A volunteer from Bargoed has been named one of Wales’ volunteers of the year at a ceremony in Cardiff.
James Wilkes volunteers with the University of South Wales’ Quality, Work, Employability, Skills and Training (QWEST) project.
The 18-year-old won the green category at the Wales Volunteer of the Year Award 2013 for his work promoting sustainability and renewable resources in his local community.
The presentation of the awards, which are run by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), took place on Thursday last week at Cardiff Castle.
James has been volunteering with QWEST for just over a year and has secured a placement with charity Groundwork.
He has helped a local primary school to make an outdoor classroom using recycled logs and provided designs and layout for allotments. He has also gone on several walks and supported and people with special needs and disabilities.
Louise Mumford, a QWEST Development Officer, nominated James for the award.
She said: “Without volunteers like James, local communities would lose a vital resource in terms of the practical and ecological skills they can offer. At the age of just 18, he has shown how committed young people can be when it comes to accessing volunteering and training.”
Lyn Waddington, Head of QWEST, added: “We are delighted that James has received national recognition for his hard work, dedication and commitment as a QWEST Volunteer, he truly deserves it.”
James said: “Volunteering lets me see my friends – and they are also the team I work with. Working with Groundwork gives me the opportunity to try new things and learn new skills. I like making the community a cleaner, safer and a more welcoming place to be in and around.
“Winning, or rather earning, this award means a lot to me. It shows that the hard work put in by me and other volunteers, and our determination to make the community a nicer place, gets noticed and appreciated. It’s a real honour.”
QWEST is a project funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Welsh Government, and led by the University of South Wales to tackle economic inactivity and unemployment across the Heads of the Valleys.