Volunteers were celebrated during two events that took place in Ely as part of the mayor’s recognition of their work.

Ely Standard: Liz EveryLiz Every (Image: Archant)

One event was at St Peters Church and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ely (Hereward) where Dave Doggett, chairman of Cambridge United Football Club, spoke on volunteering and the role of the club in the community.

The involvement surprised many of the audience attending the event who had not realised the influence the club had on youth by attending schools tackling issues of numeracy, literacy and bullying, said John Yates.

Some memorabilia was sold and total proceeds of around £500 was donated to the Ely Volunteer Centre.

The second event saw mayor, councillor Lis Every, along with members of the Volunteer Centre and the Rotary Club of Ely (Hereward) attempt to lay a mile of coins down the High Street whilst it was shut to traffic.

Those who turned up and braved the weather were applauded and a distance of 200 yards was achieved with the proceeds going to the Volunteer Centre which helps people find their ideal volunteering opportunity.

The centre says that on average there are around 229 volunteering opportunities within a 10 mile radius of its offices ranging from youth work to being a trustee within one of the many organisations on the website.

They have been based at the bottom of Forehill, Ely in the old Brewery, for more than 20 years, which is also home to 42 volunteers who help out with the Helping Hands Car Scheme and the East Cambridgeshire Social Car Scheme.