Value in the Vale Turns Four – Four Years of Learning, Challenges and Progress

22 October 2026

By Lianne Young, Digital Engagement and Volunteering Officer

As Value in the Vale celebrates its fourth birthday, I've been reflecting on just how far the project has come. Looking back, it’s been a journey of learning, adapting and overcoming challenges along the way.

One of the biggest challenges has been helping people understand that Value in the Vale is about much more than rewards. While many initially saw it as a volunteer reward scheme, its real purpose is to encourage volunteering, create opportunities and recognise the contribution people make to their communities.

Over the past four years, I’ve spent a lot of time meeting volunteers, visiting community organisations, speaking with businesses and listening to people's experiences. Those conversations have shaped the project more than anything else and taught me that there is no single volunteering journey.

People volunteer for many different reasons. Some want to learn new skills or meet new people, while others prefer to quietly support their community behind the scenes. What many have in common, however, is that they appreciate having their time recognised and rewarded, whether that's something they enjoy themselves or pass on to someone else.

Listening to the People Who Matter

One of the things I'm most proud of is creating opportunities for volunteers to help shape the future of Value in the Vale.

Our recent Task and Finish Group gave volunteers a chance to share their experiences, highlight challenges and suggest improvements. It was important that this wasn't simply about collecting feedback, but about listening and acting on it.

As a result, we've reviewed how we communicate with volunteers and introduced a new email platform to improve how information is shared. We're also continuing to explore ways to make rewards more accessible, relevant and appealing.

I've always believed that the people using a service are often the best people to tell us how it can be improved, and that feedback will continue to shape our future plans.

Building Relationships That Last

Another part of the project I've really enjoyed has been building relationships with community organisations and local businesses.

Behind every reward is a business that has chosen to give something back, and behind every volunteering opportunity is an organisation working hard to support local people. I've learnt that successful partnerships aren't built overnight. They grow through trust, understanding and a shared desire to make a positive difference.

It's always rewarding when a conversation develops into an opportunity that benefits residents and communities across the Vale.

Finding New Ways to Make a Difference

As Value in the Vale has grown, I've become increasingly interested in how it can support wider community initiatives.

Our work at Longmeadow Court is a great example (Seasons of Support: How Longmeadow Court Turned a Garden Project into a Warm Hub Opportunity for a Thriving Community | Value in the Vale) By bringing together residents, colleagues and partner organisations, we've supported activities that encourage volunteering while also helping tackle social isolation and improve wellbeing. It's been wonderful to see residents grow in confidence, develop new skills and take a more active role in shaping their community.

We've also explored ways to better support Vale Homes tenants by looking to introduce additional rewards and benefits through a dedicated tenant section on the Value in the Vale website. For me, this is an exciting step because it creates even more opportunities for people to get involved, feel valued and strengthen connections within their communities.

What I've Learnt Along the Way

If there's one thing the last four years have taught me, it's that the smallest things can often make the biggest difference.

A conversation, a little encouragement or simply taking the time to listen can be enough to help someone take their first step into volunteering. I've also learnt that meaningful progress takes time. Ideas need developing, partnerships need nurturing and sometimes we need to adapt our approach when things don't work quite as planned.

While I'm proud of how Value in the Vale has grown, what matters most to me is that we've continued to listen, learn and look for ways to make it better.

Four years on, I'm still learning, still developing new ideas and still meeting people who remind me why this project is so worthwhile. And I wouldn't have it any other way.