This week is Volunteers Week, a chance for us to say thank you to the people who give up their time to help others and improve their communities and expect nothing in return.
We wanted to take this opportunity to show our appreciation for the huge numbers of volunteers who have helped make Hertfordshire a better place, especially over the course of the pandemic. Whether that’s helping out at a local food bank, befriending someone who lives alone, or delivering shopping or medication – all of these things make a huge difference to our resident’s emotional health and wellbeing.
Recently, our partners at the Hertfordshire charity Small Acts of Kindness were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a UK voluntary organisation can receive. Thousands of clinically extremely vulnerable people across Hertfordshire endured up to twelve months of shielding. Some not leaving their homes except for medical appointments. For many, this meant that they had restricted access to their families and support networks which resulted in increased feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Small Acts of Kindness sourced, packed and co-ordinated the distribution by volunteers of 3,000 Bags of Kindness to clinically vulnerable adults across Hertfordshire in partnership with and funded by Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Care Services. The aim of the Bags of Kindness project was to offer support to this vulnerable group, and to give a clear and positive message that they are cared about, and not forgotten.
an elderly woman being handed a purple tote bag full of goodies as part of the small acts of kindness scheme
Over the course of the pandemic, our partners at Team Herts Volunteering and Community Help Hertfordshire have also been pivotal in providing support to those most affected by the coronavirus restrictions. Since March 2020 these organisations have organised over 11,000 volunteers to complete over 87,000 tasks including shopping, prescription collections, friendly phone conversations, pet sitting amongst others.
As the county continues to exit coronavirus restrictions, now is a great time to see what volunteering opportunities might be available for you. We have a wide range of volunteering roles available across the range of our services including our Heritage and Archives team, our Countryside Management Service, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Health Walks, Libraries and many more. Visit our Volunteering pages to see what roles might be of interest to you.