Charity for disabled children hosts volunteer event as part of The Big Help Out
A charity which supports disabled children has held an event to show members of the public how they can volunteer their time and make a difference.
Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children, which has a centre in Cannock, held the open day on Monday as part of The Big Help Out, marking The King's Coronation.
Around 30,000 organisations put on around 55,000 events across the country to mark the crowning of Charles III with a showcase of volunteering.
The initiative hopes to empower people to give back to their local community, whether that be through an hour or day of helping out, or even regular volunteering.
More than a dozen people attended Newlife's open day event, with several people pledging to become volunteers, including Lindsey Griffiths from Great Wyrley.
The charity also unveiled its new volunteer pledge document, which gives people the chance to pledge their time, however small or great that may be, to volunteer and help change lives.
Stephen Morgan, the charity's director of operations, said: "We wanted to celebrate the coronation and the opportunity to participate in The Big Help Out.
"We also wanted to celebrate our volunteers, as we have more than 150 volunteering at Newlife at the moment.
"We have a real eclectic range of volunteers, some of whom have additional needs themselves. We're a charity for disabled children, but we don't just believe in helping children.
"These children grow up and become disabled adults and we believe in supporting them."
Newlife has 10 stores across the UK, with volunteers processing and putting out stock, making it look presentable and communicating with customers.
Volunteers can also donate their time in doing admin in the charity's offices, clinically cleaning toys which have been used by disabled children, and participating in charitable activities.
Newlife is always happy to support fundraising endeavours and emphasised this at its event, whether that be running or jumping out of a plane.
Stephen, who is from Cannock himself, said: "We're a real focal point of the community and we have diverse opportunities to volunteer and take part.
"Volunteers can do good, make friends, and feel great as well."
Sue Blick, volunteer recruitment and support officer for Newlife, added: “Volunteers at Newlife have been helping to transform the lives of disabled children for the last 15 years.
"We are keen to find volunteers who can pledge their time to us, so anyone interested in helping us can tell us how they would like to volunteer.
"This could open up new possibilities, as any interested individual or group could offer to do a supermarket bucket collection, be a Volunteer Ambassador to help raise awareness and give support to children and families in their area, do a fundraising activity such as a parachute jump, run a marathon or any other sponsored event, such as a walk, hold a tea party, run a networking group in their local area or, pledge to volunteer in any of our stores or in a variety of administration roles.
“We are open to learning what the community can offer, how they can support us. Sometimes it is the more specific volunteer role we offer through role descriptions that meets what people want, but if we can attract more volunteers in different ways, such as an individual family or group of families who have been supported by us to do something, that would be fantastic.”
For more information on how to volunteer for Newlife visit newlifecharity.co.uk/volunteering
