National Volunteers’ Week takes place from 1 to 7 June every year and is a celebration across the UK of all the contributions volunteers make to their community.

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has a range of volunteers working across its services from Youth Heath, Health Improvement, Alcohol and Drugs, Residential Care and Mental Health. We would like to thank them for all their invaluable and diverse dedicated efforts in supporting the services we provide.

During Volunteer’s Week a range of activities were held to promote, celebrate, support and offer new training opportunities to volunteers of the Art in the Gart creative volunteer programme at Gartnavel Royal Hospital.

These included a celebratory afternoon tea that was served, by staff to Hub Café volunteers, in recognition of the friendly service they offer to customers.

Fiona Sinclair, Voluntary Services Manager at Gartnavel Royal Hospital said: “Our garden volunteers enjoyed the support of visiting Corporate Volunteers from Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). They gave much needed extra hands to do a heavy task of moving soil and dismantling a raised bed in the Growing Spaces patient garden project. At the same time, our willow artist Geoff Forrest visited on the same day to offer training on the refurbishment of Rollo, the Garden’s Willow Dog.”

The garden volunteers also spent a morning in the Growing Spaces area with Camilo Brokaw of Trust Conservation Volunteers (TCV). Camilo offered a scything workshop as part of garden management training. Afterwards all shared a lunch in the Summerhouse and enjoyed a break.”

Fiona continued: “Other events marking our volunteers’ contribution at Gartnavel Royal Hospital included a concert offered in the Hub Café space and weekend cuppa and cake for third sector Therapet volunteers, befrienders, musicians and artists.

“We’re so grateful to our volunteer team who bring the outside in, for those using our service. They enable confidence building, activity and fun. Thank you!”

If you’re interested in volunteering or just want to know more, please email Fiona.Sinclair6@ggc.scot.nhs.uk. You can also follow on X @ArtintheGart.