SELFLESS Swindon people who give their time to help others are to be honoured during this year’s Volunteers’ Week.

The Swindon Volunteer Centre will hold a series of celebration tea parties to thank its volunteers for providing invaluable services to the community.

Sue Dunmore, manager at the John Street-based centre, said: “The work the volunteers do is incredible, they’re enriching people’s lives.

“They help out in the community, they do good for everyone so it’s nice to give them something back.”

In 2014 the centre saw 1,200 new volunteers sign up and Sue said they were now on the lookout for new members to help out at a variety of worthy causes.

“Numbers have remained reasonably steady in Swindon and people have been really open to giving their time to causes around the town,” Sue said.

“Volunteering is something that people are just starting to realise can be fitted in around your busy life.

“It gives that work/life balance and it helps so many people.

“Helping once a week is as good as helping two or three times a week, just doing what you can is amazing for us.”

The centre is also encouraging other volunteers to speak about their volunteering experiences on social media.

You can do this by using the hashtags #swindonheartsvolunteers and #volunteersweek.

The week, which runs from Monday to 7, aims to highlight volunteers across the UK for their efforts by holding a series of events such as tea parties, barbecues and roadshows.

More than 15 million people volunteer in the UK every month and the annual campaign, which was established in 1984, seeks to recognise the contribution volunteers make to communities each week.

This year, for the first time, volunteers are encouraged to share their stories using the hashtag #ivolunteer to raise awareness and encourage others to participate in volunteering.

The UK Civil Society Almanac, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) database, shows that between 2012 and 2013, volunteering contributed an estimated £23.9 billion to the UK economy, equivalent to 1.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

Justin Davis Smith, executive director of volunteering and development at NCVO, coordinators of Volunteers’ Week in England, said: “Volunteers’ Week is the perfect opportunity to recognise volunteers who give their time, energy and enthusiasm to helping others.

“This week of events across the country will show people how much the contribution of volunteers is valued.

“Volunteering is a way to give something back.

“It is also an opportunity for volunteers to benefit from new experiences, make friends, gain skills and have fun.

“There has been a rise in recent years in flexible volunteering, so that even people without the time to commit to a regular activity can get involved.”

For more details on the week, log on to volunteersweek.org.