Northamptonshire Volunteer Fair brings charities together in Rushden
The Never Alone Project and Myton Food Group are joining forces to help people discover just how many ways there are to volunteer across Northamptonshire.
Around 20 charities and community organisations will come together for the Northamptonshire Volunteer Fair on Thursday, September 24, giving members of the public the chance to meet organisations face-to-face, find out more about their work and explore volunteering opportunities that could suit them.
The event is being co-hosted by Ilze Lee, from Northamptonshire bereavement charity The Never Alone Project (TNAP), in partnership with Helen Elliot from Myton Food Group, part of Morrisons Manufacturing, which is providing the venue at its Rushden produce site.
The fair will run from 10.30am until 2.30pm at Myton Food Group Rushden Produce at Crown Park in Crown Way, Rushden, with free parking available.
The organisations taking part reflect a huge range of causes across the county.
Alongside The Never Alone Project, confirmed organisations include Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity, Guide Dogs, Teamwork Trust, Age UK Northamptonshire, NAB Sight Support for Northamptonshire, Medical
Detection Dogs, Wellingborough Eco Group, Support North Northants, Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service, Rushden & District Lions, SERVE, Animals in Need Northamptonshire, Grow Wild Outreach and Encompass.
Between them, the charities support people affected by life-limiting illness, sight loss, disability, autism, mental health challenges, domestic abuse and social isolation, as well as older people, animals, the environment and communities across Northamptonshire.
The volunteering opportunities are just as varied.
Organisations attending are looking for people for regular and occasional volunteering, events, fundraising, community outreach, befriending and support, administration, professional and skills-based roles, remote volunteering and trustee opportunities.
Some also have opportunities for people who may only be able to offer a small amount of time.
Ilze Lee, founder of The Never Alone Project, said: “Northamptonshire has some incredible charities and community organisations, and so many of them rely on volunteers to make what they do possible.
“At the same time, there are people who would genuinely like to get involved but perhaps don’t know where to start, what is available locally, or whether they have enough time to be useful.
“That’s exactly why we wanted to create this fair.
“You don’t have to arrive knowing what you want to volunteer for. Come and have a conversation, meet the organisations, see what catches your interest and find out what might fit around your life.
“We are really grateful to Helen and the Myton Food Group for working with us to make the event possible.
"Bringing this many organisations together gives us a fantastic opportunity to show people just how much is happening across Northamptonshire and how many ways there are to be part of it.”
The fair has been designed to make those first conversations easy. Visitors can meet the organisations, ask questions and discover opportunities they may never previously have known existed.
For charities, it also provides an opportunity to work collectively rather than separately to reach potential volunteers across the county.
The Never Alone Project and Myton Food Group are encouraging participating organisations, local businesses, schools, colleges and community networks to help spread the word and get as many people through the doors as possible.