Last month, the annual York Cares Golden Moments Awards took place on a glorious summer evening in the Aviva Boardroom, which arguably has the best view in York.
The backdrop of York Minster seemed appropriate for an event which recognises the enormous contribution that volunteers make to the city.
We were delighted to be joined by over 100 volunteers and supporters from over 20 businesses and both universities, together with representatives from our community partners, to celebrate the achievements of our volunteers and thank them for helping to make York a better place.
During the event, 11 Golden Moments awards, recognising the true impact of volunteering and eight Golden Moments of the Year awards for outstanding contributions to volunteering, were presented by the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Ian Gillies.
In addition to this, the York Children’s University Honorary Award was presented to Philip Graham of Network Rail for his long-standing dedication and commitment to the Children’s University.
Among those receiving awards were Nigel Smith and Graham Lawson, from the University of York Mail Room, who delivered a fantastic new Children’s University module about post at Osbaldwick Primary School.
Pupils learnt all about the postal service; designed their own stamps and even went behind the scenes at the Royal Mail Sorting Office in Leeds where they took on the role of Postmaster for the day.
On receiving the award, Graham said: “Working with the pupils has been incredibly rewarding and I am so grateful that you have given me that opportunity. I want to say “thanks” to everybody at York Cares for the wonderful experiences gained through volunteering with you.”
Throughout the event, Elly Fiorentini, from BBC Radio York, interviewed volunteers and community partners about their experiences, giving guests an inspiring insight into the range of opportunities available through York Cares.
Rachel Jones, from Fighting Eating Disorders, joined Elly on the sofa to talk about her charity and the support she received through the York Cares Charity Business Review. Rachel said: “It was a true honour to attend and very humbling when some of the selfless stories were told.”
• For more information about York Cares, visit the website at www.yorkcares.co.uk and follow @YorkCares on Twitter
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