A CAMPAIGN to use 2018 to celebrate more than 40,000 people who volunteer in Warrington has been launched.

Throughout the year the town’s large and diverse voluntary sector will be highlighted.

Warrington Voluntary Action has teamed up with Warrington Borough Council for a 12-month campaign to celebrate the work going on in the town.

And the Warrington Guardian will be supporting the partnership by shining a light on some of the volunteers and the groups who benefit from them.

Alison Cullen, chief officer at Warrington Voluntary Action, said thousands of people give thousands of hours of their time – often without knowing they are volunteering.

Within Warrington the number of people volunteering is estimated to be 44,254 with an economic impact of around £51 million a year.

Alison said: “We have 1,293 groups registered on our community database and it is likely there are many more unaccounted for.

“We have identified that within the voluntary sector alone, there is an estimated 13,730 volunteers participated in regular volunteering activity each week, contributing an estimated 151,030 hours of their own time per week and a staggering 7.9 million hours per annum.”

She said the figures do not count volunteers who work in the public sector, such as within schools or hospitals or the police or those who take part in informal volunteering, which might be as simple as helping an elderly neighbour with the shopping or gardening.

Each month we will be throwing the spotlight on a particular volunteer or organisation. And we will also be promoting voluntary work and groups.

n For the latest opportunities visit warringtonva.org.uk/volunteering/opportunities.