By Staff Reporter
SHARJAH:The Board of Trustees of Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work (SAVW) held its regular meeting, chaired by Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mail, Chairman of Sharjah Social Services Department (SSSD) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Award, to discuss several key topics aimed at developing the Award and enhancing its societal impact.
The Board approved the new indicators programme to measure the Award’s performance and outcomes. The programme includes 80 precise performance indicators, with the aim of enhancing work efficiency and raising its standards, reflecting a commitment to transparency and professionalism in achieving the Award’s objectives.
The Board also reviewed the revenues from endowments allocated to support the Award’s various activities and programmes, with a focus on investing these resources sustainably to enhance the Award’s pioneering role and its continued approach to instilling volunteer values and social responsibility.
In the context of promoting continuous development, the Board discussed the Award’s most prominent achievements and developments, reviewing the Award’s digital transformation plan, which aims to facilitate procedures to enhance future efforts to support volunteer work and achieve the Award’s vision as a leading platform for spreading the culture of volunteering and encouraging innovative community initiatives.
During the meeting, Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mail expressed his appreciation for the generous support and wise guidance the award receives from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the wise follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate.
He noted that the adoption of the new indicators programme and the digital transformation plan represent a qualitative shift in the award’s journey toward achieving its goals and promoting the values of giving and innovation, which will inspire individuals and institutions to adopt volunteer projects that contribute to achieving sustainable development and strengthening community cohesion.
Al Mail pointed out that SAVW is moving forward in strengthening its pioneering role by adopting innovative tools and programmes that support volunteer work and enhance its outcomes, ensuring the achievement of the award’s objectives and reflecting its unwavering commitment to serving the community.
For his part, Dr. Jassim Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of SAVW, emphasised that the award continuously works to consolidate the culture of volunteering across various sectors, to remain a platform that encourages creativity and giving that serves the community and elevates the status of volunteer work in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Fatima Musa Al Belushi, Executive Director of SAVW, explained that the meeting also reviewed the award’s 2024 results, highlighting its most notable achievements and developments. She noted that the award has organised 21 editions over 22 years since its inception, honouring 1,259 individual and institutional winners across various categories.
Al Belushi added that the previous edition, the 21st edition, dedicated to the 2023 results, achieved remarkable figures, including 125,389 volunteer hours with the participation of 3,038 volunteers, 45 volunteer opportunities, and financial support totaling AED47,033.
SAVW executive director added that the results of the work demonstrated the qualitative developments seen by the award, especially the expansion of its categories to include 14 diverse categories targeting various segments of society, which enhances the award’s comprehensiveness and impact.
She noted that the award places special importance on community awareness, as it organized 76 awareness lectures, in addition to specialised awareness publications.
