It’s Volunteer Week - a very big thank you to all our great volunteers

Volunteer Week & European Year Of Volunteering

Did you know that this week is national Volunteer Week? Not only that but 2011 has been designated the year of the Volunteer by the European Union.

So we thought this would be a great time to say a really big thank you to all our thousands of volunteer walk leaders and other volunteers across England. You’re helping to make Walking for Health the success it is and enabling over 65,000 people to get walking and get active.

If you’re not a Walking for Health volunteer but you’d like to know more about how you can become a volunteer walk leader go to “Become a walk leader” section.

Walking for Health Wolverhampton wins prestigious award

To coincide with Volunteer Week the winners of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2011 have been announced this week. We’re delighted that Walking for Health Wolverhampton is one the groups to receive this prestigious award this year.

The Queen’s Award is the MBE for groups of volunteers who work in their local community for the benefit of others. It recognises outstanding voluntary contributions and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering.

The walking scheme in Wolverhampton was selected from hundreds of groups nominated by members of the public who have been helped personally or witnessed the benefits of a group’s work in their community.

Walking for Health Wolverhampton will receive a certificate signed by The Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal at a special ceremony. A few lucky members of the groups will also be attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

Speaking of their success, Hayley Scott, co-ordinator for the Wolverhampton scheme said:

We are thrilled to have received this prestigious honour for the work we do helping people to get fitter and happier by walking in the local community.

Davinder Singh, a Walking for Health Lead Adviser in the West Midlands, said

I’m delighted for the Wolverhampton scheme. They celebrated their 10^th anniversary recently and have helped thousands of people get more active. I’ve been really impressed by the way the scheme has successfully engaged ethnic minority groups and people on low incomes in inner city areas.

Walking for Health Exceptional Service Award to recognise volunteers

Don’t forget that we have re-launched our volunteer recognition scheme. We’d love to hear from you if you know of a Walking for Health volunteer that deserves special recognition. You can find out more on Exceptional Service Award section of the website. You can also download a form to fill in and return and we’ll be in touch.