Aspire celebrates Volunteers’ Week!

From the 2nd - 8th June Aspire joined thousands of other organisations across the UK in celebrating our amazing volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to help others. At Aspire, our volunteers are crucial in enabling the continued support of women in our local area.

Aspire staff hosted a volunteer celebration party for all of our wonderful volunteers. Our staff provided table service with a smile whilst our volunteers enjoyed an afternoon tea!

Last year, Aspire Volunteers gave 6,600 hours of their time. This would have cost £80,586 at minimum wage. This shows how crucial our volunteers are to the continued support of women in the local area.

Our volunteers were asked, ‘How does volunteering help you feel connected?’ and these were some of their responses:

‘Being around lots of women keeps me connected with the outside world, as opposed to being on my own’

‘I feel encouraged that if I help someone, they can then hopefully help others’

‘Volunteering has opened me up to a wonderful web of women who support each other and brighten each other’s lives with kindness and love’

‘By helping others in a less fortunate position and watching their improvement over time’

‘By mixing with peers for mutual support and guidance’

‘Volunteering keeps me active in retirement and helps me make new friends’

‘Volunteering gives me lifelong experiences and training courses keep my brain active’

‘It helps me feel connected to other people and life in general. I feel more confident because of the fact I’m helping others to get the most out of life’

‘Volunteering brings me into contact with like-minded women. The knowledge gained and friendships made give me confidence to reach out to others. Volunteering opens up new avenues, gives me a reason to seek out companionship and gives me joy!’

‘It provides me with a support network of like-minded people. Aspire is somewhere that I can go to to talk about something that isn’t quite right and find a solution’

‘For me, the connection is the way in which we as volunteers take on board the voices of others who are around us and use our knowledge to listen, understand, and help others to recognise who they are and what they want to be in life.’