On 1st-7th June it is Volunteers’ Week: a chance to celebrate volunteering and say thank you to the thousands of people who contribute their time to volunteering in the local community.
From gardening and conservation work to supporting people who are suffering from mental ill-health, thousands of people make a difference to peoples’ lives and their own lifestyles through volunteering everyday. It’s not surprising that once people start volunteering, they find it to be very rewarding and want to keep contributing.
In-fact, 75% of volunteers say their volunteering improves their mental health and wellbeing and seven in 10 volunteers say they have or would recommend their volunteering to a friend or family member. 83% say they feel well supported in their chosen volunteering role.
To say thank you and encourage more people to volunteer across Guildford and Waverley, we will be hosting a Volunteer Centre Takeover on 3rd,5th,6th and 7th June involving local organisations who will be dropping into the centre.
Organisations joining us include Cherry Trees, that provide home from home short breaks for children and young people with a range of disabilities; Guildford Walking for Health, a group of who run free guided short walks around surrey; Artventure, an arts charity for adults with learning disabilities; Headway Surrey, that provide a comprehensive range of bespoke cognitive rehabilitation sessions; Welcome Buddies, helping join people recovering from mental ill-health to activities and groups with the support of a buddy; Social Prescribing, a free service working with people holistically and connecting them activities and support that will improve their wellbeing and Community Point, a new service where anyone can drop in and find out about community activities and services.
The organisations attending the centre will be available to speak to anyone who is interested in starting their volunteering journey. Pop in for a cup of tea, slice of cake and a chat about where to get started, as well as to get information about a variety of charities looking for volunteers across Guildford and Waverley. There is no need to book an appointment, just drop in.
The dates and times each drop in session is taking place can be found below:
Monday 3rd June:
10.00-12.30pm – Welcome Buddies
1.30pm-2.30pm – Cherry Trees
Wednesday 5th June:
10.00-12.30pm – Artventure
1.30pm-2.30pm – Guildford Walking for Health
Thursday 6th June:
10.00am-12.30pm – Social Prescribing
1.30pm-2.30pm – Headway Surrey
Friday 7th June:
Community Point all day
For more information, please contact us, or pop into centre at 39 Castle Street, Guildford. We hope to see you soon!
