Winner of Older Volunteer of the Year announced

86-year-old Brian Macklin, who has given up his spare time to support Snow Angels over the past seven years, has been named Older Volunteer of the Year as part of Volunteer Awards Month.

December is Volunteer Awards Month to round off the Year of Volunteering campaign, which is run jointly by Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) and Cheshire West and Chester Council to celebrate all the great work volunteers do in their communities.

Snow Angels supports older people to continue living independently and keeping well, running many schemes across Cheshire and working with a range of local organisations.

Brian used to access Snow Angels’ befriending service while he was a carer for his wife. After Brian’s wife sadly passed away, he decided to volunteer and has befriended more than 20 people over the years, visiting people in their homes before COVID-19, taking them to medical and other appointments, accompanying them to leisure facilities, or having coffee or lunch with them.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brian has been phoning seven people on a weekly basis for Snow Angels and, despite his age, he has no intention of stopping.

Ken James, who nominated Brian for the award, said: “When Brian sadly lost his wife, he said he was a lost soul and needed something to do rather than just sitting there moping.

“One of Brian's admiral traits is his positivity and can-do attitude, which is an inspiration to us all.

“Although he doesn’t seek awards, Brian deserves recognition for his dedication and commitment over the years to his role as a volunteer.

“He sees it as a win-win situation. He provides a friendly ear and friendship to people and, in return, he gets tremendous satisfaction from knowing that, however small, he’s made a difference to someone's life.”

Pictured - Brian has been named Older Volunteer of the Year because of all the great work he does for Snow Angels.