Recognition for Mind Cymru Volunteers

Mind Cymru has achieved the Investing in Volunteers quality standard in recognition of its excellent work with volunteers.

Volunteers with lived experience of mental health problems are at the heart of Mind Cymru's work, contributing to a range of campaigns and projects. Mind Cymru was assessed against a range of best practice standards and proved to excel in all aspects of working with volunteers.

Maxwell Dean is a volunteer at Mind Cymru. He said:

“I have social anxiety so engagement and availability can be challenging, but I’m able to volunteer on communications. I have interesting projects to get involved in and I feel like I can make a difference. By volunteering at Mind I have built good working relationships with my colleagues and am confident I could do so again in my future career. One of the ways I am challenging myself to increase my confidence is trying reception duties while being supported and learning with another volunteer.”

Anna George, Mind Cymru’s volunteer manager said:

“We are extremely pleased to receive this recognition, which we could only have achieved with the vital efforts our volunteers. We look forward to what we will achieve together to benefit everyone, including the public, in the next three years”

Mind Cymru Interim Director Janet Pardue-Wood said:

“Volunteers are crucial to us and have been from day one. Working with volunteers brings a fresh dynamic to our work, they complement the paid staff, are a valued asset and resource and ensure an integrated and diverse workforce. Volunteers are as important as our paid staff.”

Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for organisations involving volunteers. It aims to improve the quality of volunteering experience for volunteers and to encourage organisations to better recognise the enormous contribution made by volunteers. Investing in Volunteers is managed in Wales by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).

You can read more about how volunteering has helped Maxwell manage his social anxiety in his blog post.