This Volunteer Week, between 2–8 June 2025, we took time to reflect on the incredible contributions of the volunteers who make Wirral Multicultural Organisation (WMO) such a warm and welcoming space.

Although we didn’t host a big event, we made sure to shine a light on the people who give their time, energy, and kindness every day through our social media channels. We’re deeply grateful for their dedication and the positive difference they make to the lives of those we serve.

Why Our Volunteers Matter

At WMO, our volunteers help bridge gaps — in language, culture, confidence, and community. They interpret, support staff, help with events, assist in admin and finance, and show up for those who need support. Each of them plays a unique role in helping us build a more compassionate and inclusive Wirral.

In Their Words

We asked some of our volunteers to share their experiences with us — why they chose to volunteer and what it means to them. Their responses were honest, heartfelt, and inspiring. Here are just a few highlights:

• “I was drawn to WMO because of its strong commitment to community empowerment and the genuine difference it makes.”
  – Shahela
• “Volunteering brings me great joy, especially when I can offer help to others.”
  – Hussein
• “It’s about standing alongside others, offering support, and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.”
  – Shahan
• “Helping out is my way of saying thank you for everything WMO has done for me and my family.”
  – Ghasem
• “Volunteering makes me feel alive, full of purpose, and deeply connected.”
  – Mahdi

A Simple Thank You

While we kept our celebration low-key this year, we didn’t let the moment pass without saying a heartfelt thank you. Whether you’ve given one hour or one hundred, your time means everything.

To every single volunteer — past, present, and future — thank you for being part of the WMO journey. You are the heart of what we do.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re inspired to join our amazing team of volunteers, we’d love to hear from you! Find out more and get started by clicking the link below:

📍 Volunteer Registration Form

🖣 #VolunteerWeek #WMOFamily #ThankYouVolunteers #WirralStrong #WMOHeart

The MyStory, MyJourney, YourAwareness initiative encourages people across Wirral to recognise the signs of cancer and seek medical advice without delay. By using real experiences from local people, the campaign aims to break down fear and stigma, especially within faith groups, ethnic minorities and BAME communities.

It’s all about early detection, timely action, and stronger community understanding.

Click here to view the full video

The website is designed to be highly appealing, and fully translatable, using a system called Recite Me. The pages that our service users will refer to the most are written for people whose first language is not English, so they can understand it for themselves, and to make it easier for Recite Me to translate the information.

Chief Executive Officer Aline Macready said: “We have needed to update our website for some time. Thanks to some significant funding, we’ve been able to do that now. It’s a very fresh, contemporary style and brings us up-to-date in such an appealing way that we can showcase the essential work we do to provide equal access to universal services for people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“These communities face significant health inequalities. Each week over 250 people come through our doors for language support, advocacy, a social activity, or to use our nursery facility.

“Our new website is a window for service users, other professional services and potential funders to see for themselves the really great work that we do and how well we serve our communities.”

The new look website has been funded by the ADDER project, which stands for Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery, and is a Home Office whole-system approach to combatting drug misuse in 13 areas across England and Wales deemed most in need.

The new website includes a large bank of downloadable, printable and translatable resources on harm reduction around drug and alcohol use. These include tips, risks and harm reduction advice, as well as the law on possession, supply and driving while under the influence. WMO works specifically to address the complex cultural barriers that frequently result in people with ethnic backgrounds not seeking the treatment they need.

We have been selected for a 2024 GSK IMPACT Award, funded by the global biopharma company GSK and managed in partnership with The King’s Fund, a charity working to improve health and care in England.

The judges said: “WMO offers a wide range of services and provides creative responses to the high levels of need in its community. It works tirelessly to combat health disadvantage and poor access to health services.

“The charity has developed a range of new services, including language interpretation, health checks and GP registrations. It also advocates on behalf of its service users and works in partnership with other organisations, such as to support people leaving hospital and prevent unnecessary hospital readmissions.

“WMO has placed itself as the ‘go to’ charity for people from an ethnic minority background within Wirral.”

Our award entry was put through a rigorous process, including an in-person assessment that lasted half a day before being judged by a panel of experts in community health and health-related issues.

Chief Executive Officer Aline Macready said: “This is such an amazing boost for our team. They always go the extra mile and winning such a prestigious award is just the icing on the cake for all their hard work and dedication.

“People with ethnic minority backgrounds living here on the Wirral face significant health inequalities – greater than those from existing disadvantaged communities. Each week over 250 people come through our doors for language support, advocacy, a social activity, or to use our nursery facility.

“We remove barriers to primary and community healthcare. Last year, our health service delivered over 10,000 sessions. Our work is essential. We’re delighted that it’s been recognised nationally.”

The award includes a donation of £40,000, plus two places on a free training and development programme and an invitation to join the  GSK IMPACT Awards Development Network, designed to develop our organisation and leadership further.