Hunts Forum Volunteer Awards

Alongside NAVCA members, the voluntary and community sector does amazing work. From supporting vulnerable people to delivering essential services, the vital role of charities and community groups has never been more apparent. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting their local communities, and it is important to recognise this.

‍Hunts Forum, a NAVCA member, brought together the groups that they work with to celebrate their incredible achievements.

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Back in July, Hunts Forum held its first in-person annual awards ceremony since the pandemic. On a lovely warm evening at Hinchingbrooke Country Park, volunteers from across the voluntary sector celebrated the ceremony with pizza and drinks. Mrs Julie Spence, OBE QPM, HM Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, attended to hand out the awards to the winners, making it a very special evening for everyone who participated.

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Hunts Forum is an independent, non-profit registered charity that supports, strengthens, and encourages voluntary sector organisations based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. This year they announced three Awards – the ‘Volunteer of the Year and the ‘Platinum’ awards, which were both open to Hunts Forum members, and the ‘Rural Volunteer of the Year’ Award, which was available to any community organisation across Cambridgeshire.

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Kat Shepherdson, the organiser of this year’s awards, commented, “These annual awards are a chance for groups to say thank you to a few of the amazing people that make up our community. There was a lovely vibe in the room and so lovely to be part of something that awarded those who give so much of their time, energy, kindness, and love to those around them”.

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Hayley Williams, a Trustee of Hunts Forum, commented, “The volunteering stories we heard were nothing short of incredible. The volunteers we recognised (and all those shortlisted) are so very passionate about their causes and so kind and generous in the support they give. The impact the voluntary sector and its champions make in our local community is hugely significant and completely humbling.”

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Every one of the winners demonstrated dedication and commitment above and beyond their regular duties. Hunts Forum ensured that all the winners, runners-up, and nominees left the event feeling appreciated and valued.

Julie Farrow, CEO of Hunts Forum, commented, ‘It was lovely to celebrate the wonderful volunteers that do so much for our communities. Our awards are one of the year’s highlights and a real chance to celebrate and thank people for all they do to make our communities happy and healthy. Hearing the stories first-hand and meeting volunteers in person after so long made me smile (and I hope many others felt the same). My heartfelt thanks to our team at Hunts Forum for organising things, to our special guests and most importantly, our members and nominees’ who made this event such a success.’

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Hunts Forum would like to congratulate their winners: Ruth Dube from Cruse Bereavement Support, Hunts Branch, for winning the Platinum Award for her long service and the vital role she has played for over 35 years. Denise Felstead, Hemingford Community, won the gold award for the Rural Volunteer of the Year for her tireless support of vulnerable people in her local communities throughout the pandemic. Finally, Wendy Baker, Dreamdrops Children’s Charity, won the Gold award for Volunteer of the Year for her ‘over and above care and empathy she continuously brings to the charity.

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Share your story

We are always looking for stories from the NAVCA membership that show the impact of the local voluntary and community sector. If you have a story you would like to share on our blog, please get in touch with comms@navca.org.uk.