Last Monday (5 June) volunteers from across our town gathered at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) for a Volunteer Thank You evening.
Blessed with fine weather, volunteers were able to come together to enjoy food, drink and company whilst exploring the fascinating exhibitions the MERL has to offer, including their wonderful gardens. All this was set off by the background soundtrack provided by our very own volunteer trustee Steve Leitch.
With 130 + volunteers from more than 20 local charities and community groups in attendance, the event provided an opportunity for volunteers to connect with their peers all of whom are working in their own ways to make Reading a thriving community, improving and enriching the lives of all.
Volunteers rarely seek or expect thanks for the work they do. It is an honour and a privilege to be able to put on an event like this to ensure they receive the recognition they so richly deserve and to provide an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact volunteering has on our town.
The evening also saw the official launch of Reading’s Vision for Volunteering, a strategy to allow Reading to continue to benefit from the work of volunteers into the future by ensuring we make the best of the volunteering resources, skills and motivation across the town. Keep an eye out for further updates on how all those with a stake in volunteering in our town can come together to make this vision a reality.
Below you will find a gallery of images captured at the event by our photographer for the evening, Rhiannon Stocking-Williams. You can download the images from the slideshow below (right-click to open in a new tab and then right-click to save the image) or if you would like a higher resolution version get in touch and we will arrange to pass on the files.
I and the team at RVA would like to say a huge thank you again to all of the volunteers who are working to make a difference in Reading. You are making a difference in our town.
Want to support next year’s event? You can make a donation HERE or get in touch to discuss sponsorship opportunities.