Volunteering Matters awarded £800,000 by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery

We have been awarded £800,000 by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, at the lottery’s star studded Charity Gala attended by George and Amal Clooney in Edinburgh last week.

The funding will support key Volunteering Matters services across England, Scotland and Wales over the next 12 months. In particular enabling and empowering vulnerable and isolated people to participate in activities which improve their own health and that of others in their community.

These include our Grandmentors, which provides 1:1 mentoring by over 50s to young people leaving care and Sporting Chance, providing fitness and social activities for older people that counter isolation and ill-health.

Karen, a former Headmistress, and now a Grandmentor, said: “My mentee and I have already started to build a relationship. Just seeing everything from her turning up on time to our meetings, making eye contact, to being enthusiastic about what she’s going to do next is hugely rewarding.”

Volunteering Matters’ Chief Executive Oonagh Aitken, said, “This extremely generous award from Players of People’s Postcode Lottery is a lifeblood of our projects supporting vulnerable care leavers and isolated people across the UK. Our staff and volunteers are thrilled that they will be able to continue to develop transformative projects, enriching thousands of lives.”

Volunteering Matters staff and volunteers representatives at the Charity Gala were delighted to be presented with a cheque on the evening. Players of People’s Postcode Lottery supports thousands of charities and good causes and the Gala celebrated the vital work of charities across the UK, including Volunteering Matters. George and Amal Clooney were key note guests, talking about their own charitable work.

 

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