We are celebrating 40 YEARS of supporting and enabling people to live independent, dignified, healthy, happy lives and are launching a major fundraising drive to help us secure our future. We will shortly be announcing our programme of events to celebrate this milestone and hope you can support us. Further details to follow!
Ricky has been supported by Halesworth Volunteers (HV) and for almost 10 years has been volunteering for us, helping people with dog walking, gardening, odd jobs and more. Ricky can often be seen walking around Halesworth with Patch, Rufus, Bailey, Aunty and Aubrey, giving their owners the reassurance their dogs have been walked and exercised, even when they can’t manage this themselves.
HV has over 40 years experience of recruiting volunteers to support the local community, supporting vulnerable and isolated people in Halesworth and its surrounding rural villages and ensuring they are able to remain living in their own homes for longer and to live happy and independent lives. Isolation Busters is our award winning befriending programme. Our team of volunteer befrienders support people who are alone, visiting for a cup of tea and a natter, a trip out or attending a social group/activity. This also includes our monthly community lunch, afternoon teas and trips out and about as well as our shopping service for those who need a bit of help. The Community Car Service helps people who are not able to travel independently get to medical appointments and social visits. Our wonderful volunteer drivers always go above and beyond to make sure people get to their appointments on time and home again safely. The Community Larder, in partnership with St Mary’s Church, is a place where people can shop, bring and share food or make a donation. People who are in need can visit for a top up shop, for a small charge per bag. The larder is open to all, with lots of fresh seasonal produce available. Our volunteers also help out with dog walking, odd jobs or a one off garden tidy, and if we cannot help we will find out who can!
Ricky wanted to find a way to help make sure that HV can continue supporting the community and to raise vital funds. On Saturday 29th November he will be bravely taking fundraising to new heights and taking to the skies to do a parachute jump at UK Parachuting in Beccles!
If you would like to support Ricky and HV please make a donation to Falling for Funds. All donations, however big or small, are much appreciated and will make a huge difference. Thank you! www.justgiving.com/campaign/fallingforfunds
Karen K has always wanted to do a parkrun. Kingsley said he could help... Then Kay and Karen said they wanted to run too. So the 5 Ks were born...
Kingsley, Karens and Kay have been supporting Halesworth Volunteers for years so what better Charity to raise funds for.
Halesworth Volunteers supports people in Halesworth and the surrounding rural communities with a range of services including befriending, a community car service, social events and activities. We also run the Halesworth Community Larder.
Our Car Service gets people who can no longer travel independently out and about. Isolation Busters, our befriending programme, supports people who are isolated by hosting events, trips out and making endless cups of tea.
Once a month we 'spring' Maudie from her Care home so she can join us for a community lunch. She meets ladies she was at school with and has a rare old time.
The Halesworth Community Larder is for everyone. A special place where you can get help and support and food and household staples if you are struggling.
Everything Halesworth Volunteers does is designed to make lives better. Everything we do is powered by the dedication and commitment of our volunteers.
Halesworth Volunteers has been awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2022. This is the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The Queens Award for Volunteering does not just recognise Halesworth Volunteers and the community's extraordinary response to the pandemic but the work that's been done by Halesworth Volunteers for nearly 40 years reaching out to vulnerable people, making their lives better.
Karen Austin, Chair of Halesworth Volunteers said 'We cannot describe how honoured we are by this Award, and in the Jubilee year too. It is fantastic to have the national recognition that this award brings. It is testament to our fantastic volunteers and staff and the way that all the local groups in Halesworth and beyond worked together during the Covid 19 pandemic. Groups like HACT and the Pear Tree Centre and our Town and Parish Councils and Churches have shown how much we can achieve when we work together.'
Emma Healey, Director of Haleworth Volunteers said 'This amazing award recognises our much-loved Community Car Service that has operated for nearly 40 years getting people who cannot travel independently to their important social and medical appointments. It also recognises the work we do
supporting isolated and lonely people through our Isolation Busters Programme. New projects like the Halesworth Community Larder that developed during the Pandemic show how we can meet new challenges and reach out to people who have not used our services before. Everything we do is powered by the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. This is very much their award. Together we really can make lives better.'
Click here to view the full 'Two Lockdowns Later! Our Community Response to Covid-19' Leaflet
Here are just some of the ways that we supported each other during the first Covid-19 lockdown; 
Click here to view the full leaflet for Our Community Response to Covid-19