DfC Paul Givan launches Volunteering Grants Programme

The NI Department for Communities DfC Minister Paul Givan MLA has launched the 2016/2017 Volunteering Small Grants Programme.



The Programme provides funding of between £200 and £1,200 to help organisations throughout Northern Ireland recruit and support volunteers. To be eligible these NI organisations must be formally constituted and must have an annual income not exceeding £100,000 per year.



Congratulating the newly appointed delivery partners of the Volunteering Grants Programme, Limavady Community Development Initiative (LCDI) and the Association of Independent Volunteer Centres (AIVC), Minister Givan said: “I am fully aware of the importance of volunteering to individuals, to communities and to society as a whole. Programmes such as this in association with our delivery partners demonstrate my Department’s commitment to nurturing the ethos of volunteering.



“I am delighted to be launching a new round of the Volunteering Small Grants Programme and heartened to see the great impact this initiative continues to have on Volunteering Organisations throughout Northern Ireland.”



The overall aim of the Programme includes increasing and encouraging volunteer activity and diversity by groups under-represented in the volunteering population and promoting innovative methods of supporting new and existing volunteers.



The Minister also endorsed the recently published report into the achievements of the Volunteering Small Grants Programme since it was first launched in 2013. Key outputs from the Programme include the awarding of over 2000 grants and attracting nearly 10,000 new volunteers throughout Northern Ireland.



Minister Givan concluded: “This report shows how successful the Volunteering Small Grants Programme has been in delivering small scale support which has made a big difference in the lives of volunteers and indeed civic life in Northern Ireland.



“The achievements of the Programme are outstanding and they have been captured within the report which provides case studies on successful applications, highlights lessons learned and includes an easy to follow step by step guide to apply for assistance. The report provides a useful toolkit to encourage new applicants to the programme and build upon these successes in 2016/17.”



Further information on the Volunteering Small Grants programme including eligibility and how to apply can be found at http://www.lcdi.co.uk/sma?llgrants



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