Awards clean sweep for Southport & Formby Home-Start.
There was a clean sweep for a north Sefton charity in this year’s Volunteer Centre Sefton Awards.
Family support service Home-Start Southport and Formby collected the top Volunteer Involving Project Award with one of its volunteers – Sue Pennington – also being honoured as the first-ever Sefton Volunteer of the Year.
Sue has worked with Home-Start for 11 years and has now completed more than 2,000 hours of volunteering, as well as serving as a Trustee and Chair of the organisation.
Over this period she has worked closely with 15 families, helping them through difficulties including money worries, anxiety, postnatal depression and the risk of homelessness.
Described as ‘kind and caring’ and ‘a great support to management and staff’, Sue is said to bring relief and respite to the families she works with, and to help them grow in confidence and self-esteem.
Meanwhile, Home-Start Southport and Formby has been recognised for the wide range of support it offers to volunteers.
According to the award citation the volunteer programme is flexible, training is thorough, communication is clear and the volunteer co-ordinators are always on hand to provide friendly encouragement and support whenever it is needed. Overall, it is seen as an ideal organisation for volunteers to work with.
Sefton CVS Volunteer and Citizenship Lead, Mike Howlett, commented: “These awards are a new venture for us and I would like to congratulate Home-Start on their double success this year.
“The charity is providing high-quality opportunities that enable Sefton residents to harness the many benefits that volunteering can bring.
“At the same time, Sue Pennington is an excellent example of a volunteer whose hard work and commitment is making a huge difference to the quality of the lives of the people she works with. They are both very worthy winners,” added Mr Howlett.
OTS News on Social Media