With Volunteers Week looming, one of Manchester’s leading religious figures has showcased the city’s support sector for the positive impacts it can have on people’s lives.
Volunteers Week runs from June 3 to June 7 and is designed to celebrate the thousands of volunteers who help out across the country.
Rogers Govender, the Dean of Manchester, highlighted the importance of volunteering to the city and the many benefits it brings to all walks of life.
“Volunteers have the privilege of volunteering and we have the great joy of appreciating their volunteering,” he said. “I think it’s a genuine win-win isn’t it.
“Which is what society ought to be – there is no win-lose here at all.
“We win and the volunteer wins – so in every way our society and our city wins.”
He added a service on Wednesday June 5, in the Cathedral on the Street, would aim to recognise the role of volunteers in society and what it means to them on a personal level.
“In addition to our need to appreciate volunteers there is the flip side in that those who volunteer get great joy out of it and great benefit from it,” explained Reverend Govender.
“It gives them a sense of meaning, a sense of wellbeing, a feel-good factor and it saves a lot of people from the distress of mental illness, boredom or being lonely at home.
“What is so good about volunteering is that depending on needs, most volunteering is not dependant on faith, race or religion, people just want to do good in their communities.
“The service is predicated on people’s willingness to give their time, their skills and make their knowledge available to others.”
The Dean estimated that there are around 100,000 known volunteer workers in the city, but he believes the unknown volunteers probably treble that figure.
He pointed to those who carry out small favours, such as buying groceries for housebound neighbours or family as volunteers.
“They are not doing it in an institutional type of way but they are still doing good for their community so their contribution is really, really huge,” he said.
“I don’t think the city can cope without volunteers, it’s as simple as that.”
The economic contribution of volunteers to organisations in the city is estimated to be in the region of £330million a year.
Manchester Cathedral relies on more than 100 volunteers and the Dean explained it would be difficult to run it without them.
“It’s a monster job,” he explained. “It’s really our volunteers that make this place what it is.”
Lauren Bailey-Rhodes, who deals with volunteering at the Cathedral, echoed the words of Reverend Govender, stressing the importance of recognising the work of volunteers.
“There are thousands of volunteers in Manchester and we should celebrate what they do,” she said.
“Volunteering gives people a real sense of community and a lot of my volunteers will volunteer somewhere else and will be friends with somebody else.
“It’s very rare that people do not know somebody else in the room and that’s really nice as for some people it’s all about friendship and community.”
“We get a lot of Chinese and Spanish students who want to experience the culture as it is something they don’t have back home,” she explained.
Through the Cathedral’s volunteer’s scheme, anybody who wishes to take part has the opportunity to do so throughout the year across Manchester, but many organisations are using the week to rally support for their causes.
Macmillan Solutions offer assistance for those trying to cope with overcoming cancer, helping with day-to-day tasks that help ease the burden on sufferers, friends and carers alike.
Volunteer support worker Suzanne Hindle explained that most people involved have tackled the disease themselves and that any help – no matter how large or small – is always appreciated.
“It’s the simplest of help that can mean so much to people along their cancer journey,” she said.
“Some people are looking to volunteer as part of a career change, others may be retired or had an experience with Macmillan Cancer Support and want to give something back.”
A similar service is offered by the Stroke Association, who provide Life After Stroke services for people in Manchester to help with the transition from hospital to home care.
Helen Gilbertson, who runs the Information, Advice and Support service, said it wouldn’t be possible to offer the services they provide without the help of passionate volunteers.
“I have an amazing team of volunteers, without which I couldn’t be as productive in my role as there just aren’t enough hours in the day,” she said.
On a national scale, the Association has 4,000 dedicated helpers and National Volunteer and Involvement Coordinator Lisa McDermott stressed how Volunteers Week recognises their work.
“It’s a fantastic way to celebrate and thank our volunteers and the vital contribution they make to our work,” she explained.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children also has plans to use Volunteers Week to mark the work of the thousands of people who support the charity through volunteering.
Louise Stimson, NSPCC head of fundraising in the North West, explained the organisation is always on the lookout for more people who are looking to make a difference.
“Each and every volunteer plays a vital role in enabling us to help families in need and protect vulnerable children and young people,” she said.
“They are the heart and soul to what we do.”
But volunteering goes a lot further than just offering support for those in need, as it can allow people to try new things, meet new people, and get involved with something different.
Girlguiding Greater Manchester West receives support from 853 volunteers across the county covering the area from Trafford to Salford.
North West Girlguiding has more than 68,000 members and offers girls the chance to make lifelong friends and find space to be themselves.
County Commissioner Judith Glenn said that the organisation would not run without the help of volunteers and thanked them all for their contributions.
“We often hear about all the fun and exciting opportunities Girlguiding provides for girls and young women,” she explained.
“But Volunteers Week is a chance for them to say thank you to the adults that make it all possible.”
Image courtesy of Manchester Cathedral, via YouTube, with thanks
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