Volunteering Wales grants scheme reopens
The 2021/22 Volunteering Wales Grants scheme is now open to applications, with an emphasis on projects supporting the Well-being of Future Generations Act.
The scheme is administered by WCVA and is designed to deliver the Welsh Government’s commitment to identifying opportunities for more people to volunteer, through grants up to £20,000.
This year’s Volunteer Wales grant scheme will focus on 10-month interventions, that tackle barriers to volunteering, giving a positive experience for the volunteer and a long-lasting impact on the community. We hope to do this by aligning the aims of the funding with the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015).
The Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015) aims to improve the way that Wales achieves economic, social, environmental and cultural Well-being. Through funding organisations to support and train individuals in quality volunteering opportunities, volunteering has an immediate and long-term positive impact on the individual and community. Nationally, volunteers are vital for the delivery of voluntary/third sector organisations’ missions and values.
Previous projects have achieved significant results, promoting volunteer development as this volunteer found… ‘the training has provided me with a greater sense of involvement, self-esteem and inclusion. My daughter has noticed the impact this has had on me! Transferrable skills such as time management and planning helps me manage my anxiety better’.
Awards have also worked hard to remove barriers, for example, one organisation ‘… worked with them to address transport issues by covering out of pocket expenses for bus travel and accompanying them on their initial bus trip to instil confidence and again reduce anxiety’.
Another project working in rural Wales would not have been able to engage with volunteers ‘if it had not been for the free accommodation, we offer for volunteers who volunteer with us over a respite week…’.
Volunteering by young people is encouraged and supported through this grant scheme and 30% of the funding available has been ring fenced to support projects that exclusively recruit young volunteers aged 11 – 25.
Find more information on the Volunteering Wales grant scheme funding pages.
The application process will be through MAP. To register and see the open funding opportunities administered by WCVA please go to https://map.wcva.cymru.
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