Leonie Lewis MBE z"l loved volunteering and she encouraged many people to do it in her own inimitable style. She helped to make a difference to the volunteer's life, to the charity and to their beneficiaries.

In Leonies honour, JVN is running Leonies Life and Legacy programme for 2023.

Leonie believed that volunteers were the lifeblood of our community and what we do as volunteers is a reflection of our society. Furthermore, there is tremendous potential with interfaith volunteering of breaking down barriers and widening communities to bring people together.

The pandemic has brought shifts in volunteering and the cost-of-living crisis is bringing more challenges. Whilst more people volunteered at the start of the pandemic, the general trend is downwards.

We need to rekindle past volunteers passion and get more people enjoying the benefits of volunteering to themselves and to society.

As part of Leonie's Life and Legacy, we are looking to raise £66,000 to continue Leonie's legacy to promote volunteering in the community through JVN.