A Huge Thank You To All Parkinson’s UK Volunteers

Dear Editor,

With over 3,500 volunteers involved in Parkinson's UK, these generous and devoted people really are at the centre of everything we do. We couldn’t function in the way we do without volunteers, and Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) is the perfect time to let them know how much we value them.

It was a volunteer called Mali Jenkins who founded Parkinson’s UK, then known as the Parkinson’s Disease Society, in 1969. We are now the UK’s leading charity supporting people affected by the condition, and volunteers are essential to helping us transform the lives of people with Parkinson’s.

Volunteers’ Week is a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you. From campaigning for change and striving to achieve better healthcare policies, to cheering at events and producing podcasts, or getting involved with research trials, volunteers are absolutely vital in helping us get closer to life changing breakthroughs for people with Parkinson's.

There are currently 145,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK and it is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. Over a million people’s lives are affected by Parkinson’s including friends, families and carers, so chances are you will know someone too.

On behalf of all of us here at Parkinson’s UK, I want to say thank you to all existing and former volunteer colleagues: you are deeply appreciated and we couldn’t do any of this without you.

Head to parkinsons.org.uk/volunteering for more information about different volunteering opportunities available near you.

Signed/ Ana Palazon, Interim Head of Volunteering at Parkinson’s UK