Exeter charity launches volunteer drive during Volunteers' Week

Volunteers’ Week is an annual campaign and this year it takes place between 1-7 June. Its aim is to celebrate the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make each year across the UK and in 2013, the focus is on saying "Thank You".

In Devon, it is estimated around 300,000 people volunteer, joining around 20 million others across the UK who volunteer every year. It is thought that this equates to more than 100 million hours given to communities every week and it has been estimated that the economic value is worth in excess of £40 billion to the UK economy.

WESC Foundation, an Exeter-based charity providing learning, care and therapy for more than 100 children and young people with sight loss and complex needs at its campus on Topsham Road, relies on the support of its volunteers and this year, in addition to thanking them, the charity is also launching ‘175 volunteers in our 175th year’ – a campaign aimed at recruiting new volunteers during its special anniversary year.

Maureen Biss, Director of Human Resources for WESC Foundation, explains: “As well as saying a massive ‘Thank You’ to our wonderful, dedicated team of volunteers, we are launching a special campaign to hopefully highlight the fantastic volunteering opportunities available at WESC Foundation. Our ‘175 volunteers in our 175th year’ campaign is all about engaging with people to inform them about volunteering and the benefits it can bring, not only to the children and young people in our care, but to the individual too.

We hope our campaign will inspire more people to find out about volunteering and it would be the best birthday present to WESC Foundation if we could significantly increase our pool of volunteers in our milestone year.”

Joyce Smolders, 87 from Honiton, has been volunteering for 20 years and has been a shop assistant in WESC’s social enterprise charity shop in Honiton for the past three years.

Joyce comments: “Volunteering gives me a sense of belonging and since losing my husband, it is nice to have something in the diary each week as it gives me a nice bit of company. It’s a busy shop and I am a real people person so I get lots of lovely social interaction every Friday when people come in to have a browse.

Companionship is another reason I continue to volunteer and more than anything, volunteering gives me a feeling that I am still needed and it is important for me to feel like that at my time of life.”

Angie Lunn, from Broadmead in Exeter, teaches part-time at Kenton Primary school and also donates around two hours of her time each week to escort one of the children at WESC to and from lessons, as well as offering one-to-one care during art classes.

Angie says: “I was born in Exeter and it is nice to think I am giving something back to the people in my local community. It is really enjoyable to see how the activities and care at WESC can bring so much joy to the children and young people here, and I feel privileged to be part of a team that can help to enrich the lives of so many wonderful people.

I wish I had taken steps to become a volunteer years ago –  it is probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. Everybody has something to offer, so I would strongly recommend anyone thinking about volunteering to come to meet the children and staff and find out how they can contribute. If you have a gap in your life or you’d like to learn a new skill or meet like-minded people, then please come and join us!”

During Volunteers' Week, WESC is releasing a video every day from some of its volunteers, both Joyce’s and Angie’s stories have been filmed.

“We have created mini videos to highlight the ways in which people can help and how volunteering has positively impacted their lives. We know from research that one of the biggest barriers to volunteering is people think they don’t have anything to offer a charity and we hope stories from our volunteers highlight that everyone has something to give and everyone can help make a difference,” said Maureen.
Indeed, WESC Foundation has created a series of boards with messages such as ‘Get Involved’ and ‘Help us make a difference’ to help illustrate the difference volunteering can make.

“We also have some heartwarming ‘Thank You’ video messages from the children to the volunteers and we are also hosting a special afternoon tea during Volunteers' Week to thank our volunteers for their continued support, enthusiasm and dedication,” adds Maureen. 

Ben Bradshaw MP has also lent his support to national Volunteers Week, saying:
“Volunteering is hugely important as it plays a vital role in communities across the region. National Volunteers Week offers an opportunity for us all to acknowledge and salute the sterling work of our local volunteers and I would like to join WESC Foundation, and other local charities, in saying a big ‘Thank You’ to our local volunteers.”

The Exeter CVS operates the Exeter Volunteer Centre and they work in partnership with over 3,000 voluntary and community sector groups in Devon to match people who want to volunteer with vacancies. In the past year, they have referred over 6,000 volunteers to those groups and have over 1,000 volunteering opportunities for people to get involved in, demonstrating the need for more people to put volunteering into action.

Emily McCarthy, Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator for Exeter CVS, comments: “We come into contact with all sorts of people from all walks of life – all have a shared vision, to contribute to their local community and make a difference and we hope WESC Foundation’s campaign will help to further highlight the many benefits of volunteering.” 

WESC Foundation and the Exeter Volunteer Centre hope to hold a joint event in the summer to highlight the recruit more volunteers. 

“We would welcome interest from anyone considering volunteering – whether it is sparing an hour here or there, or offering time in a more structured way. We are very good at matching the likes, skills and interests of the volunteer with the time they have available to the activities or areas where we need support,” adds Maureen.

To speak to the team at WESC Foundation about volunteering opportunities, please call 01392 454 208 or email hsmith@wescfoundation.ac.uk.

The Exeter Volunteer Centre is located at Wat Tyler House in King William Street and is open weekdays from 9.30am 16:30pm. For information on other centres, please visit www.volunteerdevon.net.