City Bridge Trust grants Volunteering Matters £135,000

Volunteering Matters has received £135,000 from City Bridge Trust to help more young disabled people in London to volunteer. The grant comes at the beginning of Volunteers’ Week, which starts today (1st June) and will support the charity’s Futures project. Volunteering Matters aims to use the funds from City Bridge Trust to give 125 young people with physical and learning disabilities volunteering placements, provide 225 young people with skills workshops, offer 15 work experience placements, and help 100 organisations to provide accessible volunteering opportunities. The project will run in a number of London boroughs including Hackney, Haringey, Barnet and Tower Hamlets. Volunteering Matters estimates that around 35,000 volunteers take part in its programmes every year. Alison Gowman, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust committee, said: “It’s great to be able to announce the grant to Volunteering Matters during Volunteers’ Week, showing our support for the amazing work of volunteers across the country. Volunteering provides huge benefits not only to the host organisation but to the individual volunteer. It is an opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and boost confidence.” Emma Thomas-Hancock, director of delivery at Volunteering Matters, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to receive funding from City Bridge Trust to deliver the Futures project in East London. Futures, which is already successfully running in the East of England, increases the confidence and raises the aspirations of young people aged 15–25 with special educational needs and disabilities. “These funds will enable us to recruit and manage volunteer mentors who provide support to young people, identifying and exploring post-education activities for leisure, learning, employment and volunteering in their community.”

from UK Fundraising http://ift.tt/2qDFYgX