Want to know more about volunteering? Greater Manchester Inspire Week will be appealing to the public to start as soon as possible.
The initiative, which will run between January 18 – 24, aims to encourage residents of Greater Manchester to get involved and also celebrates the hard work of those already volunteering.
GM Inspire Week intends to do this by increasing awareness of the Volunteer Inspire Programme (VIP), run by Greater Manchester-based charity GreaterSport.
Yvonne Harrison, Chief Executive at GreaterSport, insists the contribution of volunteers should be admired and believes the benefits of volunteering can never be underestimated.
“Volunteering is a great opportunity for people of all ages,” she said.
“It gives an opportunity to get active, meet new people and have positive, new experiences.
“GM Inspire Week allows GreaterSport to have a big focus on volunteers to not only drive recruitment, but also celebrate the successes and hard work done by Greater Manchester’s current volunteers.”
The charity’s ethos is focused and committed to changing the lives of people by creating, providing and enabling sustainable opportunities for them to take part in sport and physical activity.
The charity is part-funded by Sport England and AGMA (Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) and is part of a national ‘County Sport Partnership’ network.
It has worked with partners to develop the VIP that enables Manchester residents to find volunteering opportunities.
The programme currently has over 6,200 volunteers and aims to recruit more than 300 new volunteers during the Gm Insipre Week.
Throughout this week, GreaterSport will be handing out several spot prizes to both newly signed up volunteers as well as to any Manchester sports clubs who provide new opportunities for volunteers.
A recipient of a similar award is Geoff Sheelan, who received the accolade of being volunteer of the year at last year’s Bolton Sport’s Awards.
“Being a volunteer is not just about you giving your time, it is about you giving something to your community and in return you get a sense of belonging – a sense of what is achievable,” he said.
“You just need to make the effort – if you do others will too!”
Volunteering opportunities on the scheme are available to everyone, with a wide range of activities and roles on offer.
The amount of volunteering opportunities in Manchester is monumental – whether you would like the chance to help others, or you want to develop your own skills and employability, there is a volunteering position suited.
To get involved and become a volunteer or share an opportunity, visit the Volunteer Inspire Programme on GreaterSport’s website http://www.greatersport.co.uk/vip.
