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NEO COMMUNITY GIVEN QUEEN ’ S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE
NEO Community , based in Rock Ferry , have been recognised and awarded the prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Service .
The award is the highest honour a voluntary group can receive and acknowledges the tireless efforts of our wonderful team of NEO volunteers .
Judi Blacow , chair of NEOs trustees commented , “ Our amazing volunteer team keep our Community House open and provide fantastic support services to our local community .
“ Their duties vary ; from driving to collect surplus food supplies , making up and delivering crisis food hampers ; working in the shop ; cooking ; waiting on ; cleaning up in the community café ; food preparation ; gardening ; running bingo and kids club ; general maintenance etc . The list is endless and we are so lucky to have such a flexible team , willing to tackle most things that come their way .
“ In addition to our core team of volunteers , we have hundreds of others that come in for special events , for example , our very successful Christmas hamper campaign usually attracts around 200 additional willing volunteers , helping us sort , pack and deliver hampers for families and socially isolated folk .
“ COVID has resulted in increased demand for crisis support and our volunteers have continued to deliver much needed mobile support services across the wider Wirral community to meet this demand . I am so very proud of each and every one of our team . I also want to thank our amazing NEO 50 members and our fantastic funders , without whom none of this would be possible .”
Jane Harris , Director of regional grants for the Steve Morgan Foundation added , “ The work carried out by Neo Community volunteers is inspirational .
“ The volunteers work tirelessly to benefit the disadvantaged community of Rock Ferry and its surrounds with a project that has contributed to improving access to healthy food , reducing food waste , providing employment training and volunteering opportunities , reducing social isolation and improving selfesteem .
“ No opportunity is ever passed by and no need ever overlooked . All this with a no-nonsense , pragmatic approach and hundreds and hundreds of hours of hard work at the coal face .”
Local resident Anne who has volunteered for NEO for a number of years said , “ I am very proud to be a volunteer at NEO and to be involved in the fantastic work that makes such a difference to people ”
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Neo Community , please visit www . neocommunity . org . uk
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