How GWAAC have served our communities in recent months
June 3, 2020
Lions Clubs grant allows GWAAC to purchase vital equipment during COVID-19
June 11, 2020
It’s human nature to feel good after helping someone. As alluded to in previous blogs, volunteering has a much needed positive impact on wellbeing and life satisfaction. The benefits don’t stop there – it can also help you gain valuable new skills and experiences, whilst boosting your confidence and employability. Luckily for GWAAC, and countless other charities, volunteering is becoming more popular too. According to NCVO, in 2017/18, 20.1 million (38%) people in the UK volunteered formally at least once a year and 11.8 million (22%) of people did so at least once a month. How wonderful to know that we are a nation of kind hearted, charitable souls!
GWAAC is incredibly fortunate to call some of these generous types not only volunteers, but friends. Volunteers’ Week takes place from 1 – 7 June every year and for us here at GWAAC, it’s a brilliant excuse to celebrate our truly wonderful volunteers and to say a resounding “Thank You”. In spite of lockdown putting an end to volunteering so far in 2020, we still have plenty to be thankful for:
- Thank you to the 67 volunteers who volunteered with us at least once in 2019. You generously donated 2,600 hours of your own free time to represent GWAAC at local community events, supermarket collections and public speaking events up and down our region.
- Thank you to the 65 Heartstarter volunteers who took time out of their busy medical careers to collectively teach 2000 schoolchildren CPR last year (I’m sure they say thank you too!)
- Thank you to our 11 public speaking volunteers for attending over 90 talks and cheque presentations on behalf of GWAAC, bringing in around £55k.
- Thank you to the 8 collection box servicers who helped bring in £30k last year from around 400 collection boxes.
- Thank you to our office volunteers who, between them, write a monthly newsletter, keep track of all GWAAC merchandise and count every single penny of cash that comes through the door. They also do a tremendous job of keeping staff in check!
- Thank you for all the truly generous acts of kindness along the way – from donating a much needed dishwasher for our crew’s kitchen, sponsoring our Heartstarters uniform, to hand stitching Charlie Bear his very own face mask!
Above all, thank you for your unfailing support – you are always there for GWAAC and the communities we serve together. Getting to work with such selfless, thoughtful, dedicated people is a privilege and an utter joy – how lucky are we to have you in our GWAAC family!
If you’d like to be part of GWAAC’s Ground Crew then find out how you get involved here.
