Latest News and Stories from Volunteer Centre Sutton
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.
October marks another Sutton Soup, as Peter Struik had the limelight in July, we’ve asked Jeff Richards, another “serial volunteer” to share his story to help inspire others to try volunteering.
02 October 2024
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For this month’s volunteer story, we asked one of our Young Commissioners who you may recognise from our homepage, to share a bit more of her story and how anyone can volunteer and make a difference, even if feeling a little nervous at the start.
04 September 2024
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To celebrate four amazing decades of Home-Start Sutton transforming family lives we hear from a number of their volunteers.
09 August 2024
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Marking one year of our Volunteer Story of the Month feature, we talk to Peter Struik “serial volunteer” extraordinaire, Chair of Sutton Soup, and active volunteer with EcoLocal, amongst many others!
03 July 2024
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3rd-9th June is Volunteers' Week, and the 40th anniversary of it. The celebration starts today. It’s a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s incredible volunteers for all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector, and society as a whole. We wanted to shine a light on an extraordinary young volunteer in the borough: Dom.
03 June 2024
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For May, a month bringing awareness to mental health, especially with the 2024 theme being Movement: Moving more for our mental health, we had a quick chat with Sara Lee from Cre8 Football.
02 May 2024
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This month we hear from one of our longest serving MAPS mentors, Anthony French, about his experience over several years mentoring several young people in the borough.
03 April 2024
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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.
05 March 2024
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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.
07 February 2024
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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.
16 January 2024
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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.
19 December 2023
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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.
01 November 2023
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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.
27 October 2023
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Sutton Vision shares their story, just ahead of Befriending Week, of Adrian who volunteers as a telephone befriender for them.
27 October 2023
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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.
04 October 2023
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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.
04 September 2023
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Shining the light on a new volunteer story this month to give further insight into those individuals who transform our borough.
02 August 2023
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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.
28 July 2023
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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.
17 November 2022
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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.
18 October 2022
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Flora and her daughter Ariel moved to the UK 10 months ago
14 July 2022
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Bernard moved to Sutton from Hong Kong in August 2021
14 July 2022
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Our MAPS mentoring project supports many young carers with one to one mentoring.
15 March 2022
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"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
22 April 2021
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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
22 April 2021
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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
09 April 2021
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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
11 March 2021
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Read Edina's story about her volunteering journey into full time employment
12 September 2019
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One of our long-standing MAPS mentors shares her experiences
19 July 2019
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For Refugee Week 2019, our Community Engagement Coordinator, Marta Rocco, reflects on her own volunteering experiences supporting refugees
19 June 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Carers Centre would like to thank Jean Sharpington.
31 May 2019
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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.
31 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Dreaming Tree Project would like to thank Bambina.
29 May 2019
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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.
29 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Community Works would like to thank Vicki.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Rob Campion.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Diana Broad.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Sue Elson
21 May 2019
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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
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Sue
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Our MAPS team would like to thank Caroline Magin
21 May 2019
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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
21 May 2019
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"I have volunteered forever" read Mary's inspiring story
21 May 2019
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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
14 May 2019
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Andrew and Sue met volunteering in 1971 and have just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary!
06 February 2019
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Afraid of leaving the house and struggled to cope with the demands of school life, he turned to MAPS for support
02 December 2018
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But a love of fast cars and a mentor helped him find a way forward
02 December 2018
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A brief summary of some of the findings from our recent research pilot looking into the effects of volunteering on health and wellbeing
06 December 2017
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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.
06 December 2017
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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.
06 December 2017
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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?
09 November 2017
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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.
08 November 2017
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Matt (Digital Inclusion Coordinator) interviews Helen Gasparelli (Mentoring & Advocacy Manager) about her recent Employee Volunteering (EV) experience.
20 June 2017
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Priya volunteers at the Refugee and Migrant Network in Sutton, where she teaches English as a Second language to adults
17 March 2016
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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
17 March 2016
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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
17 March 2016
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