3 Jun 2024 Community
The Kirkwood’s Delight at the Duchess of York’s visit to celebrate volunteers’ week
On the 3rd June The Kirkwood were visited by the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, to help celebrate Volunteers’ Week. It was great to have her visit as she chatted with our volunteers about how they make our charity what it is today. The Duchess spent time in The Kirkwood’s gardens at Dalton and visited our In-Patient Unit where she spoke to nurses and patients.
Having last visited us in July 2021, when our volunteers received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the Duchess was keen to return and, unlike in 2021, she was able to meet some of our patients and their families without any Covid restrictions.
Volunteers’ week is an important week for us to celebrate as a charity. With over 800 fantastic volunteers across the whole of The Kirkwood Movement, it is safe to say we wouldn’t be able to deliver care to over 2,000 local people each year without their dedication and support. They support The Kirkwood by helping in a huge variety of roles, from looking after customers in our shops across Kirklees to helping to care for patients on our In Patient Unit at Dalton.
We also have volunteers on our receptions and in our garden who keep the wonderful and splendorous garden looking fabulous all year round.
The Kirkwood’s CEO Michael Crowther commented on the Duchess’ visit, he said: "The Duchess shares our passion for the role volunteering plays in local communities and came to see us to thank The Kirkwood volunteers for all their hard work. It’s fantastic that she has chosen to take the time to do so. It acknowledges and validates all the hard work our volunteers put in."
Volunteers who attended the event really enjoyed meeting The Duchess and were also keen to share how much volunteering meant to them personally.
Giving something back to the community and The Kirkwood, as well as joining a passionate, friendly team were high on the list of reasons they gave for being proud to be part of The Kirkwood.
Volunteer gardener Linda Roberts is one of those proud volunteers. On volunteering for The Kirkwood she said: “I am proud to volunteer for The Kirkwood, I have done this now for many years and it never gets dull. There is always the chance to meet new people. I love leading and being part of a team, it gives me lots of enjoyment in life and makes me happy knowing I’m making a difference to people’s lives. Whether that’s helping to grow vegetables that are used in by our cateringteam or by helping the garden to look amazing for the patients to enjoy .
“The Kirkwood are a special collection of people who work really hard to improve the lives of others and care for those with a life limiting illness. I know myself and my gardening colleagues are proud of being part of The Kirkwood Movement.”
Finally, Volunteering Manager Linda Moore commented on The Duchess’ visit and how important volunteers are to our charity overall.
She said: “The Kirkwood simply couldn’t run without our amazing volunteers. We want to say a huge thanks to them, they are a big part of our charity and help make it what it is today.”
Volunteering with The Kirkwood supports vulnerable people in our local community, whilst also helping improve the quality of life for those who choose to give their time: teaching them new skills; giving them a stake in their community; and helping them make new friends.
If you would like to help support life in Kirklees by giving a gift of time, please contact Linda Moore at: volunteer@thekirkwood.org.uk
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