Celebrating Our Volunteers – UK Volunteers Week 2025

As UK Volunteering Week 2025 gets underway, LonGBoaT Wakefield is proud to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our volunteers. This national week of appreciation, running from 2nd to 8th June, shines a light on the incredible work carried out by all volunteers across the UK.

Here in Wakefield, we are fortunate to have a dedicated team who give their time, skills and energy to help build a more inclusive, supportive, and safe community for LGBT+ people.

Volunteers are the heartbeat of LonGBoaT Wakefield. From those who support our weekly drop-ins, social events and parents’ groups, to those behind the scenes organising workshops, funding bids and community partnerships, each person plays a vital role in delivering our mission.

Some have joined us through lived experience, others through professional skills or a passion for equality but all of them are united by the desire to make a difference.

Our Work, Powered by Volunteers

Over the past year, our volunteers have helped us achieve so much:

• Revitalising Wakefield Kirkgate Railway Station through our Station Adoption Programme, turning it into a safer and more welcoming place for everyone

• Running free health education sessions through our HealthHub, tackling topics from sexual health to mental wellbeing

• Hosting inclusive events including Queer Socials and Coffee Morning

• Creating a space for peer support, mutual understanding, and solidarity through every conversation and cup of tea shared at the LonGBoaT Hub

Without volunteer input, much of this work simply wouldn’t be possible.

Recognising Volunteer Effort Through Citizen Coin

We’re also proud to be part of the Wakefield District Citizen Coin programme; a local rewards scheme recognising the time and effort people give to their communities. All LonGBoaT volunteers are eligible to earn digital Citizen Coins for their time, which can be spent with participating local businesses and services. It’s a small but powerful way of acknowledging that community work has real value, and we’re pleased to see our volunteers benefit from it.

Want to Get Involved?

We hold a series of Volunteer Open Days at Wakefield Kirkgate Railway Station. These are a chance to meet the team, find out more about our projects, and explore where your skills and interests could make an impact:

• Saturday 7th June 2025

• Saturday 5th July 2025

• Saturday 2nd August 2025

• Saturday 6th September 2025

There’s no need for prior experience, just a willingness to help and a belief in equality and inclusion.

Thank You

To every single person who has volunteered their time with LonGBoaT Wakefield this year: thank you. Your efforts make our charity stronger, our community safer, and our voices louder. Whether you’ve given an hour or a hundred, your contribution has mattered.

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with us, please visit www.longboatwakefield.org/volunteering.