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Volunteers show the way forward at Volunteer Celebration 2024

It’s not just about numbers and statistics. Our volunteers all over the north spend time in their communities making a difference.

At the Big Life Volunteers Celebration 2024 on 4 June we applauded the remarkable achievements of the many volunteers who support our services, our staff and community projects. 

We honoured their successes, with awards and a special lunch at The Lowry Theatre, in the beautiful top floor Compass Room with it’s panoramic views of Salford Quays, Manchester and beyond. Nearly 100 people attended from all over the group, including support staff and representatives from our Big Life Board and leadership team.

Volunteers joined us from Living Well Rochdale, Energise, The Zion Cafe, the Zion and Kath Locke Centres, Wesley Community Furniture, Longsight Family Hub, the Liverpool Hub and Living Well Tameside.

The highlight of the event saw volunteer teams being presented with 18 Big Life Values Awards for their work. During the presentation, volunteer leads from all Big Life’s services spoke of the huge positive impact volunteers had on their communities – and you can see the videos below. Whether that’s in Rochdale, where walk leaders walked for more than 4,000 hours; or Manchester, where volunteers packed more than 10 000 bags for the Bread and Butter thing providing hard-pressed families with healthy food and saving 50 tonnes of food waste; or Salford where volunteers created a beautiful garden from waste ground.

At the celebration Fay Selvan, Big Life CEO, said: “It’s not just about numbers and statistics. Our volunteers all over the north spend time in their communities making a difference. From someone who comes to our Liverpool Hub or a new parent needing support in our children’s centres in Longsight, to the people with long-term conditions who get support at the Energise, volunteers are there to give their experience, support and compassion.”