Award-winning volunteer Will honoured during Volunteers’ Week 2025
Posted on: 2 Jun 2025
As part of our Volunteers’ Week 2025 celebrations, we’re celebrating one of our incredible volunteers, Will Dakers, who has won the prestigious Jamie Marshall Award from Nottingham Trent University.
Will, a second-year International Relations student at NTU, chose to complete a volunteering placement with us as part of his degree and he has made a huge impact across the charity and Nottingham’s NHS hospitals.
“Charity is a big part of my life, my mum does a lot of charity work, and I was inspired by her,” said Will.
“I had a great opportunity through university to either complete an industry placement or volunteer, and I chose to volunteer. The NHS helps so many people, and playing my part in helping to support the hospital and give back is really rewarding. My advice to anyone considering volunteering is to just do it!”
Will quickly became a familiar and friendly face at our Charity Hub at Queen’s Medical Centre, where he greets visitors, provides information, and helps raise funds through Hub sales. Always keen to make a difference, Will even volunteered his weekends to trial Saturday openings, helping to increase footfall and accessibility for our supporters.
Will’s contribution goes far beyond the Hub too. He’s taken part in charity events, including a walk with the Nottingham Breast Institute during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, supported admin tasks, engagement events and most notably, represented our charity on BBC Radio Nottingham, promoting volunteering and inspiring others to get involved.
On winning his award, Will said: "Winning the Jamie Marshall award was nothing short of amazing. Being involved with such a fabulous charity is so great, but then being further recognised by my university for my contribution really stuns me. I think it just demonstrates how vital community volunteering is, that those that partake can be recognised, especially for younger people who tend to be less likely to volunteer. Volunteering is the driving force on Nottingham Hospitals Charity, and it doesn't matter how old you are, you can get involved and make a difference!"
His warm, supportive nature has also made him a fantastic peer mentor to fellow volunteers. One of the many reasons he was nominated by Deb Morton, our Volunteer Development Manager, who said:
“Will is full of ideas and energy, and always willing to go the extra mile. He brings enthusiasm, professionalism and a genuine kindness that makes a lasting impact. Whether helping to mentor a new volunteer, jumping into a last-minute media opportunity, or creating engaging displays for the Hub – Will’s a real asset to our team.”
As Volunteer Development Manager, Deb plays a key role in supporting all our volunteers, from their very first induction to ongoing mentoring and regular check-ins. She helps our volunteers shape their experience to gain the skills and opportunities they’re looking for – and under her support, our community of volunteers has gone from strength to strength.
Over the past year, we’ve seen a 300% increase in volunteer hours, and thanks to this growing team, our Charity Hub is now open most weekdays – a milestone that simply wouldn’t be possible without people like Will and our team of Charity Hub volunteers.
Interested in volunteering with us?
Find out more about how you can get involved and make a difference across Nottingham’s hospitals.
