Merton’s unsung heroes rewarded for volunteering successes
Merton’s volunteers will enjoy their moment in the spotlight next week with the first Merton Partnership Volunteer Awards, on 14 March.
The awards celebrate the range of volunteering work done in Merton, recognising innovative projects involving volunteers and how organisations support them. Awards will be presented to individual local volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and enthusiasm.
The awards, introduced as part of the Merton Partnership’s work to promote and publicise the contribution volunteering makes, celebrate the 40,000 plus volunteers in Merton whose work is worth £100m to the borough.
Merton Mayor Councillor Gilli Lewis-Lavender said: “I have seen so much good work done by our volunteers while I have been both Mayor and a volunteer myself, and it makes me very proud of every one of them. They all richly deserve these awards, and it will be an honour to present them.”
Chair of the Merton Partnership and leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, said: ‘Our volunteers do so many vital things to improve everyone’s lives – they provide support in libraries, work with children, in local parks, with older people or those with a disability, in our hospitals and youth clubs.
“It’s great to see that even during these challenging economic times, we can still find people who enthusiastically help others in need and our community.
“We are all very proud – not just of everyone who will be awarded next week, but all our volunteers who make our borough a more worthwhile and community-based place to live and work.”
Notes to editors:
The award ceremony will take place in the Council Chamber from 2.30pm-4.30pm on Wednesday 14 March.
The awards recognise these categories:
Volunteer Project of the Year – projects that have used volunteers in an innovative way in 2011 to meet their outputs.
Volunteer Host of the Year – organisations, groups or public services departments that have been particularly supportive of their volunteers in 2011 and provided them with opportunities for self-development.
Young Volunteer of the Year – those under 25 who have volunteered in 2011.
Volunteer of the Year – those over 25 who have volunteered in 2011.
The Merton Partnership (the Local Strategic Partnership) co-ordinates the delivery of services and other activities in the borough to improve the quality of life and physical environment experienced by Merton residents and visitors to the borough. For more information on volunteering vacancies in Merton libraries, please visit:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/library-volunteering
For information about other volunteering vacancies, which can include youth work, working on a children’s farm, giving counselling or advice, working with media and fundraising, or mentoring young people, please contact Volunteer Centre Merton (VCM) which offers over 600 volunteering opportunities and matches individuals to the best opportunities, by emailing: info@volunteercentremerton.org.uk, ringing: 020 8640 7355, or visiting: http://www.volunteercentremerton.org.uk. Volunteering opportunities in Merton are also available at: http://www.do-it.org.uk.
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Press Contact:
Nina Romain
Communications Officer
London Borough of Merton
020 8545 4654
Nina Romain
Interim Communications Officer
Communications team
Corporate Services
020 8545 4654
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