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2 December 1999 Charities Board helps groups recognise, reward and recruit more volunteersThirty-one national charities and voluntary groups are celebrating today after being awarded £6.7 million in the latest round of National Lottery Charities Board awards. The Samaritans receives a grant of £116,758 to address the problem of reduced numbers of volunteers throughout the Samaritans’ branch network. The grant, over three years, will pay for the salary of a dedicated recruitment co-ordinator and the cost of recruitment materials. There were 5,993 suicides in the UK during 1997. There is one suicide every 82 minutes and more than two young people take their lives every day. Suicide accounts for 18 per cent of all deaths of young people. There has been a 70 per cent increase in attempted suicide in England and Wales since 1990. Twenty-six per cent of the UK population personally know someone who has committed suicide. The Samaritans needs to recruit sufficient numbers of well-trained and motivated volunteers to provide an understanding and supportive service to its callers. While calls to the Samaritans continue to rise, volunteer numbers are at their lowest for 15 years. Since 1993 contacts to the Samaritans have risen by 19 per cent, with 4.5 million calls in 1998. During the period 1993-98 the number of volunteers has dropped by 13 per cent. Rachel MacKay, Volunteer Recruitment Officer, The Samaritans, said: "We greatly appreciate the support of the National Lottery Charities Board. Four and a half million calls were made to The Samaritans last year by people in distress. With calls increasing year on year we need more volunteers to continue providing our current level of service. The Lottery grant will enable us to gain the knowledge and techniques we need to recruit new volunteers." The Brittle Bone Society has been awarded a grant of £128,439. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetically-linked condition which causes abnormalities in the collagen within the bone structure. There are estimated to be 3,500 - 4,000 people with OI in the UK. The grant will enable people with OI to meet other people affected by the condition to support each other better by attending regional meetings and attending an annual national conference. Stephen Brady, Chairman of the Brittle Bone Society, said: "OI is not a very common condition, thankfully, but this can make many feel isolated and unsupported. The mutual support of other people living their lives with the same problems can make all the difference. The Brittle Bone Society and the Charities Board together can now make much more of a difference to many people." The Charities Board is also providing a further £1.25 million boost for volunteering projects. Two grants to the National Centre for Volunteering will allow it to raise the profile of volunteering across the country. The National centre for Volunteering will receive £561,690 to develop Volunteers Week, the annual awareness week dedicated to raising the profile of volunteering across the UK. In addition, the Centre will receive a further £137,888 to expand the National Volunteers Managers Forum, encouraging leading experts to share their ideas and experiences. Fiona Dawe, from the National Centre for Volunteering, said the awards will do much to promote the ‘three Rs’ of volunteering: Recognise, reward and recruit. She said: "The grant for £561,690 will mean we can promote volunteering all year round, and celebrate during National Volunteers Week each June. "Volunteers don’t do it for the money, they do it for the love of it so it’s nice to be able to celebrate their achievements during National Volunteers’ Week each June. "But the £561,690 grant means we can establish a long term strategy to promote volunteering all year round. And a second grant for £137,888 means we can recruit even more groups to the National Volunteer Managers Forum." SCADU - The National Centre for Student Volunteering in the Community - has also been awarded a grant of £545,474 to develop its new ‘Up for Action!’ project. Students taking part will receive training and a useful boost to their CV. SCADU Chief Executive Kelly Drake said: "The ‘Up for Action!’ project will not only increase the numbers of students volunteering, but will also ensure that each volunteer is equipped with the skills and knowledge to do their work safely, and to get the maximum fun and benefits from the experience." Diana Brittan, Chair of the National Lottery Charities Board, said: "The National Lottery has just reached its fifth birthday and has become part of our national fabric. "Volunteers in groups large and small all over the UK are also vital to that fabric - but they need recognition, support and training to prosper. Groups like the Samaritans are dependent on volunteers for their survival, and we are determined to support them as much as we can." Contact details The Samaritans - Emma Charvet, 01753 216500 Media enquiries: Robert Blow, 0171-747 5227 and Martin Valentine, 0116 258 7023 Notes to editors
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