Cash boost to help charities train budding volunteers

30 Dec 2015 12:23 PM

Charities helping disabled people into work, preventing young people from taking up smoking, and conserving the environment, are among seven Third Sector organisations set to benefit from almost £118,000.

Communities Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has announced the award of funding to charities across Wales to help them recruit and train new volunteers.

• Kaleidoscope will receive almost £17,400 to recruit new volunteers in Powys to help people with drug and alcohol misuse problems, their families, and communities.
• A Voice for You Ltd will receive almost £12,800 to train volunteers to provide advocacy services to people in Powys with learning disabilities.
• Shared Earth Trust will benefit from almost £17,630 to recruit 50 new volunteers for Denmark Farm conservation centre in Ceredigion, improving the visitor experience and increasing biodiversity at the site.
• Cardiff-based charity the Mentor Ring will receive £17,700 to encourage people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to get involved in local community-based volunteering and charity activities.
• Swansea Carers Centre has been awarded over £17,550 to recruit 45 volunteers in the area to support carers to take part in fun social activities and provide respite.
• Ash Wales, which operates across South Wales and Wrexham, is set to benefit from over £17,180 for a project to help prevent young people from taking up smoking. The funding will provide training for young people to provide information and advice to their peers.
• ELITE Supported Employment Agency Ltd will benefit from over £17,715 to recruit volunteers to support disabled and vulnerable people in South Wales back into employment.

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, said:

"Third Sector organisations are the heart and soul of communities across Wales. They provide people with important local services – from support for people’s health and wellbeing and help to get a job.

"I am proud nearly a million volunteers in Wales give their time generously to improve the lives of those around them. I want to increase this even further, which is why I’ve awarded funding to these organisations to help them recruit and train even more budding volunteers."