On Monday 29th June 2026, Wandsworth Care Alliance hosted a Volunteers’ Celebration at Tooting Works to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contribution of volunteers across Wandsworth.
The event was delivered in partnership with Healthwatch Wandsworth, Tooting Works, Enable, Children Hope Forever and Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network (WCEN). Together, we welcomed volunteers, volunteer-involving organisations and individuals interested in volunteering, creating an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of those who generously give their time to support local communities while strengthening connections across the voluntary and community sector.
We were honoured to be joined by the Mayor of Wandsworth, Madam Mayor Emillene Owens, who helped recognise the remarkable achievements and commitment of volunteers. Her attendance highlighted the important role that volunteering plays in building stronger, more connected communities.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees had the opportunity to network, share experiences, discover local volunteering opportunities, and connect with organisations working across Wandsworth. The event fostered collaboration, celebrated the impact of volunteers, and encouraged continued community involvement.
The celebration was a wonderful opportunity to thank volunteers for their commitment and to recognise the positive difference they make every day. By bringing together volunteers, community organisations and local partners, the event reinforced the strength of partnership working and the shared commitment to supporting and empowering communities across Wandsworth.
The volunteer feedback highlighted how these types of events also give people an opportunity to ‘get out and do something’, ‘relax and have a chat’, ‘feel more connected, part of something and less isolated’. Hearing from community groups on a regular basis is not only informative but it also gives us all a rich sense of community. Feedback suggestions around where extra support might be needed were helpful, and perhaps most notably pointed to more opportunities for meeting socially and hearing from community groups.
We asked our volunteer Ananad to describe his experience of the event and he said:
As a new volunteer myself, I really appreciated how welcoming the staff and other volunteers were. It can feel a little awkward settling in and meeting new people, but it was such a friendly, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere that it was easy to blend in. I have been unemployed for a long while now, so the environment and feeling part of something is really important to me. There is a community feel about Healthwatch Wandsworth and Wandsworth Care Alliance, which is probably unsurprising considering its nature, but nonetheless, culture is a valuable thing. Most encouraging of all, to me at least, was how other volunteers and staff went out of their way to include everyone in the event itself, and also that they explored creative solutions to include me personally as a volunteer. In my experience this type of inclusion is becoming harder to find in these busy times, and so I want to finish by saying how much we need community organisations such as HealthWatch Wandsworth and Wandsworth Care Alliance.