Our Volunteer Celebration event took place on 6th June, 2024 at Bootle Town Hall. We welcomed over 150 volunteers and handed out 142 certificates and 22 special awards. 

This year, the Volunteer Celebration added a new award to celebrate the 50^th birthday of the borough of Sefton, Sefton CVS, Volunteer Centre Sefton and the 40^th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week. To mark these occasions, we asked for nominations for long service awards and in total, 20 volunteers received long service awards for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years of volunteering in the community.

Barbara Rouse received a long service award for 50 years of service to the community. She has been instrumental in the regeneration of Derby Park, Bootle Action Group and Bootle YMCA. Others, who were recognised for their long service included Val Cousins, who has run a playgroup at Linacre Methodist Mission for over 35 years and Kenneth Bolton who has given 31 years of voluntary service to Sefton libraries. (see below for the full list of recipients)

Recipients of the long service awards:

• Steph Fraser, Sefton Libraries – 10 years
• Linda Ainsworth, Sefton Libraries- 10 years
• Christopher Purcell, Sefton Autism Support Hub – 10 years
• Hilary Ambrose, Sefton Libraries – 10 + years
• John Quirk, Friends of Alexandra and Coronation Parks – 17 years
• Frances Quirk, Friends of Alexandra and Coronation Parks – 17 years
• Sheila James, Homestart Southport & Formby – 19 years
• Margaret (Rita) Donnelly, Sefton Libraries – 20 years
• Anne York, Sefton Libraries – 20 years
• Keith Rushton, Cancer Research UK – 20 years
• Edna Osbourne, Sefton Carers Centre – 20 years
• Colum Leggett, Liverpool Seafarers Centre – 25 years
• Brian Bennett, Liverpool Seafarers Centre – 25 years
• George Weeks, 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts – 27 years
• Kenneth Bolton, Sefton Libraries – 31 years
• Val Cousins, Linacre Mission – 35 + years
• Gwen McMihon, British Red Cross – 40 years
• Ian Mcmihon, British Red Cross – 40 years
• Brenda Porter, Ainsdale in Bloom – 40 + years
• Barbara Rouse, Bootle Action Group, Friends of Derby Park, Bootle YMCA – 50 + years

This year, we had a record number of nominations for Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year awards. These awards give recognition to volunteers in Sefton, who have gone above and beyond their role and shown real dedication and commitment to the cause, community and organisation they support.

This year’s recipient of the Volunteer of the Year award was Alison Hollinrake, from Read Easy. She was selected by a panel that decided her dedication to helping adults learn to read has changed lives. One of her clients, whose literacy skills she has helped to improve has since gone on to get a promotion at work and can now read stories to his young son. He is still working on his reading and is hoping, with Alison’s help, to be able to read all the Harry Potter books.

The winner of the Young Volunteer of the Year Award was Adam Gibson. Adam volunteers at Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity in Bootle. He supports men who have mental health difficulties and volunteers at the organisation’s Coffee and Connect socials. Despite Adam’s age, he has a great breadth of knowledge in terms of how to support people who are experiencing mental and emotional struggles. He is reliable, hardworking and goes out of his way to make everyone feel safe, valued and supported.

Adam also identified a group of younger members who were quite socially anxious and set up an informal games group resulting in a very tight-knit friendship group that now meets each week as well as outside of the organisation. Throughout all of the time that Adam has been volunteering with Sean’s Place, he has been studying, working full-time and taking driving lessons.

Volunteer of the Year award nominations

• Alison Hollinrake – Read Easy Merseyside
• Caitlin Tarrington -Parkhaven Trust
• Colin Dryden – Read Easy Merseyside
• Colum Leggett – Liverpool Seafarers Centre
• David Jenkins – Sean’s Place
• Denise Bowden – Sean’s Place
• Georgia Foot – Sefton Autism Support Hub
• Hannah Duffy- Friends of Alexandra and Coronation Parks
• Isobel Dace – Parkhaven Trust
• Janette Stancombe – Regenerus
• Jean Lilley – Galloways
• John Taylor – Cats Protection
• Keith Rushton – Cancer Research UK
• Kevin Dunne – Stemcell Scousers
• Laura Minard – Sean’s Place
• Lynn Hogg – The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside
• Mary Daly – Community Cancer Navigators
• Phil Boggan – Parkhaven Trust
• Sally Christopher – Homestart Southport & Formby
• Val Cousins – Linacre Mission

Young Volunteer of the year award nominations

• Megan Hurst – 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts
• Louisa Shaw – 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts
• Dillon Wolstencroft – 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts
• James MacKinnon – 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts
• Leo Vernan – 8th Crosby & District Sea Scouts
• Adam Gibson – Sean’s Place