Dedicated Kayleigh hailed for her work with charity during National Volunteer Week

Help charity Addaction, which has an operation in Hartlepool, is celebrating the 798 volunteers that help the charity change lives every day as part of Volunteers’ Week, which started yesterday and runs until Thursday, June 7.

Addaction drug, alcohol and mental health services across the country are taking the opportunity to thank volunteers for their fantastic contribution, which last year totalled 268,128 hours.

In Hartlepool, Kayleigh Connelly has volunteered with Addaction for the last year and a half and has provided counselling to clients.

She has now successfully achieved the counselling hours required to complete her Foundation Degree in Counselling and is due to attend her graduation in July.

Community engagement coordinator Vicky Payne said: “We decided to celebrate early with cake! Kayleigh has been a wonderful asset to the team in Hartlepool and is planning on remaining in her volunteering role with us.

“She’s another bright star that remains true to Addaction.”

Executive director Karen Tyrell said: “Our work would be impossible without our volunteers and we are incredibly grateful for their time, insight, and commitment.

“They help us change lives and we’re immensely proud they share their time and passion with us.

“What’s incredible is that 70% of our volunteers are in recovery, which shows the enormous contribution people in recovery make to communities everywhere.”

This year, Addaction renewed its Investors in Volunteers accreditation, which the charity has retained since 2011.

To find out more about Addaction and volunteering visit www.addaction.org.uk