Celebrating Our Volunteers at The Matthew Project

From supporting catering and events all the way through to leading our alcohol recovery activities, our volunteers an invaluable asset to The Matthew Project: warm, kind, and all-round wonderful people from all walks of life.

We recently came together to celebrate our volunteers at our Recovery Centre on Oak Street - read on to discover more from our HR & Volunteer Officer Deborah Morris.

Volunteer Celebration Round-Up

We enjoyed a lovely, relaxed evening on Thursday 16th July at the Centre, recognising and celebrating the amazing support and dedication our volunteers give us.

Twenty volunteers were able to come; plus four of our trustees. Although many of the volunteers knew each other, it was a great opportunity for them to meet others for the first time and to mingle with their wider volunteer team.

Opening Speeches

We started the evening off with a welcome from me, then:

• Rachel thanked everyone, including the trustees, and gave statistics and special mentions - highlighting long service and hours of volunteering. She also highlighted how integral the volunteers are to the running of our services and how we could not provide all the activities we do without them: the ratio of staff to volunteers is 60:40.

• Zee talked about the role of youth befrienders and how, after the professional support is concluded, we have volunteer youth befrienders who then provide continued contact and support.

• Pete gave an overview of the veterans groups and how vital the volunteers are to the veteran service.

• Fae showcased the diverse activities of the group facilitators and the role of the recovery connectors and how volunteers contribute to the building of our recovery community.

• Steven thanked the volunteers’ involvement in catering and running the barista bar, the running of the workshop, allotments, and supporting the reception.

• Lea spoke on behalf of On Track about how our young volunteers are vital to encouraging our young people to engage in activities and helping them to feel comfortable and confident.

• Richard Gilbert ended the first part of the evening by adding the trustees' heartfelt thanks to our volunteers and recognising their invaluable contribution to TMP.

A Final Thank You

We then enjoyed a truly delicious buffet supper prepared by Steven and his amazing team of volunteers and helpers.

As a small token of TMP’s appreciation, each volunteer was presented with a card that included the lines “Thank you for all that you do! May you be proud of the work you do, the person you are, and the difference you make.” And a red, heart-shaped badge with the wording: “You make a Difference”.

Interested In Volunteering For The Matthew Project?

If you'd like to join our incredible team of volunteers, find out more on our volunteer page, where we're currently looking to fill multiple roles.