London supports volunteering

The importance of volunteering is being recognized and celebrated in London where the mayor, Boris Johnson, has announced a new 4 million pound fund called Team London to encourage new volunteering activities in the capital.

“Team London is about what we can achieve when we act together. I want to see the village put back into the city and for every precious hour that Londoners spend, volunteering achieves the greatest possible impact.”  Declared Johnson.

The fund is financed by the Reuben Foundation and the Greater London Authorities and will give grants worth up to 10 thousand pounds to non profit organizations that intend to increase the number of their volunteers.  

The main goal is to recruit new Londoners to volunteer in three priority areas: cutting crime, improving quality of life and increasing opportunities for young people, for this reason it will also support uniformed youth clubs such as scout and girl guide groups. In addition, the fund will also finance a new Mayor’s Mentors program that will train volunteers to mentor young people.  

“London has a rich history of volunteering and civic responsibility” declared Johnson in a statement “and I am continually humbled by some of the amazing, generous work Londoners do to make it a better place for us all.”

According to a Greater London Authority statement the mayor will seek additional funds from the private sector and charitable foundations  and has planned to start delivering the grants in the next month.

The announcement of this new fund, coming from the city of London is a strong signal of support to volunteering activities especially if considered that it arrives in the International year of volunteers. More messages encouraging volunteering  arrive from the City of London website where it is highlighted that not only people who volunteer are healthier and happier, but 73% of employers would rather employ someone with volunteering experience than without and to quote the website, at the end of the day volunteering “is simply common sense.”

Find out more: http://www.london.gov.uk/teamlondon