Gateshead’s fourth Volunteers’ Month takes place during June with more than 50 events taking place across the borough celebrating volunteering.
From health and wellbeing events and gardening, to helping out at a local rugby club or with a local friends group to tidy up where they live, would-be volunteers can find out what volunteering is all about and the real difference their contribution can make to their communities.
Co-ordinated by Gateshead Council, it provides a platform and focus for local groups and organisations to celebrate their volunteers and promote their volunteering opportunities through drop in and information sessions to more practical taster sessions.
This year’s event will have four key themes: Young People, the environment (including ‘Clean for the Queen’ events as part of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations), charities, voluntary and community groups, and older people.
A special celebration event will also take place in Trinity Square on Friday 24 June to mark the culmination of the month’s activities. This free event will include arts and crafts events, community bands, face painting, and instant volunteering activities such as plant pot painting. A number of stalls staffed by voluntary groups will also be there to recruit and inform people interested in volunteering. The fun kicks off at 10am until 3pm.
Cabinet Member for Communities and Volunteering, Cllr Linda Green is confident that this year’s Volunteers’ Month will be as successful as last year’s event which resulted in over 200 new volunteers being recruited.
She said: “Gateshead Council has always been proud of its volunteers and the huge contribution they make not only to their local communities but to the local economy as well. Last year more over 56,000 hours of volunteering took place during Volunteers’ Month; this equated to an economic value of over £770,000. The role of volunteers is vital for the wellbeing of residents and helps to support resilient, strong communities, and I would encourage as many local people as possible to think about volunteering and come along to the events and activities on offer during Gateshead Volunteers’ Month 2016.”
Up to date information on all the events taking place during Gateshead Volunteers’ Month is on Gateshead Council’s website: www.gateshead.gov.uk/volunteering and on: www.OurGateshead.org/volunteersmonth
For more information on volunteering in Gateshead visit the website or call Kate Marshall on 0191 433 3255, email volunteering@gateshead.gov.uk
