Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service celebrate their volunteers

The event was held to celebrate the 102 volunteers that currently support HIWFRS as well as to mark the service’s new ‘Investing in Volunteers’ accreditation.

Volunteers and their families joined colleagues, local dignitaries and senior officers to celebrate the impact volunteers have on the service and to share some of their first-hand experiences.

Graham Urwin, who has been volunteering with HIWFRS for four years, said: ‘I’ve always been treated like a member of the service which means a great deal to me.

‘I enjoy the camaraderie with other volunteers and colleagues, and I appreciate being valued and included.

‘It’s been extremely rewarding to participate in a wide array of activities which gives me personal satisfaction through helping to make a difference in our communities.’

The HIWFRS Volunteer Programme began in 2010 and the 102 volunteers include members of the community, current operational firefighters, retired and ex-firefighters.

They help to run the Fire Cadet units, promote fire safety at community events, deliver home fire safety visits, support the Prince’s Trust programme, run New Forest wildfire prevention patrols, act as casualties during training exercises, among many other tasks.

In the past financial year, HWFRS volunteers have contributed over 7,000 hours of their time.

Volunteer Programme Manager Lee Joss said: ‘It’s been an honour and a privilege to be involved in the programme. I’ve met some truly amazing people and I’m very proud of all our volunteers.’

During the ceremony, Deputy Lieutenant for Hampshire, Tom Floyd, presented all the volunteers with recognition badges to mark their length of service of 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 years.

He also presented Assistant Chief Fire Officer Stewart Adamson with an ‘Investing in Volunteers’ plaque which he collected on behalf of the service.