Celebrating our volunteers during a Big Lunch!
To celebrate and recognise the efforts of our volunteers and all they contribute to our organisation, we took part in the Eden Project campaign that encourages people to get together during the month that communities, by holding a Volunteer Big Lunch in Barnsley.
We invited our volunteers to attend our Volunteer Big Lunch on Tuesday 13 June, to enable them to connect and share ideas with each other and to enjoy a delicious 2 course carvery.
The event gave us an opportunity to say thank you to our amazing volunteers and to celebrate the things that they do to make a difference to the lives of the people we support.
During the event, we heard from our CEO Rachel Peacock who talked about her own volunteer journey, we discussed what volunteering means to people, and our volunteers shared stories about what they were most proud of. Responses included:
- Running a ‘carers do what you want day’ where volunteers and staff support people living with dementia to take part in fun activities whilst their carer has some time to themselves
- Supporting a lady with visual impairment to learn how to sew
- Helping with health and safety checks at a service and ensuring that these are done correctly
- Preparing food in the kitchen at a supper club that had 17 attendees
- Seeing people smiling and laughing at groups run by our services
- Building skills, feeling more confidence and being part of the wider organisation
- Feeling proud of the amount of time they have given to their community since they were 16
This year’s theme of Volunteers’ Week was ‘Celebrate and Inspire’, encouraging people to be the change that they want to see and get involved in volunteering in whatever way works for them.
Antonia Pike, National Volunteer Co-ordinator for Making Space, said: “In a world of gadgets and technology, it’s vital not to forget about the importance of communication and community, our Volunteer Big Lunch was the perfect opportunity for us to come together during the month of community to celebrate and inspire each other.
“We heard some heart-warming stories from our volunteers and gained valuable feedback that will help to shape our volunteer strategy and form our next steps for volunteering at Making Space.
“Without the commitment, enthusiasm and hard work of our volunteers, we wouldn't be able to deliver our services to the level we do. We would like to say a HUGE thank you to each and every one of them.”
As another token of our appreciation, all our volunteers also received a small refreshment box delivered to either their house or to the service where they volunteer.
If you are interesting in volunteering for us, then take a look at all of opportunities here:
Making Space | Volunteer for Making Space and make a difference
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