Volunteer of the year award winner is announced at roadshow

Mission Fund volunteer Joseph Mifsud won the inaugural National Volunteer Award at the end of the recent European Year of Volunteering roadshow event in Valletta.

The event, held in a tent at the old bus terminal, was officially closed on December 5 by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS).

The highlight of the closing ceremony was the presentation of the National Volunteer Award launched earlier this year by MCVS. The board of adjudication was composed of journalist Joe Dimech, MCVS council member Louise Gusman and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ CEO Miriam Teuma.

From now onwards, the National Volunteer Award will be awarded every year on December 5, International Volunteer Day, in order to recognise the work carried out by volunteers.

First place this year was Mission Fund volunteer Joseph Mifsud; joint-second place went to Helen Muscat (Action for Breast Cancer) and Miriam Bonnici (National Parents Society for Persons with Disability and Malta Society of the Blind) third place went to John Peel (National Parents Society for People with a Disability).

The awards were presented by MCVS chairman Robert Farrugia, head of Representation in Malta Martin Bugelli and Voluntary Organisations commissioner Kenneth Wain.

More than 50 voluntary organisations showcased their work during the event, which was visited by more than 2,000 people.

On the penultimate day, MCVS launched its volunteer-matching website www.volontarjat.org, which is designed to link organisations with volunteers and the business sector.