Phil Hope, Minister for Third Sector and the East Midlands, today visited staff and volunteers at Nottingham Volunteer Centre to see the work carried out by the centre and learn more about the financial and social challenges currently facing many of the 300+ Volunteer Centres across the country.
As well as recruiting and promoting volunteering to the local community, the Volunteer Centre helps organisations deliver best practice through the Investing in Volunteers accreditation. This aims to empower organisations to take an active approach in supporting their volunteers, enabling greater volunteer retention and a more enjoyable volunteer experience.
The Volunteer Centre hopes to work with the local statutory and private sector to obtain sustainable funding, securing their uncertain future and expand these partnerships to raise the profile and benefits of volunteering, particularly its impact in supporting people back to work.
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector and the East Midlands, said:
“I would like to pay tribute to the staff in the Nottingham Volunteer Centre particularly for the work they do to help volunteers reach the most disadvantaged people. The centre is a real asset to the city. It has an impressive record of engaging people with volunteering, and vitally, supports them with training, support and advice that can really help volunteers to make a difference.
“Today the country is also marking ‘older peoples day’. I would like to draw attention to the hugely important work that older volunteers do. At present some 45% of those over the age of 65 years old are volunteering. Without their commitment and effort our communities would simply not exist in the way that they do.”
Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England commented: “Well resourced Volunteer Centres have huge actual and potential impact upon local communities. Across Whitehall, there are proposals for greater community cohesion, empowerment of local citizens, the reform of public services, supporting people into employment and active citizenship. Local Volunteer Centres are vital to all these agendas. Volunteering England sees volunteering to be at the heart of communities.”
He went on to say “Volunteering England is campaigning for a system of sustainable funding for a modernised Volunteer Centre Network. We believe long-term funding has to be developed at the local level. However in the short-term we look to central government to act as a catalyst for change.”
Hannah Wharton, Volunteer Centre Manager, added: “Nottingham Volunteer Centre is proud of the work we do, but we are fast approaching a funding crisis and by March 2009 we won’t be in a position to offer the full range of services we currently do. I would urge Phil Hope MP and the Office of the Third Sector to consider how they can best help Volunteer Centres to deliver the benefits volunteering brings to local communities across the country.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
- Volunteer Centres provide support at a local level for individual volunteers and volunteer involving organisations. They match volunteers to opportunities, promote volunteering, campaign on behalf of volunteers, develop opportunities and are a source of good practice.
- Spokespeople available on request.
- For more information please contact Suzi Darsa on 020 7520 8928 / 07887 523 522
or email suzi.darsa@volunteeringengland.org. - Volunteering England works to promote volunteering as a powerful force for change, both for those who volunteer and for the wider community. For further information go to www.volunteering.org.uk or call 0845 305 6979
