A big thank you to all fourteen volunteer-involving organisations who took part in “Cheers for Volunteers” at the Victoria Embankment Memorial Gardens. The event this month (October 2023), was designed to celebrate volunteers in the south of the city and to generally promote volunteering.
All sizes and types of organisations had stalls. Nottingham Green Guardians and Parks Volunteers, Community Health Champions, the Nottingham Hospitals Charity, and Age UK Nottingham and Nottinghamshire were well represented. Smaller groups included Empowerment for Heya, and the Memorial Gardens Association, who look after the site.
Emmanuel House had a sample of stock from their city centre shop, Sustrans offered children’s colouring and other activities, and the National Justice Museum brought some disturbing photographs of children in detention. Macmillan Beyond Diagnosis, St Ann's Advice Centre and Fareshare Midlands had information and giveaways. Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and Versus Arthritis also attended.
Pictured is Davia McKoy (right) and Kate Lisle (left) who looked after our NCVS stall, while Dave Thomas, our Volunteering Development Officer, walked the site in a coordinating role.
The event was blessed by unseasonably good weather. Both current and potential volunteers came along, but not quite in the numbers that our organisations would like. However, it was a great opportunity for networking and to meet people we hadn't seen in person for a very long time, or in some cases, people who had previously met only on screen.
Particular thanks and credit must go to Sophia, the City Council's Green Space Development Officer, who approached NCVS with an idea which turned into this event. In addition, she provided the brownies and the tea and coffee as well as doing much of the organising behind the scenes and on the day.
As always, we have some lessons to take from this event for when we do another one next year. (There will be another one!) We would welcome any feedback you have. Please email davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk
