Three volunteers for early years children’s charity Dingley’s Promise, each with unique skills, have won the Volunteer/s of the Year award sponsored by AB Walker.
A “behind the scenes” hero, Barbara Rielly is a vibrant voice for charity which transforms the early years for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Her nominator for Volunteer/s of the Year, sponsored by AB Walker, said: “Barbara is one of those rare volunteers whose passion shines through in every task she takes on.
“But what really makes Barbara stand out is her voice – not just because she’s brilliantly chatty, but because she uses it to advocate for Dingley’s Promise wherever she goes.”
Barbara even takes the charity’s mascot, Dingley Bear, on her holidays.
“Barbara may not be on the floor with the children every day, but her impact is felt in every corner of the centre – through her dedication, her cheer, and her tireless support of our mission.
“She’s more than a volunteer – she’s part of the heartbeat of our charity,” they said.
“One of the brightest sparks in the Reading centre” is Josh Markiewicz, said his nominator for the award.
The 27-year-old volunteer with Down syndrome “brings heart, humour, and hope to everyone he meets.”
Ruth Stacey has been part of the Dingley’s Promise family in Reading for many years, volunteering two half days a week.
Her nominator said: “Visually impaired, Ruth has never let that stand in the way of making a powerful
impact — especially when it comes to supporting the early communication development of children with SEND.
“Her passion for Makaton, a visual language programme, has become an integral part of our centre’s routine.”
Having won the award, Barbara said: ”It feels amazing. Ruth has been here nearly 16 years, I’m coming up for my 15th year and we’ve seen a lot of changes since we’ve started. It’s so nice that people have recognised us for what we do.”
Ruth added: “We’ve seen so much, how the kids grow, it’s so nice to see how they’ve developed and how their confidence improves since we’ve helped them, their communication skills, their developmental play. Josh has been helping us for four years, he’s such a bubbly person to be around. I’ve been helped so much with my disabilities that I wanted to give something back.”
