This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Volunteering vital to promote active citizenship - Baillie
28/09/1999
Volunteering has an important role in tackling exclusion and laying the basis for real community empowerment said Deputy Minister for Communities Jackie Baillie today.
Speaking at the East Dunbartonshire Local Volunteering Development Agency in Kirkintilloch, she said:
"Over 700,000 people regularly volunteer in Scotland every year - that is an amazing investment of time, energy and commitment. Volunteers have certain things in common. They want to make things better, they want to improve the lives of those around them, and they want to help make their communities better places to live.
"I was delighted to announce last week that East Dunbartonshire LVDA had been awarded £10,000 to be a Millennium Volunteers matchmaker - a demanding role to recruit young people and find opportunities for them to undertake volunteering. The Millennium Volunteers Programme aims to increase volunteering among young people aged 16-24 and change their attitudes to community action.
"The Scottish Executive is providing £1m this year to ensure that each local authority area has a Local Volunteering Development Agency. Money has been made available to complete the network by March 2000.
"Volunteering is one way to tackle the problems of social exclusion by encouraging community involvement and participation. It involves people in decisions affecting their lives and communities.
"It is also an important expression of active citizenship. I believe that if we can promote the concept of active citizens then we will end up with better Government policies and more responsive public services."
BACKGROUND
1. The Minister was speaking at the AGM of the East Dunbartonshire LVDA. LVDAs work with local authorities to develop local policies for volunteering. The LVDA programme was started in April 1996 - 26 are currently in place. In 1999/2000, £1m is available to ensure there will be a LVDA in each local authority area by March 2000.
News Release: SE0737/99
28 September, 1999