Volunteer Respectful Award 2025

This award recognises volunteers who are compassionate, embrace differences, and build positive relationships while supporting others. 

Congratulations to our shortlisted volunteers: Justin, Naeema, David, Roisin and Nadia Zitou. 

The Respectful Award winner is Nadia Zitou.

Nadia has volunteered across various teams, including the Together Network, actively contributing to the review and creation of the Working Together Strategy. Her efforts have helped amplify the voices of service users, ensuring they have a platform to develop and grow. 

As a co-leader of Safeguarding Training, Nadia showcases confidence and leadership while raising awareness about access to support and encouraging others to get involved. She also plays a key role in the Volunteer Retention Initiative, conducting check-in calls with Hestia’s volunteers. This has been instrumental in identifying and addressing issues early, leading to a 300% increase in completed exit surveys, providing crucial insight to enhance Hestia’s volunteer programme and ensure a fulfilling experience for all. 

Nadia also supports the PIPES Project, which focuses on improving Hestia’s physical environment to positively impact service users' mental and emotional well-being within a trauma-informed setting.

 Additionally, she volunteers with the Fundraising Team as an Events Assistant, assisting in the setup of various events. Nadia is friendly, approachable, dedicated, and reliable. She continues to inspire others with her passion for supporting and improving lives.