As the end of another year nears
We gather as VSO peers
To wow and amaze
And share in our praise
For all of our great volunteers
These special awards give us pride
In all those who’ve worked side by side
From community trainers
To online campaigners
And those who brought skills far and wide
From helping young girls access school
And championing health-rights for all
To incomes surviving…
..then growing and thriving
No challenge too big or too small
Through lockdowns, flooding and fire
The contexts were fragile and dire
But working together
In every endeavour
Your courage and grit would not tire
In communities often-maligned
Where stigma and hardship combined
You made access fair
With kindness and care
So no one would be left behind
Our youth-led approach was alive
With passion, commitment and drive
You tackled taboos
Brought skills and fresh views
And helped many thousands to thrive
The change that we all see appearing
Takes time and some real persevering
So some are partaking
In long-term change-making
With Impact Beyond Volunteering
While all of our finalists wowed
There are four special winners allowed
The commitment they’ve given
And changes they’ve driven
Made each of our panel so proud
Now without any further ado
We’ll end with a statement so true
The impact you’ve made
Will last and cascade
So for all that you’ve done we...
THANK YOU!
An Ode to our Volunteers by Sarah Williams, Limericks for Life.
Sarah Williams is a former VSO employee and a talented writer. Sarah is now the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Depaul UK, a youth homelessness charity and runs her business Limericks for Life on the side as a passion project. Sarah's poem was written for and read at the Volunteer Impact Awards 2022.