National Volunteering Week is a weeklong celebration of volunteering. The purpose of the celebration is to amplify the incredible stories of volunteering in our communities.Volunteering is an act of profound generosity that can transform our communities into more diverse, dynamic, and welcoming spaces. By offering our time and skills to support the needs of others, we not only strengthen our communities, but also deepen our own sense of belonging and connection.

This National Volunteering Week, we’re celebrating the power of volunteering to enrich our communities, bridge social divides, and create opportunities for meaningful connection.

Volunteering with Le Cheile Mentoring is not always easy. Many of our young people have chaotic lives and it may be difficult for the young person to arrange or attend sessions. However, despite this, our volunteers continue to persevere and show up for the young person or parent day in and day out. We know that by simply being there and perservering to build a positive relationship based on respect and consistency can be really beneficial to a young persons development. Our volunteers demonstrate commitment and determination in their roles and some may be lucky enough to see small steps of positive change during their time as a mentor, but for others, it may be many years later when the impact of mentoring helps empower a young person.

We are continuously in awe of the enthusiasm and interest in mentoring. Our new volunteers bring so much energy and eagerness to our volunteer mentor community and we are so proud that they stick with us while we work on matching them to a young person or parent. In addition, some of our volunteers go above and beyond their mentor role, taking part in our National Volunteer Committee which is a platform for volunteers to share their voice with the organisation.

To each and every one of the volunteers in the Le Cheile Community and to all volunteers across the country – THANK YOU.