Whether you rang in the New Year with a glass of bubbly in hand, a quiet night at home, or tucked up in bed, for many people the night looked very different – and entirely inspiring. These are the unsung heroes who give up their time, energy, and heart, all year round.
From hospital wards to food banks, mountain rescues to late-night helplines, these volunteers and workers are the ones quietly making a huge difference, often in ways that go unseen.
"We make sick children smile"
Vanessa Crocker, 60, from north London, spends much of the festive period visiting children in hospital.
"Our charity, Spread a Smile, grew from conversations at our kitchen tables in 2013. My friend Josephine Segal, 56, had arranged for a magician to visit her 12-year-old nephew, Aaron, when he was having cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
"Now enjoying life at university, that visit made such a difference to Aaron that he asked if she could do it for other patients.
"Working together, we started with three entertainers – now we have more than 80. They visit 27 hospitals and three children’s hospices around the country. As a charity with no statutory funding, we rely on the generosity of supporters.
"Parents often tell us that it’s the first time they have seen their children smile for a long time. Josephine and I are very hands-on. We go into hospitals with our entertainers, and spend time chatting to the children and their families. We also organise outings.
"This year, those who can come out of hospital joined us in the new year on a trip to a West End theatre, meeting the cast afterwards. My husband, Paul, and four grown-up children know how much it means to me.
"Of course, there are sad times, but I am inspired by the children we meet and honoured to make a difference."
"As a mountain rescue volunteer, I am on call 24/7"
Mel Smith, 42, an osteopath from Huddersfield, volunteers with her local mountain rescue team.
"When the call came in last New Year’s Day, I grabbed my backpack and was soon trekking up nearby Marsden Moor, a huge expanse of wild heathland, to rescue a walker who had fallen. It was pitch dark, so the members of the Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team, where I’ve been a volunteer since 2020, split up to find the quickest route to her.
"I arrived first with my fellow volunteer, midwife Nicola Ingle. We checked the patient over, suspecting a fractured ankle, then once the rest of the team joined us, we carried her on a stretcher to a waiting helicopter.
"As a mountain rescue volunteer, I’m on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. My first festive call-out was 29 December 2021 – a 13-year-old girl had broken her leg sledging.
"A few days later, a woman was found hypothermic on the moor. We had to handle her gently, as rapid movements could have sent her into cardiac arrest.
"Being part of the ‘Red Jackets’ has been incredible. I found out just how special the team was after I lost my husband Rob, 55, in a diving accident in July 2021.
"Their companionship meant I was never lonely – it’s like being wrapped in a giant ‘red hug’. Helping others saved me during that awful time. I couldn’t rescue Rob when he drowned, but I can rescue others.
"That is a huge motivation."
"I had a call from someone close to taking his life"
Helen Molineux, 55, from the West Midlands, answers calls to the Samaritans.
"I started volunteering in 2019 and have worked every New Year’s Eve since then. Although I haven’t suffered mental health issues, others in my family have.
"My brother Christopher took his own life in 1991 when he was 26. My dad, who died from motor neurone disease, also struggled for much of his life. At times he would disappear, then phone, often from the local Samaritans branch, saying he was safe.
"One year, I took a call from a gentleman who was close to taking his own life. Through talking, he began to see he was stronger than he’d thought. He went forward, able to live another day.
"I continue to be humbled by our callers’ honesty and trust. I used to be a terrible overthinker but, by listening to others, my problems can be put into perspective.
"People may call us for help, but our work isn’t selfless - they enhance our lives."
"Our New Year's Day party is open to all in need"
Saira Begum, 61, who runs a food bank in east London, hosts a New Year’s Day party for those in need.
"The guests may not know each other, and they are different ages and nationalities, but there's always laughter, friendship, music and delicious food at our New Year’s Day party.
"I started my charity, PL84U Al-Suffa, in 2013 with family support – the acronym is ‘Plate for You’, and Al Suffa nods to our Muslim identity and relates to hospitality.
"My aim has been to bring people together, whether that’s the elderly, homeless or families struggling to afford food. With the cost of living crisis, our food bank is now open three days a week, providing vital supplies and helping people find extra support.
"With 500 people a week depending on us, we will carry on through the festive period, opening our doors on the Wednesday and Saturday after Christmas, ahead of the New Year’s Day party, which is open to all in need.
"My husband Farooq and I, and a team of volunteers will be up early that day, decorating a scout hall. I know how painful it is to feel like an outsider. I’m of Pakistani heritage and arrived in Britain from Uganda as an immigrant in 1968, when I was six.
"One of the pillars of the Islamic faith is charity, and that drives the work I do. It has changed my life. I was invited to Buckingham Palace in 2019 to meet the late Queen, in recognition of bringing different faiths together.
"In 2022, I was awarded a British Empire Medal, and this year, Farooq and I had the honour of being invited to King Charles’ coronation. However, I didn’t set out to do any of that. I just wanted to bring people together. Everyone needs a place where they belong."
How can you help?
These charities are looking for volunteers this year:
- Become a trained volunteer for Home Start, a community network that helps families with young children
- Sense, which supports those who are deaf, blind or have complex disabilities, is looking for Virtual Buddies
- Charity shops including Oxfam and the British Heart Foundation are appealing for helpers now
- Check out the micro-volunteering (easy-to-access, low-commitment volunteering) platform at Young Lives vs Cancer to help families affected by cancer
- Coram Beanstalk is looking to recruit more volunteers to read to children for the new school term
- For more volunteering opportunities, contact your local Community and Voluntary Service (CVS) group
This article first appeared in the January 2024 issue of woman&home magazine. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.
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