Member Article

National Lottery Players Give Boost to Volunteers in Barnsley

A group set up to support volunteers in Barnsley has received a grant of almost £125,000 thanks to National Lottery players. The money – awarded by the Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK – will benefit adults living with physical or learning disabilities and will be used to help them to become volunteers.

The funding will enable Voluntary Action Barnsley to work closely with voluntary and community sector groups in the area with the aim of supporting a wider range of people into volunteering roles. Helping more people to unlock their talents and achieve their volunteering goals will not only benefit the individuals - their commitment to important local causes and projects will benefit the wider community too.

Volunteering opportunities in the area can range from administration and befriending roles, right through to gardening and driving activities.

Lisa Phelan, Senior Manager at Voluntary Action Barnsley, said: “This funding is a real boost and will enable us to support many people into volunteering roles so they are confidently able to fulfill goals and support their local areas.

“It will help us to work with adults to build confidence, self-esteem and reduce the feeling of social isolation so they are able to carry out effective volunteering duties.”

Abdou Sidibe, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Head of Funding at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “It’s fantastic that Voluntary Action Barnsley will use this funding to help people build confidence and develop skills that will really make a difference to them and their community. None of this would be possible without National Lottery players.”

National Lottery players raise on average £30 million every week for projects across the UK, both big and small, from supporting community groups to funding the nation’s athletes. To see the difference National Lottery funding makes in your area, please visit, www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Henry Roberts .