The work of over 30 volunteers was celebrated on June 9 at Friends of the Family’s annual volunteer ‘thank you lunch’ in Winchester.

Volunteer befrienders, play workers, counsellors and trustees joined the charity’s staff in the garden of the Quaker Meeting House for a buffet lunch and drinks donated by Waitrose.

The garden was decorated with messages of thanks written by the charity’s children and families. The annual event also marked the end of National Volunteers’ Week, which recognises the contribution volunteers make to communities across the country.

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Based in Winchester, Friends of the Family has been providing support services to vulnerable children and families across the district for nearly 30 years. It currently has vacancies for play volunteers to work with babies and young children, and befrienders to support children aged between five and 13 years.

Karen Hazlitt, Friends of the Family’s chair of trustees, said: "We are so grateful to all of our volunteers for the work they do to support children and families across the Winchester district. They are the beating heart of our charity and without them we wouldn’t be able to do the work that we do. It was wonderful to see so many of our volunteers at the lunch and to be able to thank them personally for their support.”

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