December 24, 2024

The Volunteer Awards at PSS!

Celebrating our incredible volunteers at the very first PSS Volunteer Awards!      

The PSS Volunteer Awards were a big ole’ celebration of the amazing work our volunteers do all year round—a chance to shine the spotlight and, of course, say a great big thank you for all their hard work. 

We created six brand-new categories and encouraged people, both internally and externally, to vote for the volunteer or volunteers (we had a few team categories) who have made a difference to the service they volunteer in. We had nearly 40 fantastic nominations but only six award categories for the win! 

Let’s hear it for the winners! 

Star of the Year Award 

This award is for a volunteer who has gone above and beyond and made a real difference to the service they volunteer in. Someone who is truly brilliant and gives their time to make a difference to the lives of others or make PSS a better place. 

And the winner was… Phillip Surrey! 

Here’s what Phillip had to say: 

The Thinking Big Award 

This award is for the ideas people—someone who has come up with an idea, big or small, that has made a difference to how things are done within their service, the lives of people we support, or at PSS. 

And the winner was… Mark Feenan! 

Here’s what Mark had to say: 

The Working Together Award 

This award is for a group of volunteers who are brilliant at co-production. They work closely with people we support to make a positive difference to their lives or to the services we offer and push the boundaries to support people to do what they love, despite any challenges that come their way. 

And the winner was… PSS Parent-Baby peer support group! 

Here’s what they had to say: 

Living the Values Award 

This award is for someone who lives and breathes the PSS values. They’re big-hearted, open-minded, determined, genuine, and professional all rolled into one. They don’t just demonstrate our values; they channel them into everything they do. 

And the winner was… Kevin Nestor! 

Here’s what Kevin had to say: 

The Belonging Team of the Year Award 

This award is for a volunteering group who have gone the extra mile to learn how to be more equitable and inclusive in their volunteering roles. They’ve made changes to the way they do things to make their service more accessible and inclusive for everyone. 

And the winning team was… Wellbeing Centres peer support group! 

Here’s why Nicky, head of PSS Wellbeing Centres, nominated them: 

Volunteer Team of the Year Award 

This award is for a team of volunteers who have made a massive impact on volunteering at PSS. They’ve made really positive changes to the service they’re volunteering in. 

And the winning team was… Property Services superstars! 

Here’s why Rachel, in our comms team, nominated them: 

And that’s a wrap for volunteering in 2024! 

It was such a joy to reflect on volunteering across the organisation and have people joining us both in person and online from across the UK. While we may be spread out, the connection across our volunteer network is stronger than ever! 

Our volunteers make what we do possible—from gardening gurus and peer supporters to recycling superstars and so much more. Thank you for your incredible dedication. 

Here’s to being even bigger and better in 2025!