From 1st April 2023 to 18th October 2024, Volunteering Plus supported Sandwell residents who wanted to become a volunteer, by providing them with the resources and tools they need to find and complete meaningful volunteer opportunities, as well as extra support to overcome barriers to getting involved.
Delivered through three partners, St Albans Community Association, Sandwell African and Caribbean Mental Health Foundation and Age Concern Birmingham, the project successfully reached its aims of engaging with people from disadvantaged groups and supporting them to access volunteering opportunities which would bring benefits to them and to their local communities.
The project was targeted to reach specific groups and communities of people and of the 204 people supported:
- 124 were women
- 156 were from ethnic minority groups
- 30 were people with disabilities
- 74 were younger volunteers aged under 25
- 47 were volunteers aged 55 plus
In addition, we ran a combined total of 43 social action and volunteering events to encourage people to get involved and promote the benefits of volunteering.
The impact of the project for those who participated was vast with 94% of participants supported into volunteering and 56% progressing into training, education or employment post support. The targeted engagement and tailored support partners have been able to offer to participants has helped overcome barriers to volunteering and increased the volunteer workforce in Sandwell. This will have an ongoing positive effect on our local communities.
