MEDIA RELEASE
21 June 2005
The Year of the Volunteer 2005 steps into a new phase today, with the launch of the ‘Give a Billion Minutes' campaign. The campaign aims to raise one billion minutes of volunteered time for good causes by the end of 2005.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears and Sir Matthew Pinsent will launch the campaign and call on people who have never volunteered, those who are already volunteering and organisations such as businesses and schools to stand up and be counted.
The ‘Give a Billion Minutes' campaign will inspire and encourage people to get involved in a number of different ways, from simply checking in on a neighbour on the way to work, to taking part in a one-day environment project, or a longer term regular commitment with an organisation, such as being a magistrate or coaching a football team.
The Year of the Volunteer will be recording minutes from individuals, while an option for organisations such as businesses or schools to count their minutes in bulk will be available.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears and Sir Matthew Pinsent will ask people to pledge their minutes in three ways:
The Year of the Volunteer website – www.yearofthevolunteer.org – contains a database of opportunities that people can search by their postcode, as well as ideas for activities that people can do themselves. A volunteering booklet will be available for those without internet access, and a kit containing ideas for individual or group volunteering is in development.
The ‘Give a Billion Minutes' campaign has widespread support throughout the media industry following successful breakfast meetings hosted by the Media Trust and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon Gordon Brown. Key media heads from across TV, radio and print media have pledged their commitment to the Year of the Volunteer by giving editorial and advertising support for the Billion Minutes campaign. This is the first time that the UK media has come together to back a campaign promoting volunteering.
Commenting on the campaign, Hazel Blears said:
“I'm delighted to launch this exciting new initiative. The Government is strongly behind the Year of the Volunteer and the Billion Minutes campaign provides a simple mechanism for everyone to get involved. We know that individuals can learn new skills, expand their CV, make new friends and feel happier through volunteering and make a real difference in their communities. It is so simple, it doesn't matter where you live, what you do or how much time you have - anyone can do it.”
Christopher Spence, Chief Executive of Volunteering England added:
"The first six months of the Year of the Volunteer has been very successful in raising awareness of volunteering. The Billion Minutes campaign aims to turn the awareness into action. Volunteering is an action that is freely given to help others – it can range from helping a neighbour to a longer term regular commitment.”
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NOTE TO EDITORS
The 'Give a Billion Minutes' campaign is being led by the Media Trust, part of the Volunteering England Consortium, and the campaign is part of the Year of the Volunteer.
Year of the Volunteer 2005 is owned by volunteers, led by a partnership between Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the Volunteering England Consortium, and supported by the Home Office. The Volunteering England Consortium consists of Volunteering England, TimeBank, YouthNet UK, The Media Trust, Business in the Community (BitC) and Youth Action Network.
To find out more about the Year of the Volunteer 2005, please visit the official website at: www.yearofthevolunteer.org and watch The Community Channel 24 hours a day on Sky 585 and Telewest 233. It's also on NTL 14 and from 6-9am on Freeview 46.
For media queries please contact:
Debbie White * Grayling PR (Home Office Year of the Volunteer media contact)
020 7255 5467 / 07740 596 496 / debbie.white@uk.grayling.com
Helen Thompson * TimeBank (Volunteering England Consortium media contact) on 020 7785 6386 / 07881 523 032 / h.thompson@timebank.org.uk
Fran Barlow * Media Trust on 020 7874 7607 / franb@mediatrust.org
