Charity would be nothing without the dedicated people working behind the scenes.

Volunteers come in all different forms and are an integral part of most causes.

Hitting the road again, the team Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland has been visiting its volunteers as part of celebrations for National UK Volunteers’ Week, which recognises the contributions of those who choose to give their time up.

Hospice at Home’s volunteers can normally be found doing work so that people can be cared for in their own homes.

As a thank-you, bosses decided to give a little something to the hard-working supporters by sending out cards to those who support them - and by hand-delivering sweet treats.

Julie Blundell, fundraiser for Hospice at Home, said: “This year our volunteers were celebrated with a personal thank you card from the charity.

“We appreciate our volunteers every day. Our organisation simply could not run without their support and generosity.

“Hospice at Home has more than 320 Volunteers. Roles vary greatly in the organisation and we are truly fortunate to receive this support within our clinical teams, in communities, at our shops, within businesses and at the office.

“Each individual makes such a difference to our organisation and to our community. They are kind, patient, friendly and dedicated they really do make such an impact and we want to say a huge thank you to our friends for being your wonderful selves.”

As well as recognising the work of existing volunteers, this week gives causes the chance to recruit much-needed new numbers.

Most charities are in need, of not just funding support, but people on the ground who do the work.

And the work that volunteers do to support them is vast - from raising money to actively saving lives, as is seen regularly across Cumbria.

RNLI crew have saved over 142,200 lives nationally since 1824, but they do more than provide a rescue service.

The teams up and down the country try to influence, supervise and educate people on keeping safe.

The Cumbrian coast has strong lifeboat teams which are made up of volunteers.

They give up large amounts of time to save people’s lives from the sea.

On call 24-hours-a-day can mean they miss some important parts of family life.

Workington RNLI has already been called out several times this year to assist people at sea.

Last year, it had the most call-outs in Cumbria.

Workington Lifeboat Station is the only station to have an all-weather lifeboat launched by a davit system over the dock wall.

Tim Chittenden, operations manager at Workington RNLI, said: “Our volunteer crew are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“Their dedication to saving lives at sea cannot be underestimated as they often have to miss out on family celebrations and events if they are called out.

“We would be nothing without them and the RNLI would be nothing without the support of the community, for which we are truly grateful.”

Workington RNLI has an all-weather lifeboat, the Dorothy May White, and an inshore lifeboat, which respond to calls from the coastguard.

Mountain rescuers are another group of volunteers who are on stand-by to respond to emergencies around the clock, with teams in Cumbria among the country’s busiest.

The gratitude for such group is great.

Cumbria Police held a special award ceremony to recognise all of its volunteer supporters, including officers of the special constabulary.

Chief Constable Michelle Skeer said: “It has been quite humbling to hear the stories behind why these amazing volunteers, and young people have been put forward for awards and recognition.

“We have heard stories of remarkable courage, community service, dedication and skill. All of which makes me feel proud of these citizens who selflessly dedicate their time and passion to the constabulary.”

Firefighters are another group who have a large volunteer base, some of whom support the Firefighters Charity.

They include Dawn Kidd, who said: “My husband is a retired firefighter and my son is a firefighter. It’s a charity we have always been involved with.

“It’s so important to give my time to them because if anything happened to my son or my husband in the past the charity has benefited us as a family. They offer a lot of support and it’s great work they do.”

There are several volunteer roles at Workington’s lifeboat station, not just crewing the boat. If anyone is interested in learning more about the RNLI’s work and how they could help, they should email workington@rnli.org.uk

For more information about helping Hospice at Home call 01768 210719 or send an email to fundraising@hospiceathome.co.uk and more information will be provided.

The Firefighters Charity has volunteering opportunities available also. To view these, head to www.firefighterscharity.org.uk for more information.