The value of volunteering
Volunteering enriches both the lives of the people who volunteer and those they help. Volunteers make a significant contribution to their own communities and society as a whole – many things we take for granted would grind to a halt if it wasn’t for the work of volunteers. But successful volunteering projects take a significant amount of organising, promotion, support and recruitment.
Bringing down the barriers
This grant was for a supported volunteering project which offers volunteering opportunities and extra guidance to people with learning difficulties. To do this successfully both Centres agreed to work together combining their resources to increase the skills and confidence of a very marginalised and isolated group.
The Foundation’s grant has enabled the two Volunteer Centres to allocate sufficient time to thoroughly plan and organise the project. Working together, sharing expertise and staffing, they were able to set up a framework which will improve both the support and training services available.
“This service will enable those who face barriers to volunteering to overcome them and fully participate in meaningful community activity. And, as a result, organisations will benefit from a more diverse volunteer workforce.”
(Janet Johnson, Shepway Volunteer Centre Manager)
Want to find out more? Visit www.shepwayvb.vol.org.uk or www.ashfordvc.ik.com
