A new grants programme to provide support to organisations that manage volunteers has been announced by non-departmental government body, Capacitybuilders.

The £3 million programme, developed in response to recommendations from the 2008 Commission on the Future of Volunteering, is intended to develop a long-term vision for volunteering throughout England and is keen to help ensure that volunteers have the best possible experiences whilst volunteering.

The importance and prominence of volunteering has sky-rocketed since the economic downturn and, as Campbell Robb, Director-General for the Office of the Third Sector, confirms, it is now more important than ever to ensure volunteering programmes are effective and useful for everyone involved:

“This £3 million fund represents the Government’s ongoing support for volunteering.  This is particularly important now, as volunteering organisations are reporting that more people want to volunteer to gain new skills and improve their employability.  It is vital that our dedicated volunteers are properly managed and developed in their roles, to ensure that they are in the best position to take up future opportunities.”

It is anticipated that the grants programme will be delivered via three separate initiatives:

Strand A:  a £1.6 million funding pot until March 2011 that will be targeted at around 25 local volunteering development organisations to help them provide outreach and other direct support services to people who manage volunteers.  30 local expert partnerships throughout England will be invited to develop project proposals by autumn 2009.

Strand B:  a £200,000 grant specifically targeted for the national strategic support of volunteer management, coordinated via the existing Modernising Volunteering national support service.

Strand C:  a £1 million bursary fund available from April 2010 to help support training for people managing volunteers.

In the coming months, Capacitybuilders will continue to consult with key stakeholders to develop the bursary, ahead of its launch in the spring of 2010.

For further information visit:  http://www.capacitybuilders.org.uk/

Source: Capacitybuilders