So, today marks the start of Volunteers Week. A week dedicated to celebrating the amazing work that people do voluntarily for charities and beyond! 

I don't know about the rest of you, but this Volunteers Week feels like it has come at a great time for me this year. A time where I am still feeling broken by the events in Manchester and feel a mounting sense of dread ahead of next weeks election. As such, I have been taking great comfort today in reading stories and seeing photos of some of those champion volunteers out there; from those involved in small acts of kindness, to those who have dedicated their lives to others. 

In honour of Volunteers Week and in a quest to bring smiles to other peoples faces, I thought I would start a post where everyone can share their most inspiring volunteer stories as I am sure there are absolutely LOADS in this community! 

I will kick things off by telling you about Lloyd Page. Lloyd has been volunteering at Mencap for 23 years now and is an integral part of the Mencap family. He has a learning disability but that is not what defines Lloyd. What defines him are things like his incredible ability to get stash and selfies at any and all events, his atrocious jokes and his love of Harry Potter. Lloyd has presented to hundreds of medical students, written a book about Going to the Dentist and is usually the star speaker at our annual carol concert. His compassion for others and absolute dedication to improving the world for people with a learning disability is amazing. He shows exactly what people with a learning disability can achieve given the right support. 

You can read more about Lloyd in his own words in a post he wrote last year for our 75th birthday. I dare you not to grin when you see his beaming smile!