COMMUNITY minded volunteers were honoured for giving up their time to benefit others at two special receptions at the Guildhall last week.
More than 200 local people were thanked for their efforts at the events on Thursday and Friday which were hosted by Mayor of Worcester Coun Steve McKay and his deputy Coun Jabba Riaz.
Guests had helped major events such as last year’s Three Choirs Festival and the Worcester Show to run smoothly; others devoted many hours to litter clearance, tree planting and conservation work in the city’s parks and open spaces.
Volunteers who regularly help in Worcester’s schools, colleges and community groups were also out in force and speaking at Friday’s event, Coun Riaz said he had met with hundreds of community groups across several major events in the city which could not function without the work of volunteers.
“Many volunteers I’ve met are extremely modest about their achievements, and often have a tendency to shy away from the limelight.
“However, I think it’s high time to say thank you and to shout about the enormous difference they are making both to Worcester the place and the people who live here.”
Paul Edwards, community officer from Fortis Living, said: “Volunteering is about socialising, getting out and learning new skills. It’s also about passing on those skills into the community, so even more people benefit.”
Between January 2017 and January 2018, Worcester City Council has recorded nearly 5,000 hours of work which volunteers have contributed to improve Worcester’s parks and open spaces. This is about 1,000 hours more than the council recorded last year, indicating that an increasing number of people are prepared to give up time to help their local community.
The City Council’s figure doesn’t include the thousands of hours’ worth of volunteering local people contributed to charities, schools, community groups and major events in 2017.
