Volunteer Centre Dorset holds awards night in Dorchester

More than 170 volunteers and guests came together in Dorchester for the Volunteer Celebration Evening, an event hosted by Volunteer Centre Dorset.

Layla White at the awards night (Image: Dorset Volunteer Centre) Laurence Lagrue, a local poet and author, compered the event and shared the contributions and personal achievements of each volunteer who attended the evening.

Volunteers were recognised for their work across four different categories; Young Volunteers, Teams, Volunteers, and the Andy Jacobs award for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Each category’s certificate was presented by one of the night’s special guests; The Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Michael Dooley; Dorset High Sheriff Anthony Woodhouse; Joe Langtree from Room to Reward, and Phil Cooper, Volunteer Centre Dorset’s newly appointed Chair of Trustees.

Crowds cheering at the Dorset Volunteer Centre awards night (Image: Dorset Volunteer Centre) This year’s youngest volunteer to attend was aged just eight years old.

Hali-Rai Green on Weymouth was nominated after raising a whopping £468 for RNLI by walking every day in the month of May this year.

Marie Waterman, CEO at Volunteer Centre Dorset, said: “We had a wonderful evening celebrating and recognising the amazing contribution volunteers make in Dorset every day.

“We are lucky to have such a vibrant, caring community in Dorset where people volunteer and give their time to make life better for others. This was our 18th celebration evening, and as always, it’s been humbling and inspiring listening to the fantastic stories of Dorset’s volunteers.”

Team of the Year award at Dorset Volunteer Centre awards night (Image: Dorset Volunteer Centre) Phil Cooper, trustee for the centre, said “I am always surprised by the sheer breadth of volunteering, and I love hearing about the variety of roles available to anyone – young and older.

Eight-year-old Hali-Rai Green (Image: Dorset Volunteer Centre)

“We heard about the Freewheelers Blood Bikes volunteers who give their time providing motorcycle transport delivering essential samples and equipment to hospitals.

"There are volunteer illustrators at the Bank of Dreams Nightmares, helping inspire creative writing in young writers; and Health Champions at local doctor’s surgeries, helping patients find help and social activities within the community. As a society, we literally couldn’t do without volunteers.”

To find out more about the work the volunteer centre carries out, visit www.volunteeringdorset.org.uk or call 01305 269214.