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Volunteering duo receive platinum award from lifesaving charity

Saying thank you is the theme of Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), when charities and organisations celebrate the unpaid work done by millions of volunteers across the UK.

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance’s (WNAA) charity. It could not operate its 24/7 frontline services and continue to save lives without the support of its dedicated volunteers – such as WNAA community volunteers, Jess and Dave Upstone.

Jess and her husband Dave – from Rugby, Warwickshire – have been volunteering for the lifesaving charity since 2003, with a want to help the service continue to save lives.

“Back in 2003, a representative from the charity gave a talk trying to drum up support for the charity because it was in its infancy – we both worked for the NHS so knew how important it was to give people the best care possible and as quickly as possible,” explained Jess.

Since they began volunteering for the vital cause, the dedicated duo have brought in an astonishing £137,663.72 for the lifesaving service.

Jess and Dave – along with all the charity’s volunteers – will be celebrated and thanked by the charity during this year’s Volunteers’ Week which also coincides with the charity’s celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

They will be presented with a platinum award for their long service and will be invited to the charity café tea parties and receive a special Jubilee mug- to mark the regal milestone.

Head of Volunteering for the charity, Sue Haslett commented: “Our volunteers help in a variety of different ways across the charity, whether they’re raising funds out in the community, supporting in our offices or warehouse, delivering projects, or helping in our shops – every hour that they give makes a difference.

“We couldn’t operate without them, and I’d like to say a big thank you to Jess and Dave for their incredible dedication, and to each other volunteer for their ongoing support which helps us to save lives.

“We hope our volunteers enjoy the Jubilee celebrations. Every one of our volunteers already wears a crown, which they should wear with pride, as they are our volunteer royalty.”

The charity hails over 1,200 dedicated volunteers – and with over 50 different volunteering roles- it’s always looking for more people to donate their time or expertise.

“Volunteering has just become part of our lives, we started, and we couldn’t stop, we enjoy being out in our communities and helping to put the message of the charity’s work out there, we also like feeling a part of the charity – our maths has gotten better too,” added Jess.

Read more about our volunteering opportunities here.