On Wednesday 18th July, 45 guests joined the Worktree staff and trustees for an end-of-year drinks reception and celebration of the year’s achievements:  571 volunteer work guests from 183 companies made 1346 guest appearances in 131 Career WorkOut sessions with 6,547 young people in 10 mainstream secondary schools, 4 special schools and the YMCA.  An additional 36 guests joined 13 Primary WorkOut sessions with 876 primary school children.  This is more guests, more students and more institutions, than ever reached before by Worktree’s WorkOut programmes.

Certificates were awarded to this year’s Corporate Heroes and several business representatives made speeches about how volunteering in Career WorkOut sessions has benefited their staff and their business.

Hannah Anderson and Lesley Mensah received the Top Corporate Volunteer award on behalf of Network Rail.  “Volunteering is a powerful way to invest in local communities, enhance our local reputation and support our personal development,”said Lesley.  “Network Rail has enjoyed a long and productive partnership with Worktree and we now work through a team of Worktree Champions who meet regularly to encourage more volunteering with local children and young people.

“Overall our volunteers have said that they have left Worktree sessions feeling more fulfilled and enthusiastic about their own roles and have enjoyed being able to motivate our next generation.”

Sgt Rena Galardziak of Thames Valley Police (pictured above) said:  “By promoting the work we do in the police we want to enforce that you don’t just have to be in uniform racing around on blue lights, but there are many roles civilian and officer that cab be fulfilled. Each of the puzzle pieces making up one big organisation that works together. By planting seeds in the young people’s minds may just determine what life path they choose.”

See photo gallery.