Grants Scheme to Encourage Volunteering.

Community groups in Leicestershire are benefiting from a share of  £30,000 thanks to the Leicestershire County Councils Better Communities Award.

The awards are now in their ninth year and this year are sponsored this year solely by Leicestershire County Council. Each year the awards have a different theme with this year’s rewarding initiatives, which help ‘Encourage Volunteering.’

The prize money goes to a variety of projects designed to encourage volunteers. Projects include:

 Volunteers to support  socially isolated members of the community individuals who are experiencing a range of mental health problems.

 A group that encourages the community to communicate about the life and times of its residents.

 Supporting a facility to develop a voluntary community group. Developing skills, experience and capacity of the volunteers at a wildlife trust.

 Developing the use of scout and guide first aid skills.

 Training for volunteer youth groups.

 A series of educational events to recruit and train new volunteers.

 Developing a mentoring service that will integrate members of the community with learning difficulties.

The prizes will be awarded on Wednesday 7th March at a presentation evening hosted at Leicestershire County Council. The awards will be presented by Mr E White, Cabinet Lead Member for Community Services. 

Mr White said “the response to this year’s Better Communities Award has been tremendous and incredibly varied, it was a difficult decision how to award the money. Improving volunteering was identified as a priority in Leicestershire and I am pleased that the awards scheme can help projects that possibly wouldn’t be able to run without this support.”

Ends

Press release issued: February 28 2007