Mayor's tea party for older volunteers

Early in March, the Mayor of Waltham Forest, Farook Qureshi; Leader of the Council, Councillor Clyde Loakes; and Councilor Richard Sweden joined a celebration of the work done by the borough's older volunteers.

The event, organised by Age Concern Waltham Forest, was held at the Epicentre, on 7 March and was attended by over 40 volunteers. In their speeches, the Mayor and councillors talked about volunteering, the needs of the borough's older adults and the recognition of older volunteers' work.

Co-incidentally, 7 March was Councillor Sweden's birthday and a birthday cake from Age Concern Waltham Forest was a enjoyable, chocolate addition to the refreshments - and it's presentation gave everyone the chance to join in a cheerful and tuneful performance of 'Happy birthday'!

In his speech, the Mayor said that,

I know that without your help, many of our local organisations and groups would not exist and certainly could not undertake the range nor the amount of work that they do.

and

You demonstrate on a daily basis that age is just a number, that older adults contribute enormously to the life of the borough as volunteers and make a difference to the lives of so many of its residents. For your work and commitment, I thank you all on behalf of Waltham Forest Council.

A thank you that was appreciated and welcomed by the volunteers.

The Mayor's sentiments were echoed by Councillor Sweden, chair of the council’s Health, Adults’ and Older People’s Scrutiny Sub-Committee. Councillor Sweden pointed out that,

Activities of voluntary organisations ... dignify our civic life. Who wants to be part of a community without common interests and the ethic of sharing that lies behind voluntary work?

Councillor Sweden concluded his speech by thanking the volunteers "for your hard work and generous service to others". Councillor Sweden's speech may be downloaded from our website.

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