Stockport Rocks!

Volunteer Awards Celebration

Celebrating Local People who Give Back

The background

Around the time of the pandemic it was estimated that there were around 57,000 volunteers in Stockport (from the 2021 Stockport State of the VCFSE Sector Report). A beyond impressive number of people giving their time and energy to local causes, not forgetting the vast amount of people with caring responsibilities who are included in this figure.

However, in the years since the pandemic, Voluntary & Community organisations have seen their volunteer pools decrease in number. Many organisations are struggling to recruit and retain volunteers, the lifeblood of our sector. This presented the challenge, how can we celebrate and give back to existing volunteers across Stockport, to help them feel valued, as well as demonstrate the joys of volunteering to encourage new volunteers? And so Stockport Rocks! was born!

Stockport Rocks! is a Volunteer Awards Celebration created to celebrate, reward and rejoice in the many volunteers across Stockport. The emphasis is on scale – celebrating as many volunteers as we can at an Awards event. This is why at the first event 210 volunteers were invited, out of the 276+ nominations, to attend. The Awards weren’t just about those who had won, we wanted to reward those who had been nominated as well, to give them a knees up and a chance to celebrate.

Stockport Rocks! 2024

We knew that we couldn’t deliver this event on our own, so we partnered with Stockport Council, Stockport County Community Foundation and Marketing Stockport to create an event worthy of the incredible volunteers we have in Stockport.

The first Stockport Rocks! saw 400 guests gather at Edgeley Park to honour the dedication and selfless contributions of local volunteers who make a significant difference in the lives of many.

We could not have put on this event without the financial support and donations from local businesses. Thanks to their generosity and care for their community, we raised nearly £30,000 to deliver this event. A true showcase of collaboration for the benefit of local people.

Hosted by Stockport County Club President, Steve Bellis, the ceremony recognised the invaluable efforts of volunteers across various sectors, including health, education, community, and environmental conservation. The evening was a testament to the undeniable spirit of community service that thrives within Stockport.

Guests were moved to tears of joy and appreciation as they celebrated one another’s achievements and acknowledged the tremendous impact of the volunteer community in Stockport. It was clear that this was a long overdue celebration and a worthy one at that.

The feedback received from guests, winners and nominees made it clear that Stockport Rocks! needed to return as an annual event.

Want to help us put on Stockport Rocks! 2025?

Get in touch! – clare.finch@sector3sk.org

"Just want to thank you all for giving my lady such a wonderful night. She thoroughly enjoyed every minute and the experience will stay with her for a long time. You made her feel very special."

"Thank you for this evening. It was well organised. The food was lovely and the choir were beautiful to listen to. I had a real sense of being appreciated as one of the thousands of volunteers in Stockport. It was a very enjoyable evening."

""As a volunteer for 7 years now I was blown away by the amazing people there giving so much to their Community I am sure this event will go from strength to strength celebrating their great work.”

Stockport Rocks!

Celebrating Local People who Give Back

Want to help us put on Stockport Rocks! 2025?

To get involved in Stockport Rocks! 2025 contact clare.finch@sector3sk.org