The thousands of volunteers in Sefton who give up their spare time to give back to others have been thanked, as part of national Volunteers Week 2021.
Volunteers Week takes place 1st-7th June every year. It’s a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you.
From litter picking to doorstep food deliveries and even caring for exotic animals, Sefton is a borough rich with volunteers and caring communities who don’t hesitate to do more for their neighbours and fellow residents.
In the last 14 months Sefton has seen countless people take up a range of new volunteering opportunities, especially in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the borough.
This has included delivering food parcels to shielding residents, manning vaccination stations and maintaining parks and greenspaces in anticipation of eased restrictions.
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, has paid tribute to the Borough’s volunteers, saying they set a shining example to our communities and the City Region:
“Just this week alone we have seen countless litter pickers helping our Green Sefton teams to keep our beautiful parks and beaches clean after a huge influx of visitors, we have inducted brand new volunteers to look after our exotic birdlife in Southport and hundreds of COVID vaccination teams have been manning stations throughout the Borough to keep us safe.
“Every year we say thank you to the invaluable and immeasurable work our volunteer network undertakes but, as we all can appreciate, the last year has shone the brightest of lights down onto our volunteers.
“When our staff were redeployed across the authority to help our most vulnerable, it was volunteers who stepped up, both internally and externally, to do their bit to help keep Sefton on the move, tidy and safe while we all fought the pandemic.
“The response from Sefton’s voluntary, community and faith sector to the last year has been fantastic and we encourage everyone to keep working together and with CVS and Sefton Council so we all can do our very best for those most in need.
“Now we look towards our continued recovery across all aspects of Sefton and we will continue to need that support from our volunteer network to help our incredible communities bounce back.
“Thank you to all Sefton volunteers, both past and present! And to those who are considering taking up a volunteering role in the future, I can only stress how vital and appreciated your support will be, whatever you choose to do.”
Anyone who would like to volunteer their time should register their interest to volunteer please visit volunteeringsefton.org.uk
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