Kittens and a fluffy octopus mascot were two of the stars of a recruitment drive to find volunteers in Wrexham.
The Association of Voluntary Organisations Wrexham (AVOW) organised the Magic of Volunteers Day event at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre.
The idea was to give a number of groups and charities an opportunity to raise awareness of what they do, raise funds and inspire people to give their time to help out.
Sheila Stewart, who runs Penyffordd-based Capricorn Animal Rescue, took along three kittens she’s hand-rearing, while she ran her tombola stall and handed out information leaflets.
She said: “People, especially children love seeing the three kittens. I have to feed them every two hour’s right through the day and night so I’m afraid wherever I go they go too.
“The event organised by AVOW at Eagles Meadow has been a great way to raise awareness of what we do and to try and recruit a few new helpers. It’s strange but I sometimes feel people don’t like the word volunteer.
“Lots of people are happy to help out but don’t see helping in the same way as volunteering. The event has also been a good way to raise some funds.
“As a charity we have a lot of animals to look after. At the moment, in addition to the three kittens, we have a number of buzzards, although we have recently released one back into the wild, and we are also bottle feeding a lamb.”
She added: “It’s important to get helpers, or volunteers, to lend a hand. We couldn’t manage without them and I’m grateful to both AVOW and Eagles Meadow for putting this event on.”
AVOW’s youth volunteer development officer Tegan Sollis says the idea behind the Magic of Volunteers Day was to help local organisation raise awareness of what they do.
She said: “We have a number of organisations who have set up stalls and have seized the opportunity to raise funds and get information out to shoppers and visitors that will help them to recruit some new volunteers.
“St Giles’ Church have been selling craft work and handing out leaflets while we also have stalls being run by Hope House Children’s Hospice, The British Red Cross, Rhos Community Café and The Royal British Legion.
“It’s been a good day and thankfully the weather has stayed dry even though it’s been very windy.”
Stella Whitham, verger of St Giles’ Church says they used the event to sell knitted baby-wear, a range of handmade greetings cards and jewellery.
She said: “Everything we make from today will be going into the upkeep of the church and to help keep our doors open. It’s also been an opportunity to let people know what we do and why we do it.
“Hopefully, we will have also encouraged a few people to come and see first-hand what we do and help us with our work.”
