Volunteering fair in Leighton Buzzard aims to help find more help for charities

If you’ve got some time or energy to spare head to a free Volunteering Fair to find out how you could give charities a helping hand.

June is officially the Month of Community and also marks Volunteering Week and Small Charity Week. As part of these awareness weeks, a Volunteering Fair is taking place at Trinity Methodist Church Hall on North Street in Leighton Buzzard from 10am to 12.30pm on June 17.

The free event organised by Totally Leighton Buzzard aims to encourage an increase in volunteering and provides a chance for people who don’t currently volunteer to come and ask questions of local groups face to face.

Volunteering helps others but also benefits people who give up their time by providing opportunities to meet new people, increase self-confidence and try new things.

There are currently at least ten charities or local community groups expected to attend including the local National Childbirth Trust (NCT) group, Girlguiding Bedfordshire, Leighton Linslade Helpers, Kidsout, LB Patient Transport. Kids Out, Hospice at Home Volunteering, Leighton Linslade District Scouts, Spectrum Community Arts, Citizens Advice Leighton Buzzard, Medical Detection Dogs and Totally Leighton Buzzard.

Each group will be happy to chat with visitors about their groups, their roles and about the level of time commitment involved in volunteering.

The new Leighton-Linslade mayor, Councillor Kevin Pugh will also be attending.

A Totally Leighton Buzzard spokesperson said: “We hope that the Volunteering Fair Leighton Buzzard might lead to some kind of regular charity networking activity or talk to share ideas in the town in the future.

“If you are a local community group and want to take part with a stall on June 17 please get in touch with Totally Leighton Buzzard via email or via our website or complete the online form to say you are joining the event.

“With great thanks to Trinity Methodist Church Hall for agreeing to host the event, we look forward to welcoming everyone who can make it. Teas and coffees will be on sale and we hope for a useful and helpful event. Whatever our individual interests or level of time commitment, we can all make a lasting difference by being willing to get involved and help.”