The beginning of June marked Volunteers Week. A time to say thanks!

Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. It is coordinated by The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and usually marks the start of a month-long campaign to recognise the incredible work of volunteers and their contribution to local communities (#MonthOfCommunity).

With a whole host of celebrations, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, as well as a long list of volunteers to recognise; it kicked off the month-long celebration for us to share our gratitude for those who volunteer their time, passion and support in various capacities here at Halifax Opportunities Trust.

Month of Community

Throughout June, we’ve been saying THANK YOU to all the amazing people who help us to create a vibrant multi-cultural and self-sustaining community throughout Calderdale. Whether rolling their sleeves up and getting stuck into gardening at the Outback, donning their toolbelt and giving old furniture a new lease of life at The Workshop or simply lending a listening ear as a befriender, our Volunteers are what make HOT so special.

The volunteering doesn’t stop at helping our teams deliver HOT services, as a Charity we are governed by a Board of Directors who help guide our strategic direction and keep us aligned with our charitable objectives. Our diverse board of trustees are also volunteers. They are from all backgrounds; they live and/or work in the local community that we serve, and include those who currently use or have used HOTs services in the past.

Benefits of Volunteering

There are around 60 volunteers that dedicate their time, support and passion to the Trust; helping us to deliver transformative services to our local community of Park Ward and throughout Calderdale.

Volunteering doesn’t just make us and our community thrive, it’s been shown to improve wellbeing in those that dedicate their time to a cause, charity or group. Volunteers can not only share existing skills, but gain valuable new skills and experiences, and gain confidence in those areas.

Below are some examples of the incredible work our volunteers do and the people who share their skills and knowledge to help our community thrive. Thank You!

The Outback

The Outback Community Kitchen & Garden is based in Park Ward, on Lightowler Road, Halifax. The kitchen is housed in a straw bale building with living green roof that provides space for the community to gather, cook food and increase their skills. This sits in the Outback Garden; a greenspace that runs on organic and sustainable principles and is packed full of edible produce including herbs, fruit and vegetables.

In order to ensure the Outback continues to thrive and produce delicious seasonal fruit and veg, our Volunteers support our in-house Gardener and Community Organiser in all the activities, programmes and general maintenance involved. Here are a few of our Outback Volunteers…

The HOT Board

Becoming a trustee of HOT is a hugely rewarding experience and is not limited to those with a background in business, management or charity work. We welcome expressions of interest from individuals across Calderdale who think they have something to bring to the Trust and are passionate about the work of our organisation.

Our trustees ensure we stay true to our charitable objectives and also act as directors of the company. Here are some examples of the experience our Board members have through volunteering their time, knowledge and passion. Here’s what some of our Trustees have to say about Volunteering.

New EWIC Board Member

As a Social Enterprise, Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre Ltd has a Board of Directors with experience in various industries and excellent business knowledge. Board members are volunteers and don’t only work with the Elsie Whiteley Team, it’s in their best interest to support all the businesses who live at EWIC and HLEC, too. We would like to introduce our newest board members, as part of our volunteer focus for #MonthOfCommunity

To find out how to become a volunteer, click on the button below