Volunteers’ Week 2020

Today marks the start of Volunteers’ Week 2020 and in these difficult times, volunteers all over West Lancs have risen to the challenge to provide help wherever it’s needed. This year more than ever, we feel it’s important to recognise and celebrate the positive impact that volunteers have on our community.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been lots of neighbourhood initiatives set up to support the vulnerable in our communities. These initiatives rely solely on volunteers, and we send a big thank you to every single volunteer who has stepped up during the last few months.

One of these schemes is Westhead Neighbours helping Neighbours. Here’s what some of their volunteers have had to say:

‘It’s been lovely getting to know my neighbours better and helping some of them in a small way through these trying times. They are thankful and am I grateful to be able to make a difference’.

‘Volunteering in Westhead has provided a wonderful opportunity to make new friendships and work in partnership for the good of others. It has also resulted in a deeper connection with where we live and the people who live here. On a broader level our work has contributed to local strategies relating to health, wellbeing and social isolation and freed up the capacity of key workers to manage the COVID outbreak at this time’.

Getting medications out to people has been a challenge which staff from West Lancs Community Leisure have risen to by becoming medication delivery volunteers.

’24 staff from West Lancashire Community Leisure have volunteered to deliver much needed vital medical supplies to residents in West Lancashire whilst the leisure centres have been closed and the staff are on Furlough. A massive thank you to everyone involved’ (Mark – Serco)

Another organisation that has benefited greatly from their volunteers recently is The Sewing Rooms:

‘We can all agree that all of our West Lancs volunteers have been absolute heroes during the last few months. We are so incredibly inspired by the commitment and talents of our volunteers, their contribution to the Sewing Rooms is immeasurable, especially these difficulties we face through covid19’

Finally, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton Helpers are a local, volunteer led scheme set up to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s what all of the volunteers mean to them:

‘Grateful thanks to all the volunteers and people of good-will who are helping out in these strange times. It’s so good to know that so many groups like ours are reaching out to those who need assistance. We are in this for the long haul. Stay well, God bless us, everyone.’