Stuart Anderson MP is celebrating the power of volunteering this Volunteers’ Week, which takes place between the 1st and 7th of June 2022 and is now in its 35th year. Stuart is highlighting the positive difference that volunteers make to their communities and thanking them for their time and efforts. Stuart was delighted to have recently been invited to an event celebrating Friends of Di's Kitchen (FoDK) that received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF) - one of 12 Lottery Distributing Bodies, sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which distributes money raised by National Lottery players. Since 1994, it has raised over £45 billion for good causes.
Stuart is also encouraging everyone to find out about the range of volunteering opportunities that are available and how, through volunteering, they can make a difference to a cause that they are passionate about. In addition, Stuart has called on the Government to provide more funding to tackle barriers to volunteering - building on the £4.6 million Volunteering Futures Fund, which has opened up opportunities for thousands of people across the country. It is in light of growing evidence, which shows that volunteering improves wellbeing and social connectedness and tackles social isolation and loneliness. For example, the What Works Centre for Wellbeing’s Rapid Evidence Review of volunteering and wellbeing in October 2020 found that volunteering increases happiness and decreases in symptoms of depression.
Stuart has said that Volunteers’ Week is a special opportunity to highlight the diversity and breadth of volunteering roles and activities. People can find out how to volunteer in their community and use their time to help others at www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/volunteer. Individuals who would like to recognise a volunteer for their hard work and dedicated efforts can nominate them for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which is now accepting nominations for 2023, at www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “Volunteers are an incredible force for good, delivering real impact in some of the most deprived areas of our country. From my own experiences, I know that volunteering has significant personal benefits and generates social value for communities supported. That’s why, this Volunteers’ Week, I have called on the Government to redouble its efforts to tackle barriers to volunteering and to level up opportunities for everyone.”