14th April
Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service, in collaboration with Bassetlaw Action Centre, Centre Place, Inspire , Junction Arts, Mansfield CVS, Rhubarb Farm, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation and Voluntary Action Doncaster, is to receive £220,000 to support development of community volunteering opportunities through UK Government investment
- Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service, as lead applicant for the POV project partnership, is among over 160 organisations across arts, culture, sport, civil society, youth, and heritage sectors to benefit from the £4.6 million Volunteering Futures Fund
- Funding set to increase volunteering opportunities for young people, and people who experience barriers to accessing volunteering, over next two years
This joint venture between the nine organisations which spans across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, has been awarded £220,000 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, delivered by Arts Council England.
The Point of View project (POV) aims to build new, strong and lasting relationships between Arts organisations and the wider voluntary community and social enterprise sector and will affect change by putting the voice and ‘Point of View’ of young people at the centre of all POV activities. Working together, the POV project partnership will facilitate and amplify the voices of young people and develop 5 test and learn pilot projects and over 100 new volunteer opportunities.
The Volunteering Futures Fund was launched last year and will be distributed by Arts Council England. It will break down barriers to volunteering and enable organisations across the arts, culture, sport, civil society, youth and heritage sectors to continue their valuable work within local communities whilst volunteers enjoy the personal benefits of making a difference.
Those set to benefit most from the funding include young people and people with disabilities. Colleges, local councils, schools, health and wellbeing organisations are also among the recipients of the Fund.
Arts Council England have awarded these organisations in order to respond to demand from a wide range of beneficiaries, such as from those who may be experiencing loneliness or social isolation, to young people in the LGBTQ community, people with learning difficulties and complex needs.
More detailed information and a full list of funded projects across the UK can be found here: More detailed information and a full list of funded projects across the UK can be found here: www.bit.ly/bcvs-young-volunteers
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:
“As we have seen throughout the pandemic, volunteering offers a wealth of benefits to both the volunteers and the organisations who rely on their help encouraging acts of generosity, public spirit and neighbourliness.
“The Volunteering Futures Fund will deliver a step-change in connecting those who may be isolated, lonely or experiencing any number of potential barriers to get involved in volunteering.
“I’m delighted that more than 160 organisations will now benefit from £4.6 million in Government funding to enhance collaboration between local councils, the public sector, and civil society.”
The £4.6 million UK Government funding is being awarded and distributed via Arts Council England. Grants of £100,000 or more have been awarded following an Arts Council competitive process launched in November 2021. There are 19 lead organisations that will work with more than 160 partner organisations to deliver volunteering opportunities at a local level across England.
An additional £2.2 million has been distributed by Pears Foundation and NHS Charities Together.
Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England said
“There’s an abundance of evidence to show that volunteering can be a key factor in helping people lead happier lives.
“This new investment will enrich villages, towns and cities across England, increasing health and well-being and decreasing loneliness and isolation.”
Andria Birch, CEO, Bassetlaw CVS today said
‘We are very pleased to be awarded funding for the Point of View (POV) Volunteer Voices project. 9 fantastic VCS and Arts organisations will work together with young people to create new opportunities across Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Doncaster and Mansfield. We know this work is needed now more than ever. If you are or know a local young person who would like to get involved in shaping the voluntary, community and arts organisations of the future please get in touch’.
Lynn Tupling, Chief Executive Bassetlaw Action Centre added
‘We are absolutely delighted that we have been successful in this application thanks to the support of Andria and her team at BCVS, we are particularly looking forward to working with a range of new partners to fulfil the ambitions of this project.
Georgia Crossland, Service Manager, Centre Place said
‘We are really excited to be part of this project. As an organisation we have been supporting young people for over 25 years and are extremely passionate about ensuring young people have their voices heard. It is fantastic to see organisations working together to create new opportunities within the arts and we can't wait to see what opportunities arise’
Ian Bond, Director of Learning, Inspire, said
“We welcome the opportunity to work with this innovative partnership on this project to help young people to volunteer and work with the creative arts sector”.
Paul Steele, Managing Director, Junction Arts, also said
‘We are delighted to be a partner in the POV project. We are excited to work with young people to co-design new routes into volunteering in the arts whilst providing a much-needed platform for young people to express themselves.’
Anita Ollerenshaw, Farm Manager, Rhubarb Farm said
Rhubarb Farm is delighted to be working with BCVS and other partners on the Volunteer Voices Project. This is not only a fantastic opportunity for our existing young volunteers to become involved, but an opportunity to encourage more young people to become engaged in shaping the future of volunteering within the voluntary, arts and community sector.
Steve Morris, CEO, Mansfield CVS said
‘This is a brilliant opportunity to work with the next generation of talent in the Mansfield district, to give them a voice and platform to create and showcase the future. I am delighted to be working with innovative partners and thank Bassetlaw CVS for leading this project.’
Ruth E Willis, CEO, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation added
‘South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation is so pleased to be working with such an impressive range of partners on this innovative project. We will be working directly with young people to develop volunteering pathways in arts and culture, giving them the opportunity to express their voices in creative ways and measuring the social impact of all the opportunities created into the future’.
Cath Witherington, Chief Executive, Voluntary Action Doncaster added
‘I am delighted to be working with Bassetlaw CVS and other partners on this exciting project. Our focus in Doncaster will be to build up volunteering opportunities within the arts based voluntary and community sector. Not only will this help to amplify the voice of young people - we hope to help to nurture the creative talent for future generations and have a positive impact within our communities.’
To keep up to date with all the latest developments of this exciting project, please visit www.bcvs.org.uk/pov