An Ode to our Volunteers

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.