The evening brought volunteers together to enjoy a delicious selection of Iranian and Persian food, test their knowledge in a table quiz and, most importantly, celebrate the impact they have on the lives of young carers and families across Kingston.

A highlight of the evening was sharing entries from our Young Carers Volunteers' Week competition. We asked young carers:

"If anything was possible, how would you thank our volunteers?"

The answers were thoughtful, imaginative and full of appreciation.

Some young carers said they would take volunteers to the World of Paw Patrol at Chessington World of Adventures and the zoo, give everyone what they want, buy them flowers, award them medals or take them to their favourite place.

We were also delighted to announce the two winning entries.

Winner: Lena

"If anything were possible… I'd do everything they do for me!!!"

Winner: Maisey

"Thank you Jason. I will take you to Disneyland. You are so kind to me. You make jokes about croissants I love! You put a smile on my face."

Hearing these messages reminded everyone just how much volunteers mean to the young carers they support.

As a final thank you, every volunteer who attended received a card, Hampton Court Palace tickets and one of more than 80 homemade cookies baked by our Volunteers Manager Jess, each decorated with the words "Thank you".

Thank you to everyone who came along, and to all our volunteers. We simply could not exist without your support, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you do.

If you’re interested in making a similar impact, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities here.