TIME is money – except for thousands of kind and generous East Lancashire people it actually isn’t.

So many give up hours every week and month to make a difference to someone else’s life.

Whether it be volunteering in a charity shop, working at a foodbank, organising sports activities or helping out at a lunch club, volunteers are nothing less than vital.

The value of the time they donate cannot be under-estimated. Lifeline organisations would simply collapse without them, particularly as many have been faced with funding and grant cuts in recent months.

This week, Volunteers’ Week celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK.

And it’s also a chance to promote the volunteering roles on offer and gather new recruits.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience – even just an hour a week – and many people are inspired to help due to a personal story of their own.

It doesn’t even need to be a formal arrangement. Simply visiting an isolated neighbour for a cup of tea and a 10-minute chat can make a world of difference to someone who would otherwise have had no human contact that day.