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Welcome to our blog! Here you'll find a whole range of stories, ideas and resources all about volunteering.

If you'd like to narrow your search, please use the categories panel on this page, or click on a tag after any blog.

 

This month we hear from two women about the effect befriending has had on their lives, in the lead up to International Women’s Day this month.

Three amazing volunteers from the Hong Kong Community in Sutton have kindly shared their stories in the run up to Lunar New Year celebrations this month.

Our Volunteer story of the Month for January is with a "Back to School" themed. It is also International Day of Education on Wednesday 24th January. Duncan from REUK, Refugee Education UK shares his story.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

December is a time for giving, presents as well as time. Are you buying gifts from charity shops at all? Shining the spotlight on our wonderful volunteers in the charity shops this winter.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

This month we are celebrating Befriending Week from 1-7th November. Fresh from her Serpentine Swim fundraising for us, Jo Bolton shares her story of being a befriender as part of Sutton Befrienders, along with her other volunteering and fundraising support.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Ahead of Trustees’ Week in November, Historic Croydon Airport Trust shares with us the stories of two of their newest trustees. They are still looking for another trustee, read on and it might inspire you.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Sutton Vision shares their story, just ahead of Befriending Week, of Adrian who volunteers as a telephone befriender for them.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

This month we are celebrating both Volunteer Centre Sutton and St Raphael's Hospice being chosen as the Sutton Mayor's Charities of the year. This October we hear from Richard Ming, a volunteer from St Raphael's Hospice.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Every month we are sharing inspirational volunteer stories, with September being the start of a new term and school year we thought it would be good to hear from one of the younger voices of the volunteering world.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Shining the light on a new volunteer story this month to give further insight into those individuals who transform our borough.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

We want to celebrate the volunteers that make our borough great, you, the individuals who give up your time to help others and make a real difference.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

In collaboration with Cheam Coterie, Volunteer Centre Sutton hosted a 'Welcome to the UK' course for Hong Kongers who have recently settled in Sutton, as part of our Integrating Sutton project.

Our MAPS Mentoring project supports many Care Leavers with one-to-one mentoring. To mark National Care Leavers Week 2022, we wanted to share the story of Dillon, a 21-year-old Care Leaver, and his experience of mentoring.

Flora and her daughter Ariel moved to the UK 10 months ago

Bernard moved to Sutton from Hong Kong in August 2021

Our MAPS mentoring project supports many young carers with one to one mentoring.

"You meet so many different people every time you turn up for a shift, whether you're working with them or helping them and every day is another great experience." Read about the experiences of one our Nonsuch Vaccine Site volunteers

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

As the Nonsuch Vaccination site winds down, we reflect on the past four and bit months, and an incredible team of 190 volunteers who have made it all possible

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

We could not be more proud of Pete Jemson, winner of the "Oustanding Volunteer" award at the 2020 Sutton Community Awards, and now nominated by Sutton Council for BBC Radio London's "Make a Difference Hero" awards

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Since the start of the pandemic, a staggering 12.4 million adults in the UK have volunteered - with more than a third stepping forward for the first time. Read Katie's story about how lockdown gave her the impetus to volunteer with us

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Read Edina's story about her volunteering journey into full time employment

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

One of our long-standing MAPS mentors shares her experiences

For Refugee Week 2019, our Community Engagement Coordinator, Marta Rocco, reflects on her own volunteering experiences supporting refugees

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Carers Centre would like to thank Jean Sharpington.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity would like to thank Valerie Allsopp.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Dreaming Tree Project would like to thank Bambina.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity would like to thank Denise Clarke.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Community Works would like to thank Vicki.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Rob Campion.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Diana Broad.

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Sue Elson

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton and beyond. Jigsaw4u would like to thank Jacqui O'Connor

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Sue

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Our MAPS team would like to thank Caroline Magin

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton, starting with a thank you to one of our own volunteers

"I have volunteered forever" read Mary's inspiring story

Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. St Raphael's Hospice would like to thank Jenny Watkins

Andrew and Sue met volunteering in 1971 and have just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary!

Afraid of leaving the house and struggled to cope with the demands of school life, he turned to MAPS for support

Keywords: Mentoring - Stories

But a love of fast cars and a mentor helped him find a way forward

Keywords: Mentoring - Stories

A brief summary of some of the findings from our recent research pilot looking into the effects of volunteering on health and wellbeing

Pat, our Volunteering Development Manager, relates the story of Myra, one of the participants in our prescribed volunteering project, who said that volunteering helped her health recovery.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Pat, our Volunteering Development Manager, relates the story of Patrick, one of the participants in our prescribed volunteering project, who said that volunteering is the connection between his old world and his new world.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

This Trustees Week, many organisations will be celebrating their trustees who volunteer their time and skills in governance. Trustees make a huge impact - why not look into becoming one yourself?

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

We asked Judith Smith, Pastor of Horizon Church Sutton to write a guest blog about the positive experiences her church has had hosting Employer-Supported Volunteer teams at her church building, from which several community projects are run. She shares about the impact of ESV, some of the challenges and her top tips for any organisation thinking of hosting an ESV team.

Matt (Digital Inclusion Coordinator) interviews Helen Gasparelli (Mentoring & Advocacy Manager) about her recent Employee Volunteering (EV) experience.

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Priya volunteers at the Refugee and Migrant Network in Sutton, where she teaches English as a Second language to adults

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

Petrica is a mum of 2 teenage boys who has lived in the area the whole of her life. After thinking about volunteering for years, she took the plunge on New Year's Day, 2010

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering

69-year old Noreen has lived in Sutton for almost 5 decades and spent 3 years at Volunteer Centre Sutton helping people find volunteering roles that match their skills and passions. She told us how this gave her a new purpose in life

Keywords: Stories - Volunteering