IF you’ve never been involved with charities or voluntary groups you might not realise the power of volunteering.

And before you just turn away because this is something you’re not interested in, please take a reality check on the services around you and your community. Because look closely and you will see exactly where volunteers are plugging some huge holes.

Recent cuts in local services in towns like Bolton and Bury and all around the country have highlighted, not just how many voluntary groups there are around, but the genuine spirit of goodwill that can be harnessed to make a difference.

Just this last week, 16 volunteers in the form of special constables helped police carry out a drugs’ raid at a Bolton pub. This was at a weekend, when our already depleted police force is under particular pressure, so the presence of these specials actually made this much easier to achieve.

This is only one example of how the 50 special constables currently working in Bolton assist police, and you can bet that there are scores of other occasions when their help is invaluable.

Elsewhere in the town, an environmental group filled 22 bags of rubbish and pulled 26 tyres from the river at Moses Gate Country Park in a three-hour clean-up.

The Wednesday Wildlife Volunteers regularly spend their time cleaning up beauty spots around the borough. Park ranger posts were removed at here as part of mandatory budget cuts so, as one volunteer, Chris Banks, says: “It really comes down to the idea that if you want our country parks to be usable then you need to get involved at looking after them.”

Offering your time and putting in whatever talents you can, including often sheer hard work, is at the core of local charities and voluntary groups. It is also now the backbone of many services in Bolton that have been decimated by local government cuts.

It’s not a new concept – as umbrella voluntary organisation Bolton CVS will no doubt tell you – this town has long had a rich catalogue of volunteers banding into groups to get things done in this town. Nor is this a one-off: individuals donate their time every single week to ensure vital services continue.

This is not all one-way traffic, either. Getting involved n helping your community and other people is a great way to help yourself and make you feel good.