Every year the UK celebrates Volunteers’ Week during the first week of June, and for organisations like us this is a great chance to shout about how wonderful our volunteer family is. We hosted Swansea Volunteer Forum, led by Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS), which was a lovely opportunity to meet up and engage with other volunteer groups in the city, share ideas and collaborate. What was highlighted is how many amazing people and volunteers there are in our city, who are thriving and committed to giving back. We made a video to mark this occasion and show off our superheroes – click here to watch.
To honour, celebrate, and thank our volunteers properly we also hosted our annual ‘thank you’ evening, filled with food, games, stories, and fun at Matthew’s House. This is one of our favourite days of the MH calendar because it brings people together in one room, volunteers get to meet new faces, catch up with old friends, and best of all we get to serve the people who serve Swansea so well. With the crucial help of The Hill Church and Matt’s Community Choir, we really had a ball. Special thanks also to Mecca Bingo, Joe’s Ice-cream, and Hoogah for donating vouchers as prizes in our free raffle – they really added some joy! To close the night, we shared awards with those who have made a particularly significant impact at Matthew’s House over the last year. Each volunteer is phenomenal in our eyes, but we like to take the chance to give a special mention to those who have shone extra bright. This year, these are our award winners, chosen by the staff team and fellow volunteers. Our Volunteers of the Month (and year) are: