celebrating volunteers in eden

Rory was guest of honour at Cumbria CVS’ “Recognising and Celebrating Volunteers in Eden” event at St Andrew’s Parish Centre in Penrith on Friday 18th June. The celebration, sponsored by Eden District Council, marked Volunteers’ Week, part of a national campaign to raise the profile of the millions of volunteers who regularly contribute to society, often inspiring others to get involved. Charities and their volunteers from across Eden participated in the event, where they were presented with thank-you certificates and ‘Excellent Volunteers in Eden’ Star Awards by Rory and Leader of Eden District Council, Gordon Nicolson.

Attendees included Eden Rural Foyer, Eden Community Alarms, Eden Voluntary Society for the Blind, East Cumbria Family Support, Hospice at Home, Neighbourhood Watch, Eden Carers, and Wetheriggs Animal Rescue, amongst many others.

In his opening speech, the local MP thanked the many volunteers of Penrith and the Border for their hard work and dedication, and spoke about their impressive professionalism.

He said: “All the volunteers present here today – and the many, many more who are not, but who are out there working hard and supporting our community in a variety of ways – are true professionals. Their dedication, care and kindness are unparalleled, and the attention they bring to their work is an amazing thing. In Cumbria alone we have over 50,000 volunteers supporting registered charities, clocking up around 46,000 hours of volunteer work each week. These are extraordinary figures. Volunteering is beneficial on so many levels – of course to the volunteer themselves, and those they are supporting, but also to the very fabric of our society. We need to continue publicising their hard work, and encourage as many new volunteers as possible.”

Picture: Rory Stewart MP  and Gordon Nicolson, Leader of Eden District Council, celebrating with Eden volunteers.

Eden_Carers

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