Volunteers in north Cumbria will have their exceptional work recognised at a Mayor’s Reception in their honour at the Civic Centre this Friday (19 September).
The Mayor of Carlisle will host the event, which will celebrate the work of volunteers, promote the county council’s Community Awards and help volunteers understand how important their activities are to the third sector, the area that covers volunteers.
The Cumbria Community Awards 2008 recognise the work done by hundreds of volunteers around the county and Cumbrians are being asked to nominate those people who go the extra mile for their communities.
Cumbria County Council, which runs the awards, is committed to encouraging active citizenship and volunteering as a clear expression of the active engagement of individuals in our society.
Third Sector organisations cover the full cross section of society and they engage with large scale environmental projects, supporting schools, police and health care services; they provide specialist self-help and expert advice and support; they run community events, sports, culture and arts projects; they also provide localised resident support and activism.
Judith Holmshaw, Volunteer Centre Carlisle Co-ordinator for Cumbria CVS, said:
"The time and commitment that volunteers give to organisations is invaluable and often volunteers don't realise how important they are.
"This is a wonderful way to give something back to volunteers in north Cumbria.
"The Community Awards offer a great opportunity to show how much we appreciate volunteers in Cumbria and the Mayor’s Reception is another way of celebrating the work that they do."
Cumbria County Councillor Barbara Cannon, acting portfolio holder for communities, said:
"People in Cumbria are amongst the most giving in the country and it is so important that we show that we are there to help them and offer our thanks to them for all their hard work.
"Giving our appreciation for third sector workers is just a small way of saying thank you, but it's vital that they know how much we value them, and the work they do. They really are the backbone of our communities."
More than 50 volunteers will be at the lunchtime reception and there will be also be displays from third sector organisations.
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