Celebrating Volunteers Week

See what we got up to this Volunteer's Week to celebrate their hard work.

In the past Healthwatch County Durham have marked National Volunteers celebration week in several ways. These have included buying and giving gifts, presenting recognition certificates for achievement, amongst other things.

Speaking to volunteers at meetings, in reviews and from volunteer applications though, it became clear that people who volunteer very much like to be recognised in a way that matches why they got involved in the first place. So we looked at ideas that supported local businesses and had bird boxes made by the 'Tool shed' which allowed us to give something back to the community, In a following year we also worked with Durham City Council to plant a tree in Wharton Park to add to the Community Orchard there (something that can be enjoyed in the future by anyone who visits the park).

This year we did a 'talking walk' through Hamsterley Forest which saw volunteers, staff, Board members and pets coming together to take a lovely walk through the forest with refreshments afterwards