Volunteers, who give up their time to help others, are to be celebrated at a special annual dinner attended by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff.
The event is taking place at the Interpretation Centre, Cardiff Castle on Wednesday July 7 to recognise and celebrate the role that volunteers play in city life.
The event, organised by the Cardiff Voluntary Sector Compact (a three-way partnership between the voluntary sector, Cardiff Council and the local NHS), provides an opportunity for city dignitaries to say thank you to the many people who give their time freely for the benefit of others.
One hundred and fifty people have been invited to the dinner after organisations across Cardiff were asked to nominate volunteers.
A huge cross section of the volunteering community will be represented, including people who work with children, health groups, community groups, disability organisations and the homeless.
It is estimated there are up to 150,000 people doing some type of voluntary work in Cardiff and the dinner is a way of saying thank you for their efforts.
The event is free and will start at 6.00pm, with Jason Mohammad (pictured) of BBC Wales hosting the event. The volunteers will be treated to a hot buffet and have the opportunity to win a prize in a free raffle. Prizes include tickets for the New Theatre, Cardiff Blues and the White Water Activity Centre, together with a signed Cardiff City football and two star prizes of £200 vouchers kindly donated by John Lewis.
Attending the evening will be Cardiff Council Deputy Leader and Older Persons Champion, Judith Woodman.
Cllr Woodman said: “There is a great history of volunteering in Cardiff. We have the oldest Volunteering Bureau (est. 1964) in the UK and the city’s history is illuminated with the contributions of those who have given their time voluntarily for the benefit of local people.
“The contribution of volunteers to the city of Cardiff and society as a whole cannot be underestimated. Based on the UK Government’s bi-annual citizenship survey, it is now possible for us to estimate the economic value of volunteering in Cardiff and the results are staggering.
“If you were to multiply the population of Cardiff by the citizenship survey’s volunteering percentage, then by an average number of volunteering hours and the average hourly rate of pay in Cardiff the annual economic value is over £140 million.”
