This week (1st June-7th June 2026) is Volunteers Week, a UK-wide campaign to recognise the amazing contributions of volunteers.

To celebrate, all this week we’ll be sharing stories of volunteers in our communities.

If you ask Lynn (pictured left) what she loves most about volunteering, she’ll tell you it’s making people smile. Lynn Heslington has been giving her time to benefit communities for longer than she cares to remember, and the range of volunteering roles she’s done is vast!

From helping at the annual Bournville Festival (organised by Bournville Village Council) and the Bournville Open Garden Day to updating noticeboards in the Shenley area, Lynn has done it all!

At the moment, she is volunteering on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Shenley Lunch Club based at Shenley Court Hall.

She is also a keen volunteer for events and activities, like litter picks and the Bournville Heritage Open Day. For Lynn, the seeds of giving back to the community were sown early.

Lynn, said: “When I was a child I used to help my mom run a community centre and put events on in the area where we lived. I suppose volunteering is just something I have always done.”

And what would Lynn say to those thinking of giving volunteering a go?

“Just try it! You may get more out of it than you realise,” she said.

Want to find out about volunteering opportunities in your area, or how you can get involved in Bournville Village Trust’s work? Go to our get involved page today!