The Minister made the announcement during her speech at a Voluntary Service Bureau organised conference in the city today. The funding is an increase of £130,000 on the amount provided for small grants last year.
The Minister was addressing the Creative Extremists conference delegates on the theme of ‘Active Citizenship’ including the Rt. Honourable David Blunkett MP and Government representatives from across the British Isles.
Speaking in support of volunteering the Minister said: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities. They provide a range of valuable services which very often support the needs of the vulnerable in our society.
“At a time when many smaller organisations may be finding it difficult to raise funds and with increased demands being placed on their services it is essential to provide support for them and their volunteers.”
The Minister went on to speak about the need to ensure volunteering continues within our societies by saying: “I want to encourage the growth of volunteering and provide new and better experiences for volunteers. I want us to create the conditions that enable volunteering to flourish. By providing a total of £330,000 in small grants to local organisations DSD is ensuring they will be better placed to recruit new volunteers and support their existing ones.”
Notes to Editors:
- Small Grants are administered by the network of Volunteer Centres on behalf of the Department for Social Development.
- Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
