A NUMBER of prominent Cornish figures have come together to mark national Volunteers Week by co-signing a letter thanking the county's 140,000 volunteers.

The Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Tim Thornton; the Lord Lieutenant, Col Edward Bolitho; the chair of Cornwall Council, Cllr Ann Kerridge; and the chair of Volunteer Cornwall, Scott Bennett, have signed the letter which recognises the contribution made by volunteers.

The letter says: 'As you may know, June 1-7 is Volunteers Week across the UK, a chance to recognise the contribution of volunteers and say thank you.

'As leaders of key public bodies in Cornwall, we have come together to sign this open letter to make clear our thanks, on behalf of the people of Cornwall, to all 140,000 volunteers across the Duchy. In Cornwall, we are fortunate to have the highest levels of volunteering of any higher-tier local authority in the country (32.2 per cent compared to 27 per cent nationally).

'If we were to calculate the economic value of this, based on an average salary of £20,908, it equates to £490m of economic activity. Or if we look at it another way, we would need an extra 14,000 full-time staff to do all of the things currently done by volunteers.

'The beauty of volunteering is that it transcends calculations of mere monetary value, because volunteering benefits all those involved on many levels. 

'Those on the receiving end benefit from the time, care and attention they receive, while those volunteering receive payback in the form of health and well-being benefits, new friends and social networks or new skills and abilities. In addition, when we work together, our communities are also enriched – volunteering brings together young and old, rich and poor, black and white.

'There is no doubt that Cornwall is a better place because of you and the many thousands of others who freely give of their time to support others.

'Your efforts may go largely unnoticed for much of the time but they do not go unappreciated and that is why we wanted to take this opportunity, during Volunteers Week, to say "Thank you one and all".'

Volunteer Cornwall chief executive Ian Jones said: 'As it is Volunteers Week, what better time to say thank you to our amazing volunteers and let them know that their efforts are appreciated.'