Volunteers’ Week may only come around once a year, but the impact volunteers have on rural communities can be seen every day.

At Cambridgeshire ACRE, volunteers are woven through almost every aspect of our work. They welcome people into Community Hubs, support village halls and community buildings, help others build digital confidence, act as peer mentors, contribute to environmental projects, guide boaters on our waterways and strengthen local organisations through their leadership and governance. Their contribution cannot be measured solely in hours given. It is seen in the friendships formed, the confidence restored, the loneliness reduced and the communities made stronger.

During Volunteers’ Week 2026, we celebrated these contributions in many different ways. We shared volunteer stories, sent personal messages of thanks and welcomed volunteers from across our programmes to a special celebration event in Ely. It was an opportunity to recognise the people whose commitment helps rural communities thrive every day. One particularly powerful moment was reflecting on the scale of impact volunteers help create through our work, including the tens of thousands of visits made to Community Hubs across the past year.

What stood out most was the sheer diversity of volunteering across Cambridgeshire ACRE.
Many people associate volunteering with helping in village halls or community groups, but our volunteers support communities in a wide variety of ways. Across the Cambridgeshire Community Hubs Network, local volunteers create welcoming spaces where residents can meet friends, access advice, improve their wellbeing and feel part of their community. The network is community-led, with volunteers acting as organisers, welcomers, promoters and local champions who make these spaces possible week after week.

Volunteers are equally important in supporting the places that sit at the heart of village life. Across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, hundreds of trustees and volunteers give their time to keep village halls and community buildings open, safe and welcoming. They organise events, manage finances, oversee maintenance, recruit new committee members and ensure these valuable community assets remain available for future generations. We even have a cohort of peer mentors, who on top of volunteering in their own local community building, provide additional support mentoring other trustees of community buildings across the county.

Others volunteer in less visible but equally valuable roles. Our Digital Champions help residents develop confidence online. Our Hallmark Assessors share their knowledge with trustees running village halls and community facilities. Environmental volunteers contribute to projects that help people connect with and care for the landscapes around them. Across all these programmes, volunteers are helping communities become more resilient, connected and self-reliant.

Our Anglian Waterways Volunteers provide another excellent example of how volunteers strengthen communities in different ways. Working in partnership with the Environment Agency, these volunteers support boaters navigating locks along the River Great Ouse, offering practical assistance, local knowledge and a reassuring presence at some of the busiest points on the river. During the 2025 season, volunteers delivered 209 locking sessions and contributed more than 1,245 volunteer hours, helping people enjoy the waterways safely and confidently.

The difference they make is clear from the feedback received from river users. Many boaters reported that volunteers helped build their confidence, reduced stress and made the locks feel friendlier and safer. Ninety-one per cent of surveyed boaters said volunteers directly helped them through locks, while 95 per cent agreed they created a welcoming atmosphere. Many described the service as invaluable, particularly for new, older or single-handed boaters.

The impact extends beyond practical support. Anglian Waterways Volunteers act as ambassadors for the waterways, helping manage busy periods, sharing local knowledge and improving the experience for visitors and residents alike. An independent social value assessment found that the programme generated £5.84 of social value for every £1 invested through stronger community connections, improved wellbeing, enhanced accessibility and reduced operational pressures.

Importantly, this work continues. While Volunteers’ Week offers an opportunity to reflect, our 2026 Anglian Waterways Volunteers are already back at the locks supporting boaters throughout the current season, just as Community Hub volunteers, Digital Champions and village hall trustees continue their work in communities across the county.

Behind every volunteering role, however, there is a personal story. One such story is Dee’s.

After moving to Cambridgeshire following the loss of her husband, Dee found herself isolated in a new community during lockdown. Walking through the doors of her local Community Hub for the first time felt daunting. What she found was warmth, friendship and connection. Over time, she moved from attendee to volunteer, training in chair-based exercise, strength and balance, breathwork and first aid. Today, she leads sessions that help others improve their wellbeing and confidence. Looking back on her journey, Dee describes volunteering simply: “It’s changed my life completely.”

Her experience highlights something we see repeatedly across our work. Volunteering is not simply about helping others. While communities benefit enormously from the time, energy and skills volunteers contribute, volunteers themselves often gain friendships, confidence, purpose, new experiences and a stronger sense of belonging.

Feedback from Community Hub volunteers reinforces this message. Volunteers consistently report high levels of satisfaction, describing the enjoyment they gain from teamwork, friendship and knowing they are making a positive difference in people’s lives. Many speak about the strong sense of community that develops when local people come together to support one another.

As we move beyond Volunteers’ Week, our gratitude does not end. Recognition matters, but so too does ensuring volunteers feel valued, supported and equipped to continue making a difference. We remain committed to providing the training, guidance and encouragement that helps volunteers flourish alongside the communities they serve.

Rural communities are often described as resilient. The reality is that resilience is built by people. It is built by the volunteer who opens the doors of a Community Hub every week. By the trustee who keeps a village hall running. By the Digital Champion helping someone get online. By the Anglian Waterways Volunteer guiding a nervous first-time boater through a lock. By the neighbour who chooses to give their time, skills and compassion to support others.

To every volunteer who contributes to Cambridgeshire ACRE’s work: thank you. Your commitment helps create stronger, kinder and more connected rural communities. And that is something worth celebrating every week of the year.