Volunteers prepare for day of action

An army of volunteers will roll up their sleeves on Saturday, October 29, for a range of challenges, including:

* Decorating the youth club rooms at St Hilda’s Church on Greatfield estate;

* Decorating Leonard Cheshire Disability’s Godfrey Robinson House in North Ferriby;

* Helping the Friends of Ainthorpe prepare raised vegetable and flower beds at Ainthorpe School.

The events have been timed to coincide with national make a difference day.

And to give the public a greater understanding of their role, commitments and opportunities, the CVS centre in the Strand, off Beverley Road, is hosting an open day on Friday, December 2.

Chief officer Dave Rogers said: “For 30 years Hull CVS has been encouraging, supporting and catalysing people to take action in our local communities.

“To celebrate our 30th year we wanted to give something a little bit extra to the local community in these difficult times. So we’re delighted to be able to make the time and energy of some of our staff and volunteers available to improve facilities for some local voluntary and community groups.

“We hope lots of people benefit from our efforts and we look forward to enjoying our day.”

More than 20,000 people in Hull regularly carry out unpaid work on behalf of others, roles that are becoming increasingly important with many organisations and charities facing funding cuts.

Hull CVS is currently staging a consultation that will be used as the basis for a three-year strategy on volunteering.

It aims to improve support for volunteers and those who employ them, and boost the ranks even further.