We were absolutely delighted to welcome Paul Reddish, CEO of Volunteering Matters, and Paralympian swimmer and former Paralympics GB CEO Tim Reddish CBE and his guide dog, Pip, on their Tour de Thanks.

Paul cycled a gruelling 1000km from Edinburgh to London via Wales to say a heartfelt thanks to the thousands of people across the UK who have made a difference in their communities in the last 12 months or so – and raise money for good causes

We were also joined by The Mayor of Kingston upon Thames, Cllr Sushila Abraham, as they stopped in to present 'The People's Medal' to a number of our fantastic volunteers.

‘The People’s Medal’ comes in the shape of a beautifully designed pin badge from #PinYourThanks, a volunteer-run campaign that has been given by tens of thousands of people to thank their own pandemic heroes and since launching last summer.

The Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames joined us at the celebrations, later saying "A big thank you from ... all of us at Kingston Rotary Club for all the work you have done providing support and help to carers during the covid pandemic. By volunteering your time and expertise you have provided a lifeline and support to carers of all ages in our local community."

Kingston Carers' Network thoroughly enjoy working with our local friends as well as those from further afield. If you are interested in working in partnership with Kingston Carers' Network, please contact Diane White on ceo@kingstoncarers.org.uk