GROUPS URGED TO BID FOR SHARE OF £1.4M YOUTH VOLUNTEERING PROJECT FUND (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

GROUPS URGED TO BID FOR SHARE OF £1.4M YOUTH VOLUNTEERING PROJECT FUND

February 19, 2010 12:00 AM

Young people, community groups and statutory organisations are being urged to bid for their share of £1.4m of funding that is being made available to promote youth volunteering.

City of York Council has been named as one of only 5 local authorities in the country to secure funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for a volunteering programme for 14 to 16 year olds.

The project, which will run until March 2011, aims to expand the already large number of young people volunteering in the city.

The project will provide more volunteering opportunities for more than 4000 young people in a wide range of areas including sports, conservation and environmental programmes; local community improvement projects; theatre, music and museums activities.

Groups can bid for between £5,000 and £50,000 in one of three bidding rounds.

The deadlines to bid for the funding are:

· Round 1 - Organisations only - Friday 19 March, 12 noon

· Round 2 - Organisations and Young People - Friday 16 April, 12 noon

· Round 3 - Organisations and Young People - Friday 27 August, 12 noon.

Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Children and Young People's Services, Councillor Carol Runciman urged groups to bid for the funding.

She said, "Already a huge number of young people in York volunteer with Scouts, Guides, St John's Ambulance, local churches and community groups and many more."

"The funding will help us to increase the range of volunteering opportunities available and will help us to increase the number of young people volunteering even further."

"£1.4m is clearly a large sum of money and the team that put together the bid deserve great credit for securing the funding. I am sure it will make a significant difference across the city."