Celebrating 10 years of our volunteer service

This September marks a significant milestone as the Trust’s volunteer service celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Ten years ago, volunteering across the Trust looked very different. Dedicated volunteers were making valuable contributions within individual services, but activity was often managed separately across departments.

The volunteer service was established with a vision to bring volunteers and services together, enhancing the volunteering offer while streamlining processes.

Over the years, the service has achieved excellence through national accreditation, recognising the quality of our volunteer management, governance standards, inclusive practices, volunteer experience, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Today, the volunteer service is a well-established and respected part of the Trust, with strong links to our communities and external partners. We now have over 160 volunteers giving over 31,000 hours of time, experience and generous kindness to our services a year.

Head of volunteering services Jane Milner said: “As we celebrate this milestone, we also look forward to the future, continuing to grow opportunities for people to contribute their time, skills, and experience to support our service users, staff, and local communities.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the staff, carers, volunteers, partners, and supporters who have helped create and sustain the vibrant volunteering community we have today.

“I would also like to say a special thank you to my team, who are absolutely amazing. Their dedication, passion, and hard work have helped make the volunteer service what it is today.”