New campaign in Surrey Heath aims to encourage volunteering
Surrey Heath is home to over 500 charities and community groups.
A new campaign has been launched, and it's calling for people in Surrey Heath to help local charities by volunteering.
The 'Collect Smiles' Campaign is asking people to get involved by donating their time to causes they care about.
It is being run by charity specialists Voluntary Support North Surrey, with support from Surrey Heath Borough Council.
"It's a lovely time of year to get involved in organisations, particularly those that are helping people that need it."
Surrey Heath is home to over 500 charities and community groups. Many of these organisations delivering vital help and services to residents depend on people volunteering their time for a good cause.
Research shows that fewer people are volunteering: the Community Life Survey estimated 16% of people volunteered for one hour a month during 2021/22, down from about 23% in 2019/20. But the need for more volunteers is growing as charities deal with increased demand, with events such as the cost-of-living crisis having an impact.
Solette Sheppardson, Chief Executive of Voluntary Support North Surrey, explained that volunteering can be really rewarding, saying "One real benefit we found is purpose. Something that absolutely makes people want to get up in the morning is volunteering, if they've found something that really is suitable towards how they want to give back. It helps them with their own mental health.
Surrey Heath Portfolio Holder for Inclusion and Housing Lisa Finan Cooke explained that it's crucial to get volunteering with Christmas approaching "Volunteering in the run up to Christmas is incredibly important. A lot of organisations in the run up to Christmas, their volunteers tend to be a little bit busier and may not have as much time to give. "But also I think it's a lovely time of year to get involved in organisations, particularly those that are helping people that need it."