£6.6 million for voluntary organisations in Wales

4 Feb 2015 02:32 PM

Voluntary organisations which support communities across Wales are set to receive funding of over £6.6 million in the next financial year, Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths announced yesterday.

This includes funding totalling more than £4.8 million for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) and Volunteer Centres (VCs) - a network of support organisations which help people to make a positive difference to their communities.

The Volunteering in Wales Fund, which helps Third Sector organisations to support and develop new volunteers will receive over £817,000, while GwirVol, a youth volunteering partnership will benefit from more than £587,000.

Funding will also support the work of the Criminal Records Unit of the WCVA which helps Third Sector organisations safeguard children and adults through safer recruitment, as well as the Partnership Capacity Fund which helps members of the Third Sector Partnership Council (TSPC) to engage with the wider sector.

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

“The Third Sector makes a huge contribution to life here in Wales. Volunteers and voluntary organisations are part of the fabric of our communities, providing many key services and facilities to people across the country.

“For this reason, I’m pleased we are awarding over £6.6 million to voluntary organisations, despite a significant reduction in our own budget.

“The challenging economic environment and changes to welfare benefits, mean demand is high from families for support from the Third Sector. As a result, it is essential organisations continue to work together in innovative ways to ensure services are delivered as efficiently as possible.”

Ruth Marks, WCVA Chief Executive, said:

“The Third Sector in Wales works directly with people who face poverty and disadvantage and share the experience of budget cuts and difficult funding decisions. The funds will provide support for the sector across Wales, helping groups working at the frontline to find different ways to design and deliver services with people at the centre. They will also fund volunteering projects that really make an impact for people and communities”.

Cardiff YMCA’s PreFab Clothing project, is one of the many schemes currently benefiting from the Volunteering in Wales fund. Donated clothing is ‘upcycled’ to create new items which are sold in the organisation’s charity shop. This year the project has provided volunteering opportunities to 150 homeless or long-term unemployed people, helping 10 people into full time employment.

Other projects currently receiving grants from the Volunteering in Wales Fund include St John Wales’ ‘Skills 4 Life’ programme, which aims to develop the skills of young volunteers, and Valleys Furniture Recycling’s Too Good to Waste project. Based in Porth, this community re-use and recycling volunteer project helps tackle poverty by providing vulnerable people with affordable furniture, in turn reducing landfill waste.