This week Manchester based volunteer organisations have the chance to make this year one their volunteers will remember as local training provider Pitman Training, based in Manchester join forces with a Member of the House of Lords, Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE to uncover and reward volunteers.
Looking for individual volunteers, as well as corporate organisations that enable employees to take time out of their workday to volunteer within the local community, Pitman Training has launched an award to showcase and provide recognition for those who actively invest their time in others and dedicate themselves to making a difference in their local communities.
The Super Achievers awards, from Pitman Training, annually celebrates the achievements of entrepreneurs, inspirational achievers, working parents and PA’s – but this year sees the introduction of the new category ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award and the Pitman Training Centre in Richmond House is urging you to nominate your local heroes – those people in your community who go above and beyond for others.
Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE is a member of the House of Lords – she was the chief executive of Carers National Association (now renamed Carers UK) for which she was awarded an OBE in the 1993 Birthday Honours. Lady Pitkeathley was a founding member of acevo, the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and she is currently the president of NCVO which champions the voluntary sector and volunteering because they’re essential for a better society. Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE said: “I am delighted to have been asked to join the judging panel for the 2019 Pitman Training SuperAchievers awards and even more delighted to see the introduction of and support for the new volunteer award category. Each day, millions of people make a difference through voluntary organisations and volunteering and this is a great opportunity for them to be celebrated and recognised. I believe that as a society, we can all make a difference to the causes in which we believe.”
Dan Goodall said; “We’re so excited about this new addition to SuperAchievers, as part of this award we want to shine a light on the volunteers who are giving something back to the community and making a difference to the people around them, whether they do this in their own time, or have been given the opportunity through their workplace. We are urging you to nominate your local Leeds heroes – those people in our community who are actively improving the lives of others, in the communities within which they work.”
As well as recognising individuals who are supporting local groups or grassroots sports, Pitman Training is also encouraging businesses and organisations who support volunteering to shout up too to gain recognition. Someone very active in this area of CSR work in the corporate world is Richard Flint who is also a judge. Richard works closely with Business in the Community (BITC) and is also a trustee of the charity Marie Curie. Richard said: “I am delighted to be a judge for Pitman SuperAchievers 2019, the introduction of the new volunteer award is a great opportunity to showcase organisations who commit to providing time and opportunities for their teams to engage in volunteering, within work hours. As CEO at Kelda Group I have seen the impact of integrating volunteering into our business culture and offer a range of opportunities to support education, our local environment and our capacity building work with WaterAid Ethiopia. It’s great to reward other individuals and organisations who are giving their time for some great causes.”
Claire Lister, Managing Director at Pitman Training Group said: “I see volunteering as vitally important in our society and have been involved with several local initiatives over the year – it provides opportunity for us to give something back, to develop new skills and experience new environments as well as providing a real sense of achievement and pride but the impact really comes in improving the lives of those you are helping -the power of which cannot be underestimated.”
