For World Volunteering Day, we’re shining a light on those at Paxman who give or have recently given their time for a good cause and where their passion for helping others extends beyond scalp cooling patients and into their own local communities! Read on to see what some of the Paxman team get up to in their spare time!
Pictured with her sister, also a volunteer in the Army Cadets, whilst representing the Yorkshire Regiment at a local Remembrance Sunday Parade.
In my spare time I am a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) in the Army Cadet Force, a youth organisation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. As an adult instructor I help young people develop confidence, leadership, and teamwork skills through military-themed activities and outdoor training.
I got involved earlier this year after my daughter joined. It’s already been incredibly rewarding to see cadets grow in ability and self-belief. From watching new recruits integrate into the unit, and the pride they have when they first wear their uniform, to the smiles and hugs on the final parade night for cadets leaving to join the Army or go on to further education.
Many volunteers have a background in the armed forces, emergency services or teaching, however I am proof that anyone can get involved, you just need to have a desire to help young people achieve their goals! It takes a diverse team to deliver the training, education and welfare support required, but together we make a real difference in helping young people reach their potential – whether that’s a career in the armed forces, or taking skills, experiences, or vocational qualifications earned during their time in the ACF into employment.
I’m sure I’ll be learning lots of new skills myself along the way - my saluting still needs a lot of work!
I volunteer at The Huddersfield Light Opera Company (a musical theatre group)
We put on 2 productions a year at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, a traditional pantomime in January and a musical in April.
Our next 2 productions are Jack & The Beanstalk & Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
I have been a member of the HLOC on and off since I was about 10 years old when I started performing in the annual pantomimes and have been in many pantomimes and musicals and had lots of fun performing over the years. When I hung up my dancing shoes, I put my name forward to be the General Manager of HLOC and was voted on at the AGM. The company has been going for over 100 years & I feel I needed to play my part in ensuring it continues for the next 100 years.
It's not a very glamourous role but one that is needed to support the company to continue putting on professional productions.
I chair the council monthly meeting and liaise with the landlord on any issues with our premises (we are lucky enough to have our own rehearsal studios at Albert Mills in Lockwood). I support the marketing team, I’m also on the casting committee, and liaise with all the cast when offering roles and supporting them throughout the productions.
We are a registered charity and so I’m responsible for filing the annual return to the Charities Commission to ensure we comply with our charitable status. I have a great team around me, and we work well together.
We bucket collect at our annual panto for the Forget me Not Charity and have raised over £20k for them over the last few years, and we will continue to support them in 2026.
I volunteer as chair of trustees for Meltham Scout Group, a trustee of the classical music festival, &Piano, and as one of the 400 Export Champions for the Department for Business and Trade.
I became chair of Meltham Scouts after going to a beer and pizza night with a friend, a local councillor for the area. After seeing the amazing work of the group, they told me they needed support with various roles, so I offered to help as chair and re-establish the trustee board. My role is governance, which includes safeguarding, and I have also established a fundraising group. Being chair is about bringing people together and harnessing their skills and contributions. It's also about connecting our work to the community, and I am so pleased to see our relationships strengthen with the local church, Meltham Town Council and important local businesses such as Towndoor.
Scouting and Guiding helps develop our young people in so many ways. Although I was a scout as a boy, I didn't take full advantage of it, so I am pleased to serve as chair years later.
Being a trustee of &Piano connects me with my past as a classical singer and my present work in business. Again, I help make sure we're a well-run charity, to connect our work with the business community and to help raise funds. The charity creates a fantastic and relaxed programme each year for local audiences and provides opportunities for high quality performers with local connections. I am also proud of our schools’ tours, which take classical music to schools that don't often get the chance to experience it.
It was a real honour to be nominated as a voluntary Export Champion for the Department of Business and Trade by my International Trade Advisor, and to join the ranks of distinguished Export Champions such as our own Richard Paxman! I am keen to support SMEs in this way as they are the country's powerhouse of innovation and backbone of economic growth. Small and medium businesses, many of which are family enterprises, are the heart of our communities and our economy, and we need to do more to support them. Exporting is a key opportunity for them and to get the brilliance of British innovation out into the world.
I am glad to support this mission in my own small way by signposting local businesses to support and opportunities, speaking at events and organising my own local Export Breakfast events to bring our business community together over a breakfast butty!
Being a volunteer gives me an opportunity to contribute to my community and to help harness the best in it.
I recently volunteered to organize food donations for the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry in my hometown of Cumberland. This was to help support local families who are struggling to access food.
With government assistance tightening and local need rising across the US by more than 1800%, my husband and I spent the night organizing and bagging donated food for those who rely on the pantry.
I was drawn to help because it breaks my heart knowing over 50 million people in the US need food assistance. I have family members who have relied on food assistance to survive and so many who feel they are just one missed paycheck away from going hungry. Volunteering reminded me how much our communities rely on one another. Anyone can help by donating, volunteering or simply spreading the word.
I have been volunteering for a number of years in various roles; gardening for the elderly, local events, and sports. Most recently and to date, at my son’s local grassroots football club.
The opportunity lets me support his passion while giving something meaningful back to the community. I enjoy being part of a positive environment where children grow in confidence, learn teamwork, have fun, and understand what working hard achieves (yes, I am that coach!!).
It’s rewarding to know my time helps create safe, enjoyable experiences for young people – amazing to see kids going for zero to hero…it can change lives!
Others should get involved because every contribution—big or small— can make such a difference and shows our children the value of helping others.
A crate of Guinness at Christmas always helps too!
I volunteer for a local small charity called Focus4Hope (www.focus4hope.co.uk)
Focus4Hope is a charity from Brighouse, West Yorkshire. They offer care, compassion and hope to the vulnerable, lonely, isolated and those struggling with domestic violence and food poverty.
Their mission is to enhance the well-being and resilience of our community through a range of impactful services:
I volunteer with feeding the homeless bit of the charity.
On Friday every two weeks, we feed between 50 to 100 people at the St Annes Centre as well as deploying 2 outreach teams in the city centre to give food supplies, hygiene packs and clothing to rough sleepers.
Picture taken at Leeds Festival when after the end of the festival we go and salvage as many sleeping bags and tents left behind.
We are always looking for donation of clothes, sleeping bags and tents therefore if you have a clear out at home, please feel free to pass on any clothing items that you would have as we are always in need.
These are just a handful of the many ways the team give back in and outside of work. Whether it’s volunteering regularly, lending a hand occasionally, or supporting your community in quieter ways, every contribution matters. There is no doubt that the world is a much better place because of volunteers across the world.
