We recently caught up with Julie from Prosper Wakefield, who are the Headline Sponsors of the 2024 Unsung Heroes Awards. We asked Julie a few questions about the awards and the Wakefield District for you to get to know Prosper better:

Why do you think it’s important to celebrate our district’s volunteers?

Celebrating our volunteers helps to recognise and appreciate their wonderful contributions to our community. Volunteers give up their time and skills without expecting anything in return so their commitment to making Wakefield a better place is super important. 

You’ve been a long-time sponsor of Unsung Heroes; what do you like best about the event? 

One of the best aspect of Unsung Heroes is the atmosphere of appreciation and gratitude. It’s truly heartwarming to witness volunteers being recognised and honoured for their dedication and contributions to the community. It’s also wonderful to see volunteers come together and celebrate their collective achievements, share stories and connect with one another. 

If money were no object, who would you choose to fill the evening’s entertainment slot?

Maybe a background singer. When people are eating they like to sit and chat and don’t always want to sit and properly listen. There could be a dedicated slot at the end when the singer performs properly to the audience. 

What are your favourite places in Wakefield? 

I love Tileyard North and Wakefield Cathedral; they are great venues.

Can you tell us a few sentences about Prosper and the work you do in Wakefield?

Prosper is the largest independent grant maker in Wakefield. We support local VCSE organisations by giving grants to help support people in our community. We also run a volunteering programme where we identify skills gaps and opportunities in the sector, such as mentoring, social media support, hep with HR and much more. We are partnering with a number of businesses to support with this. 

We’d like to say a huge thank you Prosper for being Headline Sponsors of this year’s Unsung Heroes Awards.