HEY SMILE Foundation is helping to host a festival of volunteers and people are invited to join the celebration.

The festival takes place in Volunteers Week (June 1 – 7) with a central event taking place at Princes Quay, in Hull City Centre, on Saturday, June 10.

It will be a chance to celebrate volunteers all that they do, drink tea, and eat cake! There will also be chances to meet organisations who need to recruit volunteers.

There will be face painting, and entertainment from performers including Freedom Road Creative Arts, Beats Bus, as well as The Late Night Circus.

Food and drinks will be served by Foodcycle and Hull Afro Caribbean Association, either for free, or at a low cost.

The festival is hosted by Time2Volunteer, a platform run by HEY Smile Foundation and Hull CVS, which advertises a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

Around thirty organisations that rely on volunteers will be setting out stalls at the event, and there will also be chances to join workshops. One, led by Reckitt, will look at how volunteering can help people increase their employability skills. There will also be a workshop that will help people learn about becoming charitable trustee.

Ellie Goodyear, Smile Volunteer Project Manager said: “Every year the UK Celebrates volunteering during Volunteers Week and we wanted to join those celebrations and use the occasion to highlight volunteering opportunities that exist in our region.

“We know charities and groups often need new volunteers and we wanted to highlight this and give people, who are perhaps new to volunteering a chance to find out how they can get started. We also want to celebrate the dedicated volunteers this region has.

“People who volunteer say that it enhances their lives, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give thanks to them for making our region a better place to live and work.”

A spokesperson from Reckitt Charity Committee, said: “Putting people first, seeking out new opportunities, striving for excellence and building a culture of shared success are at the heart of all we do at Reckitt. Which is why we’re proud to support the Festival of Volunteering, which will recognise and award the achievements of the volunteers who strengthen these principles within the communities that our business and our people call home.

“To further support the incredible volunteers in the area, Reckitt’s Talent Acquisition team will be running drop-in career support sessions to ensure the amazing work of the volunteers within the local communities is showcased to future employers.”

The event takes place between 12 and 3. All are welcome.

The details of the satellite festivals are:

Pocklington Rugby in the Community, Sparkling Afternoon Tea:
Friday 2nd June, PM

Hornsea by Holderness Area Rural Transport - Bus Tour:
Thursday 1st June
11.30am - 1.30pm, Floral Hall car park, Hornsea
Friday 2nd June, 10.15am - 11.15am, Tesco car park, Hornsea
11:30am - 2:15pm, Hornsea Garden Centre car park, Sigglesthorne,
2.30pm - 3.30pm, Tesco car park, Southgate, Hornsea HU18 1RE Hornsea

Bridlington by The Hinge - Volunteer Festival:
Friday 16th June, 1pm - 3pm, at Crown Community Centre, Quay Road, Bridlington.

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