Marian has been employed by Cedar as the Volunteer Co-ordinator since 1997. Initially, Cedar's volunteering opportunities were available in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust, however, the service has since expanded to cover all the Trust areas and supports all services within Cedar. Marian said: “I have watched it grow from strength to strength throughout the years.”

Explaining her role Marian said:

“I recruit volunteers to assist and enhance the services offered by Cedar. I also offer guidance and support to Cedar Volunteers and Volunteer Supervisors.”

Marian continued:

“What I like best about my role is meeting people who are prepared to give their time, skills and experience for free to help others, and are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to improve the lives of the people they support."

She added: "I feel that volunteering with Cedar should be a two-way process – the volunteer should benefit as well as Cedar. It is important for me to match the volunteer to the right service so that they enjoy volunteering and get the most out of their experience.“

As the service developed Cedar was keen to demonstrate commitment to quality by undertaking an assessment against best practice standards. Cedar successfully gained the Investors in Volunteers Award maintaining and retaining this high standard for ten years. We value the contribution volunteers make by supporting people living with disability, autism and brain injury to live the lives they choose.

Volunteering offers the chance to build connections that really make a difference. If you would like to get involved in creating an inclusive society for all visit our volunteer information page or go directly to view our current volunteer roles:

Volunteer Information Page   Current Volunteer Opportunities