Your vote counts for top volunteer

IN 1969, volunteer Mali Jenkins founded what is now the UK’S leading charity supporting people affected by Parkinson’s and Europe’s largest charitable investor in disease research, Parkinson’s UK.

Since then, volunteers have been a vital part of the powerful movement to transform lives and find a cure for Parkinson’s. There are 145,000 people living with the condition in the UK, and most recently you may have learnt that former BBC Newsnight anchor Jeremy Paxman has joined this community.

There are nearly 4,000 volunteers involved with Parkinson’s UK.

From organising and enabling incredible fundraising feats, to campaigning for better health care policies or taking part in a research trial which could shape the future for Parkinson’s treatments, we simply couldn’t achieve what we do without volunteers.

Nominations for the Parkinson’s UK volunteer awards are now open and we want to hear from you if you know a volunteer making a difference in your community for people affected by the condition.

It could be someone like Andrew, uniting people with Parkinson’s, scientists and researchers together at the University of Cambridge to chase down a cure.

Or someone like Vicki, diagnosed with Parkinson’s aged 45 and driven to get the disease understood at her workplace, gym, and anywhere she can!

More than a million people are affected by Parkinson’s including, friends, families and carers, so chances are you will know someone too.

Head to parkinsons.org.uk/ volunteering for more information about different volunteering opportunities available near you and to make a nomination for your unsung hero.

Stephen Hill Head of volunteering Parkinson’s UK