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Celebrating unsung heroes during Volunteers’ Week

All this week we are running a series of blogs from dedicated people who give up their time free as health and care volunteers.

The blogs mark the Volunteers’ Week celebrations in recognition of the invaluable contributions of people up and down the country.

The week acknowledges and says “Thank you” to the millions of people who offer their time, skills and expertise to help and support other people.

Our heart-warming blogs are from volunteers, and the organisations who support them, to highlight the diversity of contributions and the commitment people have to making a difference and to improving the lives and experiences for everyone.

A survey to coincide with this week has found that more than a third of British adults would be willing to volunteer to support the NHS.

The study, for the Royal Volunteer Service (RVS), found people were most interested in volunteering in shops or cafes, with 40 percent saying they would consider such work.

Some 39 percent said they could carry out practical service in the community – such as taking patients out on social visits – while more than a third (35 percent) expressed interest in carrying out hospital visits and 31 percent in helping on wards.

In February, an extra £1.2m of government funding was awarded to the RVS, Red Cross and Age UK to get more volunteers into A&E departments.