Volunteering For Good

Every year thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, tens of thousands of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in communities across England, Scotland and Wales benefit from the support of Volunteering Matters.

In the heart of communities across the country, Volunteering Matters empowers people to make a positive difference to their lives and to the lives of others around them, through the act of volunteering.

Volunteering Matters is the UK's leading organisation on volunteering policy and practice. Last year the charity enabled over 20,000 volunteers to support 86,000 people.

Across the country, volunteers enable older people to maintain their health and wellbeing and empower people with disabilities - and facing extremely hard life challenges - to lead independent, fulfilling lives. The charity's older volunteers also do life-changing mentoring, providing security and stability to families and children, in particular helping young people find their direction in life, through their award-winning Grandmentors programme.

The fantastic £2 Million of support Volunteering Matters has received from our players has transformed lives, with many people feeling less isolated or lonely. It has helped the charity to empower older people to volunteer, and ensure vulnerable people reach their health appointments. It has also helped primary school children improve their reading and maths skills, run exercise classes for people of all abilities, and helped older people maintain their independence at home.

Supporting Local Communities

Volunteering Matters are immensely proud of their 10,000 volunteers aged 50 or over who support and run brilliant volunteering projects for, and with, people over the age of 50. This includes Sporting Chance which gets male volunteers out and active, transforming hundreds of men's health in areas like the North East and Sheffield. Help at Hand is another programme, which matches volunteer befrienders to some of the most isolated individuals in the community.

Across England, Wales and Scotland they have hundreds of older people volunteering in their communities including in local hospitals, schools, healthy walking groups and charitable knitting groups. Volunteering can have a huge impact on the people and services they support, the local community and volunteers themselves.

LifeLines, a volunteer-led project supporting people aged 50 and over in Brighton runs activities and one-to-one support schemes to help older people stay more active and better engaged with their communities. They recruit, train and support volunteers to start up their own chosen activities at a suitable venue - and have supported activities from computer lessons and ballroom dancing through to bereavement counselling.

Older people who volunteer are less likely to become socially isolated, experience fewer health problems, socialise more and have fun in retirement.

Charities Always Win

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