Welsh Government
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Advertising campaign success leads to more funding for Third Sector

Social Justice Minister Dr Brian Gibbons has announced further funding of more than £350,000 for the Third Sector, some of which will be spent on helping to deal with the increased response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s campaign to promote volunteering.

Since the “Give a Little - Gain a Lot” radio and newspaper advertising campaign was launched, the number of website enquiries has soared from 1,750 in June 2008 to 3,750 in June 2009. In volunteer centres, an increase of 174% in enquiries is expected over 2009/10 compared to 2008/09 based on enquiries during the first three months.

As a result, volunteer centres are struggling to cope with the demand and so £240,000 of the funding will cover the costs of employing members of staff in twenty volunteer centres to assist with the increased number of queries they are receiving.

A further £54,000 will cover the costs of continuing the “Give a Little – Gain a Lot” advertising campaign. The money will pay for improvements to the Volunteering-wales.net website and local promotional activities. These are designed to maintain the momentum gained during Volunteers Week 2009, and cover development costs incurred by Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil.

The remaining £56,000 will be split between the WCVA/Local Government Data Unit’s bi-ennial survey of Local Government Funding to the Third Sector in Wales and the development of the Third Sector funding portal hosted on the WCVA’s Sustainable Funding Cymru website.

Announcing the funding, the Minister said:

“I am delighted that the “Give a Little -  Gain a Lot” campaign has been such a success and that so many people are finding out about the benefits of volunteering as a result. Making it easier for people to find information about volunteering was the main aim of the campaign.  Although it would be easy to say mission accomplished, this additional funding will allow us to maintain the impact of the campaign into the New Year and help even more people find out about volunteering opportunities.  

“Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and is an essential component of democracy. Society would not be able to function without the support of volunteers. However, there are also important benefits for the volunteer as well. In the current economic climate, volunteering experience could make the difference between getting a job or not, and so ensuring that this information is available is just one of the ways in which the Welsh Assembly Government is helping people deal with the impacts of the recession.

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The Welsh Assembly Government recognises the huge contribution made by volunteers to community life in Wales.

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