29 Apr 2022 Community

A big thank you to the incredible support from the West Yorkshire 4x4 volunteer team

The West Yorkshire 4x4 Volunteers are an important cog in The Kirkwood community. Whether it's helping The Kirkwood Nurses to visit patients at home, helping them to make it into the hospice in treacherous conditions or helping out at events. These volunteers are a huge part of why The Kirkwood can continue to Support Life across Kirklees.

The West Yorkshire 4x4 Volunteers help The Kirkwood in many ways and have been involved with our charity for many years. The team have over 100 members across West Yorkshire, with many living in Kirklees.

The hardy group of volunteers have been known to help our nurses reach patients who are need of assistance. and also play a huge part in events such as our annual Christmas tree collections and our Midnight Memory Walk.

Over the Christmas period the 4x4 volunteers are a huge help in collecting Christmas Trees, it is a big fundraiser for us and from this we donate a proportion of the funds raised to the volunteer group as a big thank you for all the hard work they put in.

Jonathan Howell a volunteer with The West Yorkshire 4x4 Volunteers explained why they are so committed to helping The Kirkwood in any way they can.

He said: "The West Yorkshire 4x4 Volunteers started ten years ago and we help people in all sorts of ways. We help those that help the public, particularly those in the health and wellbeing sector, do their jobs. We help people get to work in adverse weather conditions, and one of the charities we are proud to be involved with is The Kirkwood.

"We love the fact that they are doing their very best to make people as comfortable as possible through end of life care. We also appreciate how they support people in the community through the various services they provide.

"Just like people may think The Kirkwood is a building, they might think all we do is help people when it's snowing, but that's not the case. The Kirkwood help people in all sorts of ways, and so do we. The Kirkwood are a vital part of the community and we are proud to help them.

"One of the things we do is help The Kirkwood at their Midnight Memory Walk – providing marshaling support. We are situated at different checkpoints to help people if they are struggling or have got lost. We also watch out for speeding cars as they can pose a hazard to the walkers."

Katie Fielding, Events Assistant with The Kirkwood, works closely with the dedicated team and was keen to praise their efforts. She said: "The West Yorkshire 4x4 Volunteers are a key part of The Kirkwood movement. They provide valuable support at so many of our events and we are extremely proud to work with them.

"Their support at the Midnight Memory Walk in particular is invaluable – they keep our walkers safe out on the route and light up the streets with their fantastic vehicles!

“It’s also great to know that the team are here to help our team of dedicated nurses and healthcare professionals in times of difficulty, making sure we continue to be able to reach those in need, no matter what the circumstances.

"We are very lucky to work with such great people and to have formed great friendships with them over the years too! Thank you for everything you do not just for The Kirkwood but across West Yorkshire!"

If you want to get involved with the West Yorkshire 4x4 volunteer team please get in touch by emailing: Membership@wy4x4vol.org