Help me find good, thoughtful gifts for vaccination volunteers

Post date: 2021-06-18 06:04:33

I'm part of a large volunteer team (several hundred) who have been working to help people get their vaccinations in London. We're having a summer thank-you picnic (lockdown permitting) at one of the sites, and the staff are wondering what sort of appreciative presents they can give to volunteers at the party. I offered to do some research into volunteer-type gift swag, and I'm coming up short.

The volunteers are aged 17 to 79, and it'd be nice to find something that works for everyone -- as well as connecting the gift to the vaccination effort. I have yet to find out the budget but am sure it won't be massive.

What are good gifts that you've received as a volunteer, or given to an organisation's volunteers?

The ideas we've got so far:

1. A custom enamel badge -- maybe with an NHS logo or syringe or something? Easily made once we figure out a design, and probably well in budget.

2. Branded water bottle or flask -- possibly too pricey, and boring, and do we want to give out more plastic stuff?

3. T-shirt -- a bit boring, but probably can design something decent

4. Tote bags -- sigh, another tote bag, but people do use them

5. Keyrings or USB sticks -- definitely not interesting enough, and feel more like something you'd get at a trade show rather than a sign of your hard work

6. A mug? Everyone drinks something.

7. A customised coin or mini medal?

8. (riffing wildly) a small gold statuette of a vaccination syringe and vaccine card with a plaque attached for the volunteer's name

Someone suggested cash or gift cards, but the doctors and staff want it to be a tangible object, and I think it'd be nice to have something to remember our part in the vaccination effort.

Volunteers are each getting a personalised thank-you letter from our mayor, so maybe something that goes with that -- medal, coin, etc. -- if people want to frame it?

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