The award was presented during the ceremony honouring winners in the volunteer teams category, recognising organisations whose initiatives have strengthened the culture of volunteering, encouraged community participation and supported sustainable development.

Promoting innovation through volunteering

The winning initiative, UAE Innovates 2025, was recognised for encouraging a culture of innovation and promoting volunteer participation in improving government services. The programme was a mix of institutional cooperation and social responsibility, promoting the creativity of staff and volunteers in generating ideas to improve the workplace and the service to clients.

Promoting organised volunteer work the category of volunteer teams was created to highlight the workof organised volunteer groups and provide a platform to showcase initiatives that respond to community, humanitarian and development needs. The award also seeks to encourage institutional volunteering and reinforce the values of giving and social responsibility.

The Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work includes several categories recognising excellence in volunteerism, including Best Organisation Creating Volunteer Opportunities, Best Volunteer Initiative, Volunteer Hours Record Award, Best Volunteer Team, and the Excellence in Specialist Volunteering Award. Entries are assessed against criteria that consider the quality, sustainability and community impact of each initiative.

Through these awards, organisers seek to encourage volunteer teams to develop innovative and sustainable projects while fostering healthy competition that supports institutional and specialist volunteering as key contributors to sustainable development.

A key pillar of the award

Suad Al Shamsi, Executive Director of the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work, said the volunteer teams category is one of the award's key pillars, as it promotes organised volunteering and strengthens the values of giving and social responsibility.

She said that honouring the winning teams recognises initiatives that have delivered tangible benefits to the community and provides inspiring examples of sustainable volunteer work. She added that the award also encourages volunteer teams to exchange expertise and develop innovative initiatives that respond to community needs in line with Sharjah's vision for sustainable social development.

Reflecting the UAE's values

For his part, Major General Arif Mohammed Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Sharjah at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP), said the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work reflects the humanitarian values on which the UAE was founded and reinforces the country's long-standing tradition of volunteering, generosity and service to society.

He said the recognition of the General Directorate's team for its UAE Innovates 2025 initiative demonstrates the Authority's commitment to embedding a culture of volunteering among employees and customers through policies that encourage staff to contribute to community service and improve quality of life.

Al Shamsi added that the Authority takes pride in supporting volunteer activities and fulfilling its social responsibilities, stressing that volunteer work is a way of life and an essential pillar in strengthening community cohesion and enhancing public wellbeing.

Supporting transparency

The award requires participating volunteer teams to submit approved documentation, including the team's logo, a list of members, the official decision establishing the team, details of its responsibilities, the nomination of an award coordinator, and identification documents for the team leader, ensuring transparency and fairness throughout the evaluation process.