Sending thanks to our wonderful volunteers for your support this Volunteers’ Week and all year through

It is Volunteers’ Week 3rd – 9th June 2024 – the 40th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week – and we want to thank our lovely volunteers for sharing their time and skills to help us provide information and support to unpaid family and friend carers. We are always in need of people to volunteer with us, so if you have some time to spare, whether regularly or occasionally, please get in touch with our Volunteer Service.

Julie Hayes, our Hubs and Volunteer Co-ordinator, said: “Our volunteers generously dedicate their time and skills to help us ensure unpaid family and friend carers in Hertfordshire are identified, informed, supported and heard. Thank you so much for all you do. Many of our volunteers (47%) help us around their own caring roles.”

Julie continued that carers often tell us how much they’ve appreciated the support they’ve received and the difference it has made, with compliments such as “I greatly benefited from having a mentor and our one-hour regular talks. Thank you for being a listening ear and for guiding me to set smart goals.”

For Volunteers’ Week we are celebrating and thanking our volunteers with a couple of online events they can join in with a Wellbeing Workshop and a Social. The Wellbeing Workshop is on Tuesday 4th June 2024, 10.30am – 12.30pm and volunteers can pick up tips about stress management and join in a short meditation.

Then on Friday 7th June 2024, 10.30am – 12.30pm, there is a chance to catch up with each other, take part in a fun quiz and hear feedback from carers about the support they’ve received from our volunteers.

If you don’t already volunteer with us, but are interested in supporting us, your help is needed. Some of the roles can be done at home, such as providing telephone bereavement support and making Keep in Touch calls, others like admin support in our Hertford office, and others such as mentoring in person near to where you live or over the phone.

We are also looking for Hub Leaders or joint leaders for our carers’ groups in Berkhamsted, Bishop’s Stortford and Chorleywood and Rickmansworth.

Some of our volunteers have kindly shared their experience of volunteering with us, to give you an idea of what being a Carers in Hertfordshire volunteer is like.

Office-based volunteer Harvey said: “I’ve been providing admin support since January. I got involved through a work taster scheme as I wanted to develop my skills whilst supporting a worthwhile cause. I volunteer about three hours a week and find the role enjoyable and stimulating. The staff and other volunteers are friendly and have made me feel welcome.”

Fran, who has been a Mentor since 2016 and supported 11 carers, said: “I find the role rewarding, giving my time to listen to and guide the carer I’m mentoring.”

For more information about volunteering with us please email volunteer@carersinherts.org.uk or call us on 01992 58 69 69. You can also visit our volunteer pages to learn more.