Dedicated volunteers improve lives in these despairing times

WHEN all seems doom and gloom, and local, national and international affairs seem to offer only the faintest glimmer of hope for a brighter future, it's easy to fall into despair.

- Judith Phillips

None of us knows what lies ahead, and in some respects that's a good thing. But when here in Wales - where the cost of living seems to be rising more steeply than it has for a number of years, when the NHS is under extreme pressure to provide an effective service, and schools are struggling for sufficient funding to offer a full curriculum while keeping old and decaying buildings in repair - it often feels as though we get the thin edge of the wedge. So it was encouraging to see a wide variety of charities and their volunteers celebrating Volunteers Week earlier this year.

Voluntary services councils throughout North Wales organised several events to celebrate the time and enthusiasm of thousands of people who give their time freely to help others.