You may be aware that the first week of June was Volunteers Week. This is the UK's annual celebration of the enormous contribution volunteers make to our organisations and communities. During the Week events are held across the country to recognise, reward and recruit volunteers.

Although now too late to be included in Volunteer’s Week, your local Volunteer Centre – VCWF – is asking you to nominate a volunteer for the ‘Waltham Forest Volunteer of the Year’ award. This is aimed at highlighting inspirational or innovative contributions volunteers have made to your work and is open to any volunteer who has been with your organisation for three months or more.

There will be three awards (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd) drawn from each of three categories. The categories are:

Voluntary/Charity Sector Organisations

Statutory Organisations, including the Local Authority

Overall, including both the Voluntary and Statutory Sectors

We recently sought nominations for the Award from organisations registered with us, however the deadline was too tight for many groups, and we have now extended the deadline to June Monday 30^th. We enclose a short form you’ll need to complete and return to us for each nominee. This should include a resume of the volunteer’s activities, and why you’ve found their contribution to be so valuable.

Nominations should be returned to us by Monday 30^th June, and we will inform successful nominees by the end of the following week.

The awards will be made at a ceremony presided over by The Mayor at the Volunteer Centre’s AGM in July of this year, and each award will attract a prize of a book token or cash. The event will provide you with networking and publicity opportunities, and will include a buffet meal.

If you need any further information, or would like to discuss your nominations with someone from the Centre, please get in touch with: Dick Tapsall on 0208 988 6754 or 07970 545 837, or email: dicktapsall@volunteercentrewf.org.uk