Ministers release £75m to fund national volunteering scheme

By Tristan Donovan Wednesday, 21 November 2007

A national volunteering programme to get thousands more young people in England giving up their time for good causes will be launched by ministers tomorrow (22 November).

Young man dancing. Credit: v

The £75m "vinvolved" programme will replace and expand on the Millennium Volunteers scheme and seek to provide volunteering activities for up to half a million 16- to 25-year-olds.

The programme will be run by youth volunteering charity v and will dish out funding to help voluntary organisations provide more volunteering opportunities to young people.

Terry Ryall, chief executive of v, said: "Young people are at the heart of vinvolved. All applicants for funding have had to demonstrate how young people have been involved in the design and creation of these new opportunities, which will enable up to 500,000 more young people to put their passions into action to meet community needs."

As part of the programme a national network of expert teams will develop new volunteering opportunities in every local authority area. A network of young volunteering ambassadors will also be formed to advise the expert teams and persuade young people to volunteer.

A spokeswoman for v told CYP Now: "The programme builds on the work of Millennium Volunteers and expands its reach so the quality and diversity are improved. The geographical reach will also expand."

Organisations involved in Millennium Volunteers will be able to apply for a share of the £75m that will be distributed over the next three years. The Millennium Volunteers scheme will shut at the end of this financial year, when vinvolved begins its work.

Ryall said: "The voluntary sector will benefit from a £75m investment at a local level, but the benefits for young people and their communities are immeasurable. Young volunteers can gain experiences to help them make positive life choices."

Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband and third sector minister Phil Hope will unveil a list of organisations who will receive money from the first wave of funding tomorrow.

- www.wearev.com.