Corporate Volunteering

Life’s too short to spend it doing things that drain you. That belief sits at the heart of why people like Mike Cannon choose to volunteer, not because they have to but because it genuinely lights them up. As Mike puts it, if you’re working in a job (or giving your time to something) that doesn’t excite you or spark passion, then what’s the point? Out next Volunteer's Week story is from Mike, who, after retiring from the police, Mike found himself at a crossroads. In 2020, while working at a gym with a coach who had previously worked with Growing Resilience in Teens (GRIT) , he heard stories about the challenges young people are facing today and how that organisation was helping. “I was taken with the stories he was telling me about the young people he was working with and how they were changing,” Mike explains. “I thought, right, this sounds fantastic.” What started as a desire to raise money for a charity - doing a climbing fundraiser - soon evolved into something deeper: a hands-on commitment to supporting young people through volunteering. After initially being introduced to GRIT through a friend, Mike started volunteering as their boxing coach. Mike’s approach to working with young people is simple; meet them where they are, then bring them together. Using the discipline and curiosity he learnt while working in the police, Mike created sessions that were engaging (and exhausting!) enough to get young people moving, whilst connecting the coaching element of GRIT's method to give them a safe space to share. GRIT is a North Hertfordshire charity that support young people struggling with their mental health and wellbeing by offering some practical, energetic movement, namely boxing, along with a space to share and shape their thoughts and feeling through tailored coaching sessions. “Once they flop on the bean bags, they’re there. They’re ready. They’re listening.” Young people need structure, challenge, and space to feel safe. When those elements come together, something shifts and they begin to open up. In addition to Mike's support with boxing, he also supported the fundraising team with going to events to promote the amazing work GRIT do and raise awareness of the service. He had really become a hugely valued part of the team and it was not long after this, that GRIT offered him a position as a coach and the rest is history. Now, in addition to offering his time for fundraising and support, Mike helps to run their weekly GRIT Programme; a 90-minute afterschool workshop that ties boxing in with coaching, in a small group programme of young people aged up to 16. For Mike, the GRIT programme isn’t just another commitment - it’s the highlight of his week. “I genuinely look forward to Thursday,” he says. “When they all come in, it’s brilliant. And when they all go, you can just see they’ve had a buzz.” Sometimes, the impact is obvious in the smallest moments - young people asking to stay longer, wanting to do just one more activity, or leaving with smiles and energy they didn’t arrive with. That’s the power of a positive environment built on enthusiasm, consistency, and care. There’s a shared understanding within the GRIT team that energy matters. When coaches show up passionate, present and invested, young people feel it. "I believe all people should be involved with volunteering," Mike shares, "It helps to build confidence, skills and if you can help out, why wouldn't you? It shows us that the importance of all being part of something bigger than us and that by working as a team, we can make change." And in this case, it couldn't have started without Mike initially offering to volunteer and his interest to create a positive change in young people. "At the end of the day, I can think I've made a positive difference." Volunteering, when it’s aligned with purpose, doesn’t just change the lives of the people being supported, it changes the volunteers too. For Mike, it’s proof that doing what lights you up can make all the difference. To see our opportunities to make a difference to the young people in your community, please head here.

This Volunteer's Week we are celebrating volunteers who through flexible or consistent, small commitment or regular contribution are all making a positive impact on their community. Today we meet Laurence. A couple of years ago, at the age of 77, Laurence Cowley made what he thought was a final decision. He packed away his part-time rock ‘n’ roll band, Rocking Horse, sold most of his heavy sound systems and decided that the late nights and long recoveries were becoming just a bit too tedious. “My music days were over,” he says. Music, however, had other ideas. At home in Great Offley, just outside Stopsley in Luton, Laurence still picked up one of his four remaining guitars almost every day. He would sing a few songs to himself - favourites included those from the 50s, 60s and 70s - the soundtrack of his generation, but something was missing. “I felt the need for an audience.” For Laurence, it had never been about the money, the joy came from playing to people... seeing their faces light up, hearing them sing along. So he made a decision: if he was going to play again, but this time, it would be entirely free for communities and charities. And he hasn’t deviated from that promise almost 3 years on. His first gig was at Stopsley Community Centre, where he walked in with his card and simply asked if they’d like him to come along and sing a few songs for their mostly disabled day visitors. After that first performance, he was invited to play at seven more centres around Luton. The audiences were wonderfully diverse, young and old, from different backgrounds and cultures but the response was always the same. They sang, they smiled, they danced. And they asked him back. Wanting to perform closer to home in Hitchin and Letchworth, Laurence joined local Hertfordshire volunteer groups. Gradually, organisers began finding him through volunteer listings and recommending him to others. This year, Laurence turns 80. Many organisers have told him they’ve never seen so many people living with memory challenges sing along word for word. In several venues, people rise from their chairs to dance. “It’s a joy to see.” Laurence makes each visit more than just a singalong. He shares snippets of history about the songs, stories of where he has played them before, and personal connections to the music. It becomes part performance, part reminiscence, part shared experience. He has also performed at Lister Hospital, moving through recovery wards and singing half a dozen songs in each. Nurses join in. Patients join in. On occasion, people even get out of bed to dance. “Yes, it’s bizarre what music can do,” he says. Not every performance is pitch-perfect. On one occasion, his audience once disappeared halfway through a set when the community bus arrived and whisked everyone away. At another lunchtime event, he found himself finishing his set alone on stage after the final plates had been cleared. But none of that dampens his enthusiasm. For him, it’s about far more than music. “It’s great for my mental and physical dexterity,” he says. “It gives you a mission in life.” His regular organisers know his fee: a nice thick brown cup of tea - no sugar - and perhaps the occasional biscuit. Volunteering, Laurence believes, gives you all of that and more. And at nearly 80 years old, with guitar in hand and an audience ready to sing, his music days are very far from over. If you'd like Laurence to play at one of your events, centres or hubs, you can contact him at [email protected] Want to become a One in a Million?

#VolunteersWeek is back Mon 1 June – Sun 7 June 2026. It’s a special time to celebrate all things volunteering! Here at GoVolHerts we honour the incredible contributions of volunteers who make our communities stronger every day. We particularly thank volunteers in Hertfordshire for all you do, however big or small, formal or informal. We love this time of year, as we rightfully put full focus on the volunteers who enable local charities, social enterprises, faith and community groups (as well as the NHS and our schools, colleges and local council services), to do the amazing work they do in keeping people safe and supported, improving health and wellbeing, inspiring learning and creativity, and so much more. There’s a lot of focus on volunteering at the moment. The United Nations designated 2026 as International Volunteer Year to highlight the vital importance of what volunteers contribute to us all. The Mayor of St Albans had a special focus on volunteering and North Herts has also determined this year to encourage everyone to ‘be the good’ . As well as recognising all that volunteers do, another reason for this focus is that volunteers are desperately needed. Statistics such as those in the Community Life survey show that not as many people volunteer regularly in formal roles as they used to, with 17% of people aged 16+ in England taking part in formal volunteering at least once per month (in the last 12 months) and 28% taking part in formal volunteering at least one time in that period. Comparing these statistics to 2013/14 when the data collection began, the respective figures were 27% and 45%, it is easy to see the problem. Meanwhile, the need for volunteers remains and has even grown, especially with the many social, economic and environmental needs we currently face. We hear from many local organisations how worried they are as to whether they’ll be able to keep doing their vital work unless they can recruit the volunteers they need. And that need goes across the board from occasional helpers, through to the trustees who are at the core of what a charity does. Here at GoVolHerts we’re lucky to see a much rosier side of the picture too: the thousands of people who want to volunteer and love to volunteer! In fact the national data shows that most people who volunteer really enjoy and value their volunteering. In Time Well Spent 2023 | NCVO report, 92% of volunteers surveyed said they were fairly or very satisfied with their volunteering experience. They reported many benefits of their volunteering. Their most commonly cited benefits from volunteering were: I enjoy it 89% It makes me feel I’m making a difference 89% It gives me a sense of personal achievement 88% I meet new people 87% It broadens my experience of life 81% It improves my mental health and wellbeing 75% It brings me into contact with people from different backgrounds or cultures 74% It gives me more confidence 73% It gives me new skills and experience 72% It helps me feel less isolated 68% GoVolHerts is visited by thousands of people each year who are looking to find out more about volunteering or to start a new volunteering role. We now have well over 11,000 volunteers registered . Last year we had over 600,000 page views in total on our website, with more than 4,000 new volunteers creating an account. Over 5,600 volunteering applications were made directly through GoVolHerts and we enabled many more non-profit organisations to connect with people who want to help. There are so many different things that volunteers can get involved with and we’re always excited to see this range of opportunities expanding. We now have 650 organisations using our platform to look for volunteers and last year nearly 800 new opportunities to volunteer were created on GoVolHerts. It’s our goal to have something for everyone! And we invite everyone to get involved. There’s no one way to volunteer and GoVolHerts helps people to find the opportunity that works for them. If you’re still thinking about volunteering and not sure how best to get involved, we can help in so many ways! Browse for opportunities that suit you or come to our Hertfordshire Volunteer Fair on 5 June 2026 to meet over 30 amazing local charities looking for new volunteers. If that date or location isn’t convenient for you, check out other events happening around Herts this month on our Events page . And you can always learn more about volunteering and opportunities to volunteer through our youtube videos and volunteer stories . If you’re keen to get going but want to know more about how to find the right opportunity on GoVolHerts or what might happen after you express an interest in a volunteering opportunity, join us online on 3 June 2026 at 6pm for a short Introduction to Volunteering session.