National Volunteers' Week Is Marked In Wimbledon

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Visit the volunteer fair in Centre Court

This week volunteering is being celebrated through national Volunteers' Week (June 1-7), and you can find out more in Wimbledon on Friday (June 5).

MVSC is holding a volunteer fair between 10am and 4pm upstairs in Centre Court Shopping Centre. They promise treats and a chance to find out what opportunities are available.

YMCA London South West is also calling on local people to get involved in its charity by volunteering at its Wimbledon centre.

Across its five main centres; YMCA Wimbledon in the Broadway, YMCA Surbiton, YMCA Hawker (in Kingston), YMCA White House and Hampton Pool, YMCA London South West offers a range of services to the community including accommodation; health and wellbeing services, children, youth and family services, training and education and support and advice.

Andy Mole, Volunteer Co-ordinator at YMCA LSW, said: "Whilst we are thankful for our volunteers’ contribution every day, as part of the National Volunteers' Week, we have the perfect opportunity to celebrate and thank our volunteers for their skills, time and commitment along with other charities and organisations across the UK.

"Our 150 plus strong group of volunteers amass over 500 hours of volunteering per week, which over a year equates to a significant and somewhat unbelievable number of volunteering hours.

"However, the most remarkable thing for me, from having the privilege of working alongside these remarkable people on a daily basis, is that I’m not surprised. I'm not surprised by the level of contribution or the quality of work or the positive feedback I receive. I’m just thankful that we are so lucky!”

To find out more about volunteering at YMCA London South West, please visit: http://www.ymcalsw.org/volunteer/.

Meanwhile Merton's Conservatives kicked off National Volunteers' Week 2015 by taking part in the Carers Thames Walk and raising over £600 for local charity, Carers Support Merton, which is based at Vestry Hall in Mitcham. On May 30, a number of present and past councillors completed a walk of up to 9 miles starting at Southwark Cathedral in central London and taking in famous landmarks such as Tower Bridge. 

Speaking after completing the sponsored walk herself, Councillor Oonagh Moulton, Leader of Merton's Conservative councillors, said: "My Conservative colleagues and I were delighted to take part in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Carers Thames Walk. It was a great opportunity to take some exercise and see the sights of London whilst raising vital funds to support unpaid carers in Merton.

"Most of us either are, have been or will become a carer at some point during our lives. Some carers are just young children. Carers Support Merton aims to recognise and help the large number of people in our community who are caring for a loved one and all too often go unsupported."

June 4, 2015