Minister says 110 groups will benefit from £1.1 million volunteering cash
More than £1.1 million will be invested to train and recruit 3,000 volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds, social justice secretary Alex Neil has announced.
Speaking ahead of the annual third sector conference The Gathering, Mr Neil said the Volunteering Support Fund will support new and existing volunteers at 110 projects in Scotland.
He said this investment is just one part of the third sector funding in the 2015-16 budget which is aimed at giving communities more control over decision making, addressing inequality and discrimination and mitigating some of the worst effects of welfare reform.
Mr Neil said: “In these challenging times for the third sector over one million volunteers are playing an important role helping to address inequalities and poverty across Scotland.
“This funding boost will give some of the vulnerable people in our communities the opportunity to volunteer.
This is welcome news for the charities and communities right across Scotland - John Downie, SCVO
“Volunteering is a way to make new friends, learn new skills, boost self-confidence and get a sense of community spirit.”
The Gathering is the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) annual two-day event on 25 and 26 February and brings together more than 5,000 people from the sector across Scotland to the SECC in Glasgow.
At the conference, Mr Neil will outline the third sector’s crucial role contributing to the Scottish Government’s social justice agenda.
He said: “There are so many third sector projects carrying out tremendous work in their communities. That is why the Scottish Government is investing in the third sector to build capacity and make sure they get the support they deserve.
“On top of this, our new Third Sector Forum will bring together representatives to brainstorm ideas about the sector’s future, funding challenges and opportunities to engage with communities.
“We are determined to work with the third sector to remove the barriers which prevent people from reaching their full potential. The third sector is crucial to achieving social justice and its organisations are closing the gap in employment and health inequalities and addressing the significant problem of poverty in Scotland.
“I look forward to hearing directly from organisations on how we can work together to create a fairer and socially just Scotland.”
The Volunteering Support Fund is being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Voluntary Action Fund (VAF).
Keith Wimbles, chief executive of VAF, said: “VAF is delighted to manage the Scottish Government Volunteering Support Fund again in 2015-16.
“As a grant maker VAF has over 30 years’ experience supporting quality volunteering opportunities in the third sector. We believe that it is essential that the value of volunteering is recognised and that investment is provided to support volunteer management.
“Volunteering is an important catalyst to developing social capital and unlocking resources in our communities. Through this new funding we will continue to demonstrate the often underrated impact that volunteering has on volunteers, organisations and wider society.”
John Downie, director of public affairs at SCVO, said: "This is welcome news for the charities and communities right across Scotland who'll benefit from the hugely valuable support of volunteers and for the people who'll reap rewards from becoming more actively involved in their local area and doing their bit to make Scotland a better place for everyone to live.
"It's great timing as thousands of people working and volunteering for charities come together at The Gathering to share their experiences and ideas about how to work together to build stronger communities in Scotland and support more people to help themselves and others.”
