The community earned recognition at last week’s award ceremony for providing vital services to those facing food, fuel, and social poverty.
Splott Community Volunteers were crowned Volunteer Group of the Year for 2024 at the Cardiff Volunteer Awards ahead of their 10th anniversary.
The community has been recognised for providing vital services for those in food, fuel and social poverty at the award ceremony conducted last week.
“To actually win in that category with such fantastic competition was extra special. It’s our 10th birthday next year and it’s just a testament to the dedication of the volunteers and how hard they work,” said Lynne Thomas, their project manager.
She highlighted the vital role of behind-the-scenes volunteers, such as drivers who collect food from supermarkets, noting that their efforts often go unnoticed compared to those at the forefront.
Ms. Thomas said that their work focuses on addressing loneliness and fostering connections through initiatives like worry clubs, knitting groups, and community lunches. “We try and put on activities that are either completely free or very low cost and very good value for money,” she said “We also have a charity shop selling high-quality items for just a couple of quid.”
The volunteering group was started by Fred and Angela who are now in their 80s and they would go out in their personal vehicles collecting food from supermarkets but now they have 35 regular volunteers working for the various weekly events such as Breakfast Club, Worry club, pet food bank and other works.
With the festive season coming along, they have planned a Grotto event, festive breakfast club and extra food distributions. “We will be giving out a little bit more than usual in our food pantry to keep them going over Christmas,” said Thomas.
They have planned an increase in number of community events while continuing the current weekly events. Thomas said, “We are going to be holding a lot more community lunches next year. On the third Friday of the month, we are holding an afternoon tea dance, for over 65s, with live music and sandwiches, cheese board and lovely, little cakes and hot drinks and some ginger beer.”
Lynne said, ” We are a big family where members look after each other and care for each other. Volunteering here is such a joy, with friendships and a welcoming atmosphere making it special. For those interested in joining, we encourage emailing info@splottcommunityvolunteers.co.uk “