THIRTY people joined the Winchester mayor, Jane Rutter at a reception to celebrate the year-round contribution made by the staff and volunteers of organisations which support young people across the district.

As they arrived, guests were greeted with a performance by Integr8 Dance, a provider of lessons, parties and school-based sessions of street dance and cheer-leading across the south of England.

Guests also heard some true life experiences, reflecting the challenges and the satisfaction of working with the most vulnerable young people, from Sue Lyons of Winchester Youth Counselling and Tana Spreadbury of Winchester and District Young Carers.

The mayor said: “It was a happy coincidence that three of the organisations represented at the Guildhall reception were among my chosen charities for this year. I am passionate about providing support and encouragement for young people, and know that the time and talents given so willingly by these adults can make all the difference to the life of a child or teenager. I would like to say thank you once again, on behalf of all those who live in this district, to those who do such a great job in providing friendship, a safe space, fun, practical help or an emotional lifeline for the young people who most need it.”

The reception was the second such occasion, designed to reflect on the consistent hard work of voluntary organisations in making the Winchester district a brighter and happier place for all residents. 2016 saw a reception for volunteers working with the homeless and vulnerably housed, at which local Big Issue seller Kevin Collick made a memorable appearance.

The recently-adopted Council Strategy for 2017-2020 seeks to improve the health and happiness of the wider community. One way of doing this is “through encouraging volunteering to support and extend local services”.

At its February Council meetings, over £700,000 in grants programmes was approved for the coming financial year: this will help to pay for a combination of running costs and one-off projects by a wide variety of organisations, again demonstrating the Council’s conviction that the third sector is often best-placed to provide services in the heart of the community.

The Mayor added: “In hosting this reception, I particularly wanted to acknowledge the work of The Carroll Centre in Stanmore, which is one of the Council’s designated Partner Organisations which inspired this series of special receptions. Providing a wide range of support and services for young people and their families, ranging from medical outreach and pre-school to library books and holiday clubs, the team at the Carroll Centre have never lost their focus on the individual child and their wish to build with them an individual pathway to a successful future.”