Toggle menu

Cultural Connections Volunteering

Our previous project, Cultural Connections Volunteering, was run jointly by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and East Suffolk Council (opens new window). It was funded by Spirit of 2012, which was the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy fund. Spirit 2012 awarded grants for inclusive arts, sports and volunteering activities in communities that brought people together to improve their wellbeing. The National Lottery Community Fund founded Spirit in 2013 with a £47m endowment to continue and recreate the spirit of pride, positivity and community that inspired people across the UK during the London 2012 Games. Spirit of 2012's grant-holders ranged from national to small, hyper-local organisations.

Staff

To make this project a success, we recruited three part-time members who worked across Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk Council areas:

Volunteer Project Officer

Collaborated with organisations to create volunteer roles and opportunities, and supported them in applying for two funding streams available through Cultural Connections Volunteering.

Two Volunteer Coordinators

Led community outreach, working with residents facing the greatest barriers to participation. They connected people to volunteering opportunities with a strong focus on arts, culture and heritage.

Funding Opportunities

Two small grant pots were introduced to empower organisations and volunteer groups.

Activation Grants

Up to £500 for organisations and informal volunteer groups to deliver neighbourhood-level events that encourage volunteering and promote community engagement.

Accessibility Grants

Up to £2,000 for organisations to make volunteering more inclusive. This included funding for equipment, digital/ physical resources, transport or facilities to enable residents to volunteer.

Key achievements

  • recruited more than 1000 volunteers
  • supported more than 70 organisations through funding and matching volunteers to regular opportunities and exciting events such as:
    • Caister Wonderland
    • OutThere Festival
    • First Light Festival
    • Great Yarmouth Christmas Market
    • Beach of Dreams
    • Christmas Light Festival
    • Remembrance Day Parade

Volunteering