VOLUNTEERS took the lead at Drove Children’s Centre today as they celebrated the neighbourhood’s diverse culture.

The Around the World Stay and Play event was staged as part of the nationwide event Volunteer Week which marks the contributions that volunteers make to organisations across the country.

The celebration of all the hard work that volunteers put in runs until Sunday, and staff at the children’s centre decided to mark the occasion by handing over the reins for a day of international celebration.

Volunteers from across 4 Children’s six children’s centres in Swindon came to Drove for the international event where they ran activities celebrating the cultures of India, Kenya and Italy.

One of the volunteers working on the India base was 32-year-old Ramya Srinivason who began volunteering at Drove in October of last year. She said: “I came in here with my little one and saw some of the sessions that are being organised by the centre and was really impressed.

“After a while I wanted to do something really useful and I wanted to do something for the community. I wanted to understand what was going on in our community and I thought this would be a great place to do that.”

During the day-long event – which the volunteers have been planning for months – children tried their hand at making masks, creating their own pizzas and learning cultural dances.

Volunteer co-ordinator Lisa Aldred revealed that the number of volunteers offering their services at the children’s centres had gone from four in November of last year to 28. “It has been amazing to watch and see people who didn’t know each other a few months ago now working with each other and going around to each other’s houses to plan their next events,” she said.

“Drove is a very diverse area, with people from all different backgrounds. There must be at least 40 different languages spoken in Drove – I am sure there are even more than that.

“We have never had an event run by volunteers before, so it is a big day for us.

“Some people volunteer because they want to know more about parenting, others do it help them find employment and others do it for personal development. Whatever the reason people get the chance to meet lots of new people and learn about different cultures and communities.

“Volunteering is a two-way street: you’re giving your time to support your community but your get back so much from it. You make friends for life. It is a win-win situation.”