promotion and development of sustainable volunteerism for the building of a civil society and caring community.
Mission
AVS motivates, mobilises and facilitates individuals, groups and organisations to provide value added and quality volunteer service through partnership with all sectors of the community and other effective means.
Values
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Established in 1970, the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) is a non-profit organisation with charity status, mainly financed by funds from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The Community Chest of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the public and private donations. AVS is dedicated to playing a proactive and pivotal role in developing partnerships with all community sectors to provide value-added and quality volunteer service for building a caring community.
AVS offers referral service for those who wish to volunteer and supports organisations requiring the service of volunteers. To facilitate the public to engage in volunteering, AVS has launched the "Volunteering Hong Kong (V-HK)" website, which serves as a one-stop volunteer service platform for the service matching.
To expand volunteer service opportunities, AVS partners with organisations from different sectors to launch impactful volunteering programmes and to support international and mega events, notable examples are “Hong Kong Volunteer Programme of the 15th National Games”, “Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon Volunteer Service”, “Hong Kong - Zhuhai – Macao Bridge (HK Section) Half Marathon Volunteer Service”, “Hong Kong Transplant and Dialysis Games”, “Hong Kong Cyclothon”, “Fire Dragon Dance in Tai Hang”, “Community Chest Charity Show”, “Books for Love @ $10”, etc.
To capitalise on volunteer resources to build a special talent force to serve the community, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant: Volunteer Talent Bank” provides tailor-made services to NGOs to address community needs. 4 main scopes of service include Befriending and Mentorship Service, Community and Cultural Service, Health and Personal Care Service and Professional Service.
To foster volunteerism and enhance the quality and effectiveness of volunteer service, AVS established the Hong Kong Institute of Volunteers (HKIoV) to deliver diversified and tailored training and professional consultancy services for volunteers, volunteer leaders and administrators. By establishing the “Volunteer Link” and “HKIoV YouTube Channel”, AVS provides a wealth of online resources to promote the professional development of volunteering. They include online learning platforms, educational videos, VR games, articles, guidelines, journals, reference materials, etc.
To encourage and inspire more young people to volunteer, AVS established the Hong Kong Community Volunteers (HKCV) - Youth Division and organises the “Miracle Summer Youth Volunteer Programme,” encouraging youths to participate in volunteering. Also, AVS launched the 4C Youth Volunteer Leadership Project with a view to fostering a healthy personality and civic awareness among secondary school students through volunteer training and service experience.
AVS drew up the Hong Kong Volunteer Charter and the Practice Reference Guide for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations to benchmark volunteer practices to promote quality volunteer services. To respond to social development and needs, AVS established three volunteer networks, including the “Outstanding Volunteer Network”, the “Elite Volunteer Network (Individuals/Groups)”, and the “Elite Volunteer Network (Organisations)”, pooling the strengths of various outstanding volunteers to promote volunteer service jointly.
As a volunteer practice-based, AVS Western Garden Neighbourhood Elderly Centre promotes volunteering among the senior and older people, and also engages volunteers to deliver services to the needy elderly, carers and the community, promoting active ageing, health and neighborliness in the Central and Western District.
AVS fosters volunteerism through promotion and volunteer recognition to raise public awareness of the value and contributions of volunteering. Since 2022, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and AVS co-organised the “Hong Kong Volunteer Award” (HKV-Award) with outstanding series and volunteer hours series, to recognise the contributions and achievements of outstanding volunteers, young people, corporations, organisations, estates and schools and to motivate more people to volunteer, unite the power of the community to build a caring and inclusive society. To celebrate the “International Volunteer Day” on 5 December every year, AVS organises volunteer recognition activities and public education programmes to promote volunteerism.
In conjunction with representative organisations from different sectors, the Hong Kong Council of Volunteering was set up in 2004 as a cross-sectoral platform for exchange and collaboration to cultivate broader participation in volunteering and allow member organisations to work together to advance the development of volunteering.
AVS is a Vice-Chairman Unit of the “Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area Volunteer Service Alliance” and a member of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and the Global Network of Volunteering Leadership (GNVL). AVS organises delegations to attend overseas and regional volunteer conferences regularly, facilitates exchange and networking opportunities with volunteer leaders and organisations worldwide. AVS is also a cooperating organisation of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), organising the “HYAB – United Nations Volunteer (Internship Programme)”, which allows undergraduates to serve in UN agencies or field units overseas for global peace and development.
