Volunteering project celebrates 10th birthday

July 14, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

A leading UK volunteering charity will be celebrating 10 years of supporting local families in Southend at an event in Southend.

Volunteering Matters, a volunteering charity which is supported by the council through funding for events in Southend, will be thanking the local volunteers and commissioners on Thursday 18 July at Porters Civic House, Southend-on-Sea.

The Worshipful The Mayor, Cllr John Lamb will be attending, along with Mayoress Pat Lamb and Cllr Kevin Robinson, all of whom will be leading the appreciation and celebrations of the selfless work put in by the local volunteers and commissioners.

Volunteering Matters, through support from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, has in the last 10 years trained over 260 volunteers, many of whom have moved on to careers in social care and schools. In those 10 years, the volunteers have supported nearly 400 families across the borough to help make positive changes in their lives.

Cllr Kevin Robinson, cabinet member for business, culture and tourism, said: “Volunteering is not just a brilliant way of helping others, it also helps people learn new skills and experiences, meet new people and even develop skills for further employment.

“Charities often rely heavily on volunteers and Volunteer UK makes a real tangible difference to families across the UK and more specifically, here in Southend. The figures speak for themselves and we are delighted to celebrate the 10^th birthday with all the wonderful volunteers and commissioners.”

The event will take place Thursday 18 July at Porters Civic House, Southchurch Road, SS1 2LT 3pm – 6pm.

If you or someone you know may be interested in giving up some spare time to volunteer, please contact Cathie Whitehead on 01702 534262 via email at catherinewhitehead@southend.gov.uk

For more information regarding Volunteering Matters, please visit www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk

Case studies 

We receive lots of positive feedback from current and past volunteers, and also social workers who benefit from the support given:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a volunteer and if personal circumstances were different I would have continued. Making the break through with the families & seeing them take control of their own lives is so rewarding” - Ex- volunteer

“The volunteers are a valuable service to support children & families to work towards meeting their needs and reduce the risks to children” - Social Worker

“A very worthwhile service that offers great support to our families and children and to enable families to make positive changes to their lives” - Social Worker

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