This year World Social Work Day, Tuesday March 20th, highlights ‘Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability’: all very pertinent issues for Orkney.

To mark the day Orkney Islands Council has organised a “market place style event” in the Pool Viewing Room  at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall from 10am to 3pm.

This will enable people to learn more about social work in Orkney.  There will also be keynote speeches at 12.00 from Orkney’s Chief Social Work Officer Scott Hunter and Shetland’s Chief Social Work Officer Martha Nicolson.

Commenting about World Social Work Day Rory Truell, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) said:

“Each year World Social Work Day expands. We see people that use social work services and community members side-by-side with social workers highlighting the important issues of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development.

“The Global Agenda has bound social workers together globally as advocates for social justice and transformation that enhances social, human and environmental rights”.

“Each of the Global Agenda themes are integrated. Advocating for social and economic equality, the realisation of people’s rights and dignity, and that the enhancement of community and the wellbeing of our environments is at the heart of what social workers do every day in their work.”

Orkney’s Chief Social Work Officer, Scott Hunter said:

“World Social Work day is the key day in the year that social workers worldwide stand together to celebrate the achievements of the profession and raise awareness in communities and workplaces of the contribution that social workers make.

“This should be an interesting event, particularly for anyone who might be keen to join the profession, and so we look forward to seeing lots of folk there.”