The first week of June is Volunteers’ Week. It presents us with an opportunity to celebrate the incredible people in our towns and villages who give of their time to support our communities.

Here in East Devon, engagement with voluntary organisations is widespread across all walks of life. Whether it be a local theatre group, a local sports team, or groups like St John’s Ambulance, volunteers add a wealth of skills and input to life here. The Government needs to be wary not to lean too much on the brilliant work of people volunteering in these organisations, in its rush to withdraw public services.

Last week, Parliament debated the input of volunteers. Before speaking in the debate, I realised that I was going to be unable to name-check all of the amazing volunteers who I have met. Instead, I used a few examples – I pointed to the hard work of Scout leaders and helpers in Devon like Helen Turner, who has given of her own time over the decades to enable Honiton Scouts to invest in the development of young people.

Before becoming an MP, I used to help out at a local Scout group. The Scouts have a long history of helping young people build confidence and learn new skills outdoors. Nationally, thanks to the incredible work of the more than 143,000 volunteers, more than 436,000 young people every year take part in Scouting activities every week.

As a young person, the thing I found impressive about the Scouts was the way that it drew young people from all sorts of backgrounds and put them in challenging situations together, transforming the lives of some of those involved, including those who were not from a particularly privileged background. Once I had children, it was even more evident how organisations like this depend on volunteers.

Last year, the Royal Voluntary Service asked people who are involved in volunteering what they got out of it. 49% said they felt happier as a result of their work, with 52% saying they felt more connected to their community and 56% saying they felt more fulfilled. Selfless giving back to your community can be good for you!

In recent years, too many of the local support services and networks that people rely upon have been hollowed out by the Government. Voluntary organisations have given generously in seeking to pick up the slack, but Government would be unwise to be complacent about this gift.

Community-based organisations do incredible work and volunteers ask for nothing in return. I’m pleased that in the first week of June, volunteers will receive just a small amount of the recognition they deserve. If you volunteer in any organisation – thank you.