Recognising Local Volunteers

Anna runs the girls and ladies’ section of Town Malling Cricket club. She promotes girls and women's cricket, leads on the main club committee and finds the coaches for all the different teams. She sorts matches, organises new kit, and also trains some of the teams. This is all on top of her day job of being a nurse. I see what she does for the club and the amount of time she gives.

Anthony practically runs the Riverview FC. In addition to being club secretary, he manages the U13s, acts as linesman, travels to pick up players and even referees other games.

Andrew dedicates many hours each week to ensure the smooth running of the football club. Andrew is pivotal to the club; he is the main contact for members and organisations such as parents, other volunteers, training providers and the Football Association. Andrew oversees the organisation of around 17 youth teams and 1 men’s team each week, in addition to his role as Treasurer. I feel that Park Farm Rangers Football Club would not be as stable and successful as it is today without Andrew.

Andy has been a key member of the committee and team player at Dartford basketball club for 20 years. Playing for both 1st and Vets teams. Andy coaches the clubs women’s team and manages the Junior programme, organises the club social events and is the social media secretary, and much more besides, all while supporting a family and working a full time job. Andy is an integral part of the club and the junior programme. Thanks to Andy, 100’s of young people in Dartford and North Kent have accessed basketball in the county.

Annabel has been volunteering at Challock Youth Club for over 5 years now and is great with both the young people attending and with the other volunteering staff. She is excellent at identifying what is needed to improve the youth club and spends a lot of her personal time writing up documents, shopping for tuck shop and organising events for the young people to participate in. Annabel is the one that holds us together and always has the young people’s safety and health in the forefront of her mind.

Anne-Marie prepares, organises, serves and clears our match teas every Saturday from 10.00am to 7.00pm. She has done this for the last four years as a volunteer, saving the club £000s each season. Although a past player, injury now prevents her from playing. She never complains, always has a smile to greet both opposition and home teams, as well as visiting officials and supporters. Ann-Marie is a true trooper.

Ayomide volunteers with Youth Ngage on any activities or responsibility that needs support. In between her studies at university, she volunteers at the Youth Club to create fun activities. She volunteers in the community to help people check their blood pressure and assists the Computing class for the elderly. She is very efficient, reliable, friendly and resourceful.

Whilst doing her master’s degree, Billie-Jo offered to support the Boccia club with admin duties such as, membership renewal, helping out with emails, finding training venues. She deserves to be recognised for all that she does supporting others whilst trying to study for a degree.

Dan and Gary are the joint Event Directors for Great Lines parkrun. Under their leadership, the team of volunteers has gone from strength to strength. They also, several times a year, encourage donations from parkrun participants to our local food bank and collections for the Salvation Army. They are great guys who really care about the local community, promoting people’s health (both mental and physical). They do so much for others it is about time they received their own public recognition.

Dave has run and facilitated the New Age Kurlers group for about 3 years now, all voluntarily. He has formed a large group of people that enjoy the classes immensely. Some have just taken part in the world championships in Bridlington and finished 2nd and 3rd in their groups. David also organises quiz nights, Christmas dinner and dance plus Sunday roast meetings. It is very sociable and helps with isolation and loneliness. He is reliable and passionate about what he does.

Daya started the Kent Saheli Group in 1991 for ethnically diverse females to have a safe place to develop friendship and talk about their experiences coming to the UK. She is now in her 80's still running Yoga and a weekly badminton club for women who are socially isolated due to languages barrier, age, disability, community boundaries and stigma. Her positive approach and emotional support inspire many people who do not fit into mainstream services.

The Family volunteer every Sunday so that children can take part in Medway junior parkrun. They set up in all weather's which requires working before and after the event. Not only do they volunteer but they give so much encouragement to the children. Their encouragement has made my children grow confidence and grow to love running. My children love their presence.

The Volunteers who run the Wheelability Project at Minnis Bay are there come rain or shine, with a friendly smile (and sometimes homemade cake!). They welcome new members and existing members and assist where necessary. They keep all the bikes in good order, so they are safe and ready to use. To keep the project running they also spend their own personal time fixing up old bikes and selling them on to raise more funds for new bikes. They are truly dedicated to the project and are a wonderful resourceful team of people.

Debbie coaches at the club, however her largest and most significant volunteer role is judging for the club, giving up at least a quarter of her weekends every year. If she did not do this, the children and adults would not be able to compete at club, regional, national or international trampoline events. It also requires her to travel from Kent to Durham, Cardiff, Telford, and sometimes this is just for one person to compete. She is very understated about the importance of her volunteering role and the difference this makes to so many people.

Fi is not only very generous with her time at Your Leisure but is generous with her experience and expertise. Fi is passionate about improving inclusion and wellbeing in the most challenged communities. Fi provides strategic and hands on help in developing and delivering many initiatives, including helping people living with hearing impairments, engaging with that community, asking what they want, what barriers they face and then making “stuff” happen, like the BSL videos in our leisure centres.

Gemma and the others are trained volunteer coaches at Ashford Swimming Club. There are only a few of them but they are very reliable and always turn up to make sure that swimming lessons for the children can go ahead at the Stour Centre in Ashford.

Gemma gives up so much of her time to help others. She’s just passing the 50 mark at parkrun on volunteering and is still going. Every week Mollie (our Labrador) comes too and cheers everyone on. Mollie has her own volunteer vest too. During the week she organises a local walk and keeps everyone safe throughout. Even in the pouring rain, Gemma and Mollie are there for those who need it.

Gill is a great coach and very passionate. She doesn’t just lead sessions or games but helps washing kits, recording and taking photos, organizing social events, and taking on roles as safeguarding officer, and supporting the club into a new direction. Always with a smile on her face. We could not have asked for a better person to join our club.

Glen was an attendee of one of Your Leisure - Live Better in the Community Ukulele courses. The aim of the activities is to help prevent isolation, and improve wellbeing for the over 55's. The course greatly helped Glen with the way he was feeling at the time. He went on to be a volunteer helping the facilitator set up, making refreshments, making attendees feel welcome. He is an asset with his cheerfulness and humour, and very reliable.

Great Lines parkrun is only made possible each week due to the army of selfless volunteers that come forward to give their time for the community. We see regular volunteers who have volunteered at the event from day 1, to people who dip in and dip out. Each and every single volunteer is needed, to ensure that the free weekly event is able to take place. The event supports local groups with its twice a year food bank collection. Together we can make Medway a GREAT place to live, work and enjoy life.

Hannah is the Assistant Commissioner for Cubs across Kent. She coordinates a team of Cub Leaders, who organise events for young people from 8 - 10 ½ years old, plus some of the Young Leaders from Scouting. Young people are able to get outdoors and participate in a whole range of activities as a result of the work she does.

Helen is passionate about Great Lines parkrun and community connecting. She also volunteers for a local running club. Her passion is to get more people active in Medway! Helen has volunteered over 100 times at parkrun. Helen is Great Lines parkrun Social Media Lead. At Great Lines parkrun the age and demographic is diverse and she tries to ensure her approach appeals to all. Thank you Helen for ensuring that Great Lines parkrun is reaching as many people as possible.

Ian is the groundsman for Mersham Sports Club and if he's not at home or walking the dog, he is generally found at the ground, mowing, rolling or adjusting something. If there's a match to be played the lines are drawn, whether it be football, cricket or archery. Ian is also a volunteer activator for the Allstars (under 8's) cricket session, organising the sessions so the other activators know what they are doing and getting the kit ready for the influx of 40+ children on a Friday evening.

Irene set up and runs Every Step Counts free walking groups. She leads 3 of the groups each week herself and trains other volunteer walk leaders to lead the others. She also set up 2 seated, gentle exercise classes for the walkers, obtaining funding so the classes are free and open to everyone. Irene is passionate about keeping the older generation moving and improving their friendship groups and mental health. Irene is a star.

John is an incredible long-term volunteer who looks after everything outdoors for Mid Kent Mind and helps with any other pieces of work around our building. He understands the importance we place on the connections between the outdoors and mental health. No job is too much for John - he will always find a way to get things done. We are incredibly grateful for all John does for us, week-in, week-out. He is incredibly committed to our organisation and makes a massive difference to us every week!

Kanndiss' unmeasured spirit and ability to keep supporting the local community of Thanet providing social activities to those living across intersections of society, including carers and disabled people. I'm nominating Kanndiss so she can be recognised for her work supporting lgbtqi+, persons of colour and disabled people.

Kian’s knowledge and application have been so valuable to our team and the player’s development this season. He volunteers endless amounts of time to the team and players. His commitment and dedication to our cause has been outstanding.

Ken is an enthusiastic and committed volunteer giving so much time and energy for the benefit of others. He thrives on seeing beginners improve. Ken runs a number of development sessions each week. This has enabled us to offer the inclusive sport to so many more individuals, schools and youth groups in our community. The players he coaches absolutely love his input and they continue to get better and better. Without Ken, the club would not be as successful as it is.

Kevin or Bertie as he is better known, is the chairman of the club and has been for around 30 years. His volunteering is not limited to any area or skill. If there is a job that needs doing, he will give it a go; if there is someone that needs support with their cricket or even their own mental health, he is there. He coaches the woman's cricket team as well as encouraging us all to take an active part in the club. If he is not at work or home, he will be at the field. No job is ever too big for him to do or he'll rally a team to assist him to complete it.

Kevin started volunteering with us back in 2021 when we were starting our Walking Football groups. Attendance was really slow in the beginning but Kevin stuck with it, keeping the sessions going and making up the numbers. Kevin has made sure that all new members are welcomed to the group and everyone's needs are catered for to ensure the group is really inclusive. Now the group is a huge success and this was definitely made possible with all of Kevin's support.

Lesley, Victor, Mary and Gill are the volunteer leaders of Age UK Hythe Walking Group. Walks take place twice a week, finishing with a cuppa at the Age UK café. They walk in all weathers except when it is icy or torrential rain but then they still meet up for a coffee. The main purpose of the walk is social - the walking is secondary. A massive thank you to our Walking Volunteers for their contribution to our Hub - what a wonderful way to promote health and friendships!

As a runner and a volunteer, I feel the whole volunteer team at The Leas parkrun need a shout out. They give up their Saturday morning lie-in to allow runners and walkers a chance to take part in a free event every Saturday morning. Come rain or shine they are there and the weather up that beach is not nice at times. So thank you to everyone.

Mark has spent the last 32 years involved in the hockey club, starting as a player and then progressing on to umpire and become vice chairman of the club. He goes above and beyond in every role he undertakes for the club in a voluntary capacity. His passion for the sport is clearly recognised by other club members and he is highly regarded by all who meet him.

Mario devotes a considerable amount of his own time carrying out unpaid rugby coaching, often single-handedly, to young people through Thanet Wanderers 'Schools and Community Programme'. He is a regular coach at our weekly rugby evenings for SEN children. He’s always one of the first to volunteer to help with festivals and competition days. He really deserves recognition for all the time and effort he gives towards introducing young people to rugby.

Marion is our Branch chair and is amazingly energetic. She runs two branch activities, the Gentle Gym and Movement to Music, as well as attending and overseeing all that goes on in the branch. She has long-time experience of living with Parkinson's in her family. It is through her energetic support and experience that many people have learnt how important keeping moving is to people with Parkinson's. A great many people with Parkinson's receive a better service than they might otherwise be given.

All these volunteers are the founder members of Prince Arthur Boccia Club, so without these individuals, the club would not be possible. We would like to recognise these individuals as they make sure that it is a welcoming club for all members whether they have a disability or not, whatever their gender, ability or age.

Mike who has been the Booking Manager at Maidstone Hockey Club for more than 5 years. He is responsible for handling all enquiries to hire our Astro Pitch or Clubhouse. He does this completely voluntarily. Mike also programs our floodlights on our pitch and heating/ electrical usage at the clubhouse - often requiring weekly visits to change the settings. Mike no longer plays but will often umpire one or two games each week and was part of our subcommittee involved in the conversion of the floodlights to LED (scheduled for completion this summer).

Merriot is a credit to our Inclusive Sport family as he volunteers at many of our sessions as an assistant coach, helping and supporting with kindness and compassion. His knowledge of a variety of sports and sporting ability enables him to provide demonstrations to participants and support when needed. He always has a smile on his face and makes everyone feel happy around him. We are extremely proud and lucky to have Merriot as part of our team!

Mote Park parkrun will be 1 year old on 3 June during volunteer week. What better time to thank the volunteers who help make it happen. ALL our core team and everyone who volunteers at Mote Park is amazing, turning up in all weathers to ensure that everyone has a safe and happy parkrun experience on a Saturday. Which is why we want to say a huge thank you to everyone.

I’d like to recognise the entire volunteer group that encourage and develop boys and girls from age 4 to 18 to play hockey in Maidstone. There is a team of coaches backed up by enthusiastic junior leaders and parents. Their efforts every season have led to an increase in numbers. It’s not all about coaching and development though, in our clubhouse a band of parent “baristas” keep supporters and visitors refreshed. All in all, there are about 25 volunteers that make all this happen.

Peter has always got the welfare of the players at heart within disability football. He is a keen committee member and Respect Officer always making sure respect is followed. He takes loads of photos of the football tournaments which all involve love.

Paul was our first volunteer at Snodland Bike club and helps out each week. Quiet in demeanour but with lots of ideas and time to support riders that ask for his help. Paul is happiest when he's on a bike with the young riders. He is very much respected and highly thought of among the riders and the parents of the group. Father of a downhill racer, he has seen how riding a bike can transform lives. We all look at him and hope we are still riding like him when we get to his age. Thank you to an amazing volunteer.

Ricardo is a key volunteer and a huge ambassador at Great Lines parkrun. Ricardo has been volunteering at the event from day one. He has been the Volunteer Co-ordinator for the past 144 weeks. During the pandemic, Ricardo continued to keep in touch with regular volunteers, not only to ensure that they were safe and well, but he understands the vital role the event plays in individuals’ lives. Over the years, Ricardo has seen the direct, and indirect, impact the free weekly event has on the local and wider community and he truly brings the passion to the event every week, come rain or shine.

Richie has been running the Medway Wolfpack without any expectation of gratitude for years. He organised virtual team events through covid and kept everyone’s spirits up. He has got so many people through marathon training with plans and advice and enabled so many people to achieve their goals. He arranges weekly training sessions and the reason the club is so strong as a community is entirely because of him.

Richard tirelessly coaches for Medway Fit, making training interesting and supporting all runners in achieving their potential from Couch to 5K upwards. He deserves recognition for his hard work.

Sally is our amazing Tournament Secretary who helps our referee to organise 20+ badminton tournaments per annum, mainly at Medway Park. Her super organisational skills mean that Kent Badminton’s tournaments are well thought of as being efficient, enjoyable and run to time. Sally used to be a very good badminton player, but health issues mean that she’s not been able to do so for many years now - her love of the sport though means she volunteers many hours of her time to support other players to play badminton.

Simon has been a regular, enthusiastic volunteer with White Cliffs Countryside Partnership (WCCP) since 2009. He is a great advocate of the fun of orienteering in the local landscape and we appreciate his specialist skills and help with creating the new High Meadow Orienteering course. Simon is a very busy and dedicated volunteer with both WCCP and with Saxons Orienteering Club. He really does deserve recognition for all the time, effort, skills, years and above all enthusiasm, that he has contributed to encouraging being active in Kent.

Stephen has been a volunteer manager of Roseacre Raiders for the past 8 years. He’s committed his time and energy to keeping the team playing each week. A key achievement was keeping the team fit during the pandemic and checking in on players mental health. Before this, Stephen spent 7 years coaching a Mens football team, Trisports, which gave young men from marginalised groups the chance to play football. In total Stephen has volunteered in football every weekend for the past 17 years.

Steve and Jackie are the backbone to Ocean Lake Triathlon club, both taking key roles to enable the club to function. Steve is the lead for race organisation but also coaches the adults and more recently the juniors as we try and grow this part of the club. Jackie has been the treasurer for the club for many years, as well as organising event volunteers and rotas. She also holds committee posts with the South East Region of British Triathlon, and is a lead Technical Officer both locally and Nationally. They do so much for the club, and they deserve to be recognised for this.

Steve plays rugby for Medway Rugby Club in the mixed ability team and Touch rugby. He helps to pick people up so they can attend the sessions. This enables a lot of people with additional needs to play and be part of a club giving a sense of belonging as well as learning new skills and keeping fit. He is always the first to offer help and support to people and deserves recognition.

Steve helps at Snodland Bike Club whenever he can. He always has a smile on his face and the young riders respect him and enjoy his company. Full of ideas of activities and keen to help the wider community, Steve helps to set up sessions, fix bikes, give support to newer riders and help them when they tumble. His energy and enthusiasm are a wonderful asset to the club. A true all round champion.

Terry turns up at Sevenoaks Bowling club every Monday morning to maintain the area surrounding the green. He turns the green each week and cuts the grass surrounding the green. He likes the odd cup of coffee to keep him going! We are grateful for all that he does for the club. Thank you for volunteering, Terry.