Local man shortlisted in BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s ‘Make a Difference’ awards
Chris Harding, from Papworth, has been shortlisted in the ‘Make a Difference’ awards hosted by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Chris is up for the Volunteer Award, which is to be awarded to an individual who makes a notable difference to the community by giving their time voluntarily to help out a good cause.
Chris started volunteering for Cambridgeshire based Magpas Air Ambulance seven years ago. Since then, he’s done almost every job the charity could have possibly asked of him… And more!
Chris often volunteers at events, donating his time and talent representing Magpas Air Ambulance by manning stalls, engaging potential supporters and raising money, as well as helping with the less glamourous side: packing vans, heavy lifting, setting up, driving and more. Chris also attends cheque presentations on the charity’s behalf, talks about the charity to businesses and potential supporters, and is generally always spreading the word about Magpas Air Ambulance and the lifesaving service the local charity provides.
When he’s not working his day job, Chris’ first port of call is the fundraising team to see if there’s anything he can do. He regularly pops into the office on his days off and gets involved with even the smallest of jobs.
When Chris found out he was shortlisted for the award, he said “It feels a real honour and a privilege to be shortlisted. I didn’t think I’d be nominated for something like this, so when I received the news I was shocked. It’s very exciting though and I can’t wait for the awards ceremony in September!”
Emma Sanders, Magpas Air Ambulance community and events officer explains, “Chris’ voluntary work knows no bounds, he’s regularly worked 12+ hour days, donated hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of time to the service, has helped raise tens of thousands of pounds at events—and if anyone needs to get one hundred suitcases into a Fiat Talento for a fundraising event, Chris is your man!
“He’s a remarkable, dedicated and passionate volunteer for Magpas Air Ambulance and an asset to the charity; always there when we need him and lives by the words ‘you can always ask me’. He’s a worthy winner in our eyes.”
If you’re inspired by Chris’ voluntary work, you can find out more about Magpas Air Ambulance’s volunteering opportunities at: https://magpas.org.uk/support-us/volunteer-with-us/
