Key facts
Area: South East
Grant recipient: The Community Matters Partnership C.I.C.
Project: The Community Matters Partnership
Programme: Awards for All
Date of award: March 2011
Amount awarded: £8,900
The Community Matters Partnership finds volunteers to help tackle the needs of the local community. One project was to restore a pond in a popular park so the wildlife could flourish and it could be enjoyed by residents.
Paul Howe, Bio-diversity Officer, Rushmoor Borough Council: “We asked the Community Matters Partnership if they would organise two volunteer days to help clear out a pond in the Queen Elizabeth Park which had been silted up for about 13 years. The two days were absolutely fantastic and went way past my expectations of what we could achieve. The volunteers were incredibly enthusiastic and have brought back a bio diversity resource which everyone can enjoy.”
The partnership is a collaboration of ten companies in the borough of Rushmoor who pool their voluntary workforce and expertise to help tackle local needs.
The Awards for All grant has allowed the partnership to pay for the resources needed to run a volunteer day. They also use part of the grant to publicise the partnership to encourage more companies and volunteers to take part.
Sarah Williams, volunteer and part-time Events and Marketing Assistant said: “The Awards for All grant has made an immense difference. We’ve been able to spread the money over a number of projects which is great because without it we would not be able to run volunteer days.”
So far they have spent 2,500 voluntary hours in the community which has saved £28,000 in terms of manpower. At the end of their first year they will be holding an event for all volunteers so they can look back on the impact they have had in the community through their voluntary work.
To find out more about the partnership visit www.communitymatterspartnership.org.uk