Volunteers thanked by county council leader for serving communities

The leader of Hampshire County Council Roy Perry has thanked the people who give their time for nothing.

It comes during National Volunteers’ Week.

Cllr Perry said: ‘Our volunteers are invaluable in helping us to make a difference in communities.

‘I would like to publicly thank all of our volunteers for their dedication and continued hard work in supporting our services.

‘There are many different reasons why residents enjoy the volunteering opportunities on offer with the county council, whether at our libraries, county archives and countryside sites, as volunteer drivers or mentoring vulnerable young people – to name but a few.

‘It’s heartening to hear that our volunteers appreciate the benefits of volunteering as much as our communities do.’

One volunteer who got involved with the council is David Pinhorne, from Hill Head. He volunteers at Titchfield Haven after working in corporate offices for 37 years.

He said: ‘After retiring, I wanted to give something back to the community – something that was physically demanding and outdoors and would give structure to my week.

‘I do various jobs at Titchfield Haven from feeding the birds, to checking Land Rover engines to repairing and maintaining fences.

‘The team work is brilliant. I’m with a team of five or six people every Wednesday. We get on very well and we’ve even met socially after volunteering.’