Winner of the Inspirational Volunteer Award

The judges felt there was a stand-out winner in this category. Tara is a driving force in her community, setting an example to others. She is strategic, an ideas person and someone who knows how to use social media to go beyond her area – the Old Dean, an area of national deprivation.

Tara was a key member in setting up @THEOLDDEEANREC – the new community library on the Old Dean. The community library is a little gem on the Old Dean where local children can go to choose books, take them home, and sit or enjoy the library. Many of these children would not have been able to access books at home. The local school also walks children across to use the library.

Tara also masterminded the organisation of the recent Old Dean Fun Day and plays an active role in committee meetings for the Old Dean Community Group – all while juggling the needs of a young family.

Winner of the New Volunteer Award

Peter is Camberley Library’s Digital Buddy where he has been volunteering for the past year.

He provides IT help, whether that be with emails or helping someone with finding their ancestry. He has great rapport with the library’s visitors and has regulars who he helps.

He also volunteers for the Code Club which, without him, would not be able to run. He is reliable and conscientious and gives up his time to make the library’s visitors more IT confident.

The judges were very impressed with the huge impact Peter has made in his first year of volunteering and that he is bringing more people to Camberley Library, and that he shows innovation in wanting to move into new areas of support.

Winner of the Young Volunteer Award

Darlene is currently in Year 8 and has been volunteering since she was in primary school.

She helps with setting up toys and arts and crafts for the playgroup she volunteers for as well as preparing snacks and preparing and tidying up. After setting up for the playgroups, she waits at the entrance to meet and greet families as they come in. She’s currently in the process of mentoring other children to help as young volunteers.

The judges were particularly impressed with this young lady’s level of commitment, starting volunteering at such a young age, and her support to other young volunteers.

Winner of the Volunteer Team Award

Frimley and Camberley Cadet Corps received three separate nominations for this category. Remarkably, this group has been active in Surrey Heath for 115 years and goes from strength to strength.

It supplies army-style training for children aged six and a half through to 18, male and female, of all abilities.

In the last year, they have also started to train children who are neurodiverse or with Special Educational Needs that would otherwise be excluded from mainstream groups.

The small team of volunteers works tirelessly to ensure that the unit is kept running, despite having to fund everything they need through fundraising.

Many parents express just how happy their children are to attend this group and, for many, it is the highlight of their week.

Every person who volunteers is an outstanding role model for children. They are kind, nurturing, and give their valuable time to engage children in fun and character-building activities.

The judges noted the sheer length of time that the group has been running and how this equates to many thousands of young people who have been nurtured and supported over the years.

Winner of the Fundraising Award

The Fundraising Award was a category added by the judges as the judges felt that the winner was an organisation that simply could not go unrecognised.

As with the previous winner, this organisation received three separate nominations.

Since 2012, this organisation has raised £1,000 for a different charity every week by organising a tea party/charity raffle/tombola/lucky dip on Bisley Recreation Ground for 14 Thursday afternoons over the summer. This means they have raised over a staggering £115,000 for organisations other than their own.

They bring people of all ages together to enjoy tea and cake, providing company for some of our older and less able residents to meet their friends.

Winner of the Long-Service Award (Male)

With an incredible legacy spanning five decades, Spencer Watson, has been an unwavering pillar of support within the scouting community in Surrey Heath.

Having dedicated so many years to scouting, Spencer started his journey as a Scout himself before becoming a volunteer Scout Leader in 1968 – that’s an incredible 55 years!

His tireless commitment, mentorship, and passion for instilling invaluable life skills in countless young individuals has left an indelible mark on the lives of so many in the community. As he embarks on a well-deserved retirement at 75, we extend our deepest gratitude for his selfless service, shaping the lives of generations and exemplifying the true spirit of volunteering. We hope the legacy of your contributions continues to inspire others for years to come.

Winner of the Long-Service Award (Female)

Maureen has been volunteering as a Driver since her organisation started in 1991 and is still very active 32 years later. She is totally committed and delights in doing as many jobs as possible which mainly involve mostly elderly residents of Lightwater to their appointments.

She is described as totally reliable, energetic, friendly, compassionate and always willing to help whenever and however she can. Beneficiaries often feedback how much they appreciate her personal touch and compassion.

Lightwater Care say they simply “don’t know what they would do without her.”

Winner of the Engagement in the Community Award

Fourwalls are a company based in Camberley who have accepted and fulfilled many volunteering challenges set by The Hope Hub this year. They have willingly scrubbed clean the outside of the day centre where some of the most vulnerable people in the community come for help in a crisis. They have spruced up the garden at the Emergency Accommodation Centre for people who are otherwise homeless.

Most recently the team has taken up the challenge of refurbishing the storeroom. This is a vital hub of activity as staff and volunteers turn around emergency items of food, clothing, and sleeping bags to those on the street, fighting poverty and/or without recourse to public funds.

The company quickly sent in their surveyance team to overcome the trials of heavy racks pulling away from prefabricated walls, keeping the hub team safe and the storeroom functioning. Through cold nights of sleep outs with minimal kit, staff raised awareness and £2,000 of funding to re-equip the storeroom. This was quickly followed by a plan to empty, redecorate, and secure new storage systems. Aided by a wonderful set of marketing from the in-house graphics team, the store is now packed with harvest donations from local schools and churches.

Special Mention

The judges felt there were two very strong nominees in the Inspirational Volunteer category and that one was deserving of a special mention for his work with a support group for men in and around Camberley.

The Camberley Men’s Breakfast Club meets every Thursday morning at Claud De Val Wetherspoons attended by around 20. A number are widowed and many look after an ailing partner. The club also provides members with an opening to other interests and support for issues of the modern world that can confuse older souls.

The Club’s leader is described as a very likeable, gregarious man who is naturally fascinated with people and has the wonderful ability to engage with just about anybody he comes across. He takes the lead in keeping touch with all members and hosts a weekly Zoom call for any men who need extra contact or who may have become housebound or have moved away.

The Club is a simply but highly effective way to bring people together. Its success is testament to what one person can achieve when they have commitment, perseverance, and a great idea. Men are often reluctant to access services and this group builds friendships while knowledge sharing from learned experience.