We Are Wakefield Volunteer Day at Disability Sport Yorkshire – Thursday 14 May

Posted on | by Claire Sutherley

Big-hearted businesses. Sleeves rolled up. A huge difference made in a single day.

On Thursday 14th May, the We Are Wakefield community came together for one of our regular Volunteer Days — a day designed to help local organisations while giving our members the chance to connect, collaborate and give back. This time, our working party headed to Disability Sport Yorkshire (DSY) at the Denhale Active Recreation Centre in Wakefield — and what a day it was.

From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was upbeat, friendly and full of purpose. People introduced themselves, grabbed brushes, toolkits, and cleaning equipment, and simply got on with it. There was a real “many hands make light work” energy — and by the end of the day the DSY team were genuinely bowled over by both the support and the sheer amount we achieved together.

 

What we got done (a LOT!)

Together, our volunteer team tackled an ambitious list — and smashed it:

✅ Kitchen refresh

  • Deep-cleaned the kitchen areas to get everything sparkling and “pristine” again.

✅ Practical repairs

  • Repaired several cupboards so they can now be properly secured for storage.

✅ A more welcoming entrance

  • Painted the external entrance, giving the first impression of DSY a real lift.

✅ Grounds and car park transformation

  • The grounds were neatened and tidied, hedges trimmed, and the car park cleared.
  • Special shout-out to Oscar from Bedford Mowing Services, who spent two full days on site getting the outdoor areas looking spot on.

✅ Freshly painted internal spaces

  • The offices and training room were painted, making the working environment feel brighter, smarter and more professional.

✅ Professional floor clean

  • Hako Machines expertly cleaned the sports hall and corridor floors, restoring them to top condition.

✅ Sports equipment stocktake & tidy

  • Stocktake completed and sports equipment tidied, helping DSY stay organised and ready to deliver even more activity sessions.

The result? A centre that looks smarter, feels more welcoming, and is better set up to support staff, participants, and external bookings.

 

“The whole experience… was amazing.” – DSY Chair Judith Russell

DSY Chair Judith Russell shared this wonderful message after the volunteer day:

“The whole experience of having the working party was amazing. We greatly appreciate that 21 members of WAW have given their time to help us. We have pristine kitchen areas. You repaired several cupboards, and we can now secure them for storage. Our entrance looks fabulous, the grounds are neat and tidy and the offices and training room look so smart. This will help us secure more external bookings.

That volunteers would help us create a better working environment has boosted our staff morale hugely.

Thank you all so much.”

Judith is the Chairperson of DSY and has dedicated decades to disability sport, including being awarded an MBE for services to disability sport — so her feedback means a great deal.

DSY CEO Kath Lindley was also completely bowled over by the scale of support from the WAW community — and it was lovely to see how much it meant to the whole team.

 

WAW MD Claire Sutherley said:  “I want to say a huge thank you to our amazing We Are Wakefield members who gave their time, energy and expertise at Disability Sport Yorkshire. The way everyone just rolled their sleeves up and got on with it was incredible — and such a powerful reflection of the supportive, can-do community we’re building. Together we made a real, visible difference in a single day, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
— Claire Sutherley, Managing Director, We Are Wakefield

 

About Disability Sport Yorkshire

Disability Sport Yorkshire is a charity focused on improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life for disabled people across Yorkshire and The Humber, creating opportunities to take part in sport, physical activity and active recreation.

Based at the Denhale Active Recreation Centre in Wakefield, DSY supports inclusive programmes and works to tackle inequality in access to sport — helping ensure disabled people can be active at a level that’s right for them.

This is why the Volunteer Day mattered: when organisations like DSY have spaces that are welcoming, well-maintained and functional, it directly supports their ability to deliver more sessions, host more people, and grow their impact.

The people behind the paintbrushes and rubber gloves:

Here are the fantastic volunteers who represented our WAW member businesses on the day:

Want to get involved next time?  

Our We Are Wakefield Volunteer Days are all about giving back while building real relationships across our member network. If you’re a member and you’ve not joined one yet — consider this your sign. You’ll leave feeling tired, proud, and properly connected. Look out for more volunteer days coming soon.

And if you’d like to learn more about DSY, their mission and programmes, you can visit their website here: Disability Sport Yorkshire