Awards ceremony recognises Mersey Gateway volunteers
The efforts of 52 local people who volunteer with the Mersey Gateway Project have been recognised at a special awards ceremony.
Mersey Gateway volunteers with members of the Merseylink team at St Marie’s Church in Widnes
The celebration event, organised by construction joint venture Merseylink, took place at St Marie’s Church in Widnes yesterday (Thursday 2 June 2016) during Volunteers’ Week (1-10 June 2016).
Hugh O’Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, and David Parr, Chief Executive of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, were on hand to present certificates and thank the volunteers for giving up their time to support the project.
All of the volunteers received certificates with individuals who had contributed 100 or more hours of voluntary service receiving special awards. Five volunteers also received an Outstanding Contribution Award for the most hours volunteered over the last 12 months.
Between them, Barrie Davidson, Malcolm Findlow, Robert Richardson, Stephen Falconer and Ian Johnson spent around 2,500 hours volunteering with the project over the last year.
Hugh O’Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, with volunteer Barrie Davidson and David Parr, Chief Executive of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board
Barrie Davidson began volunteering with the Mersey Gateway after retiring. He said: “It’s great to be recognised in this way. I deliver a lot of presentations to groups such as the Women’s Institute, church and fellowship groups, and guide, brownie and scout units. I also visit primary schools to tell them about the project and help to train up new volunteers. I am thoroughly enjoying my time as a volunteer and would definitely recommend it to others.”
The Mersey Gateway volunteer scheme launched in May 2014 with the aim of recruiting local people to help tell the story of Halton and its landmark bridge project – one of the largest construction projects currently underway in the UK.
The volunteers act as information guides at the Mersey Gateway’s two visitor centres, which are based at the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes and in the Town Square in Runcorn Shopping Centre. They also deliver presentations to local schools and community groups, and take part in site visits to learn about the ongoing construction process.
Hugh O’Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, said: “Our volunteers are wonderful people who selflessly give up their time to share their knowledge of this fascinating engineering project with the people of Halton. In doing so, they are making an enormously valuable contribution, not just to the project, but to the local community as a whole.”
Chief Executive of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, David Parr, said: “It’s fantastic that so many local people are getting involved with the project through Merseylink’s volunteer scheme. They are an asset to the project and to the wider community, and I’m delighted to be able to be a part of this celebration to congratulate them all on their great work over the past year.”
The Mersey Gateway volunteering programme consists of a four-week training course where people can learn a range of skills including community engagement and customer service. They also find out details about the ecology, environment and the local history and heritage of the project.
To find out more about becoming a Mersey Gateway volunteer visit www.merseygateway.co.uk/volunteer.
