Celebrate a Local Volunteer — Nominations Open in Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh Until 11 May

Volunteering is one of the quiet forces that sustains life in Britain — and nowhere is that more evident than in Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh. From supporting isolated neighbours to transporting patients, tending to green spaces, or simply showing up for someone in need, volunteers power our communities, lift our spirits, and save public services billions of pounds a year.

Now in its second year, the Folkestone, Hythe & Romney  Marsh Volunteering Awards return in 2025 to celebrate these unsung heroes. Run in partnership with Kent Coast Volunteering (KCV), the awards recognise people who give their time freely — not for praise or pay, but to make the lives of others better.

“We are calling on people now to nominate volunteers making a difference in their community.” — Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Two Types of Volunteering – Both Equally Valuable

Volunteering comes in many forms, but generally falls into two main categories:

1. Formal Volunteering

This involves working with an established organisation or program, often with specific guidelines, expectations, and a structured schedule. These opportunities are usually coordinated by charities, government bodies, or community groups. Volunteers typically go through an application or selection process, receive training, and take on a defined role within the organisation.

2. Informal Volunteering

In contrast, informal volunteering is more spontaneous and less structured. It usually involves helping out on a personal or local level — without the oversight of any official organisation. Examples include offering to do shopping for a neighbour, organising a community clean-up, or mentoring someone in need.

In summary: formal volunteering is structured and organised by an entity; informal volunteering is more personal and community-driven. Both are powerful. Both change the lives of those involved.

500 Monthly Journeys, Hundreds of Lives Touched

Just one example of formal volunteering in action is Kent Coast Volunteering’s Community Transport scheme.

“Our drivers manage more than 500 trips a month getting people to and from medical and other health related appointments across Kent.” — Kent Coast Volunteering

These journeys are often the difference between someone receiving critical care or going without. They reflect how organised volunteering can deliver essential services and build bonds of friendship across generations.

Multi-Billion Pound Gift — But Falling Quietly

Volunteering is often seen as something soft, kind, and immeasurable. But its contribution to the UK economy is anything but vague — it’s worth billions. And without it, the country would feel the loss not only socially, but financially.

In 2014, the Office of National Statistics estimated:

“volunteering represented 2% of the total value of unpaid work, and was worth £23 billion” — ONS

By 2020/21, around 14.2 million people in the UK volunteered formally through a club, organisation, or group. Their efforts were valued at £18 billion, or just 0.8% of UK GDP — a noticeable drop compared to previous years.

As shown in long-term data from Statista, the number of people engaged in both formal and informal volunteering has gradually declined since 2013/14. And as participation falls, so too does the economic value.

The volunteers haven’t become less valuable — far from it. But with fewer people stepping forward, there are fewer hands to help, fewer Good Samaritans, and more gaps left unfilled. Every person who doesn’t volunteer is one less pair of eyes, one less moment of compassion, one less bridge across hardship.

We need to treasure what we have. Every volunteer, whether part of a structured organisation or simply helping a neighbour, contributes in ways both measurable and profound.

Because while GDP might tally the billions, it doesn’t capture what truly matters. As Robert F. Kennedy reminded us:

“[GDP] measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”
— Robert F. Kennedy

And that is why volunteers — their time, their kindness, their impact — are priceless.

A Boost for Health and Happiness

Volunteering doesn’t just help others — it improves the wellbeing of the volunteers themselves.

The What Works Centre for Wellbeing found that volunteering increases “life satisfaction, happiness and sense of purpose,” particularly for people over 40 or going through major life transitions.

In BMJ Open, researchers concluded that regular volunteers report “higher levels of mental wellbeing and reduced symptoms of depression.”

When Kindness becomes a habit, it improves our health.

Local Impact in Folkestone & Hythe

Here in Kent, services like the Good Neighbours Service demonstrate just how much difference volunteers make every day.

“Our Good Neighbours Service supports lonely and isolated people with a range of tasks – from shopping and prescription collection, to dog walking and friendly chats.” — Kent Coast Volunteering

For the people supported — and the volunteers themselves — the impact is life-changing.

How to Nominate a Local Hero

The Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh Volunteering Awards 2025 are now open for nominations. There are five award categories:

• Individual Volunteer

• Group of Volunteers

• School, College, Youth Group or Youth Club (under 18s)

• Governance (trustees and committee members)

• Corporate (employers supporting employee volunteering)

Information on how to enter can be found on the Kent Coast Volunteering website. The deadline for nominations is Sunday 11 May 2025.”

Final Word: More Than Numbers

Volunteers are the quiet scaffolding holding up our social fabric. Their time, energy and empathy bridge the gaps that systems can’t. They deliver services, ease suffering, spark joy — and yes, they save the economy billions.

But their greatest gift? It isn’t measured in GDP.

As Robert F. Kennedy said, the things that make life worthwhile — compassion, courage, connection — are beyond economic value.

We are richer as a nation when we measure what makes us whole — not just what makes us wealthy.

That is why each and every volunteer in Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh, deserves our thanks, our respect, and our support.

The Shepway Vox Team

Not Owned By Hedgefunds or Barons