UK volunteering charity, CSV is calling on the Government to add its backing to 2011 being designated as the European Year of Volunteering. (4th August 2008).
It comes in the wake of the overwhelming support of over 450 MEPs in the European Parliament who signed up to a written declaration in favour of the move. The large number of signatories is well over the 390 required to make such a declaration and is one of the highest scores received in recent years for a declaration to be adopted. At the last count, 48 of 78 UK MEPs have pledged their support.
CSV provides the secretariat for UK based Volonteurope, which is one of the 17 major European volunteering organisations lobbying for the year.
Members of the European Parliament now want the European Commission to officially designate the year for volunteers and CSV is urging UK ministers to show their support.
Many EU institutions and large numbers of member states do not have a strategic and comprehensive policy on the support, promotion, recognition and facilitation of voluntary engagement, for all ages and in all walks of life.
Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, Executive Director of CSV and President of Volonteurope, said: “The EU cannot afford not to care about its active citizens; theirs are the hands that put our European values of solidarity and social cohesion into practice day after day.”
Key Government figures have already expressed support to CSV and Volonteurope for such a year including Third Sector Minister, Phil Hope, Beverley Hughes MP and David Blunkett MP.
Key European Stats:
• More than 100 million Europeans (3 in every 10) are engaged in volunteering every year
• Volunteering in the UK is particularly strong with an estimated 26 million people in England and Wales taking part in some sort of voluntary activity
• 59% of people surveyed for the Cabinet Office’s national survey of volunteering and charitable giving say they had volunteered in the last year
• 80% of European volunteers believe that active engagement such as volunteering is crucial for democracy
• The voluntary sector contributes up to 5% of the European GDP which is equivalent to the construction and finance industry
The aims of the European Year of Volunteering include:
• Improving awareness and recognition of the
value and impact of volunteering – especially its potential for building European identity
• Celebrating volunteers and volunteer organisations
• Motivating more Europeans to get involved in volunteering
• Reducing barriers and discrimination – including ensuring a right for everyone to participate in society through voluntary action
• Encouraging member states to exchange practice on volunteering policies and to identify common elements that enable volunteering to flourish
Further press information: Jason Tanner, CSV Press Office on 020 7812 0038 / 07941 433598
Notes for editors
1. Volonteurope, is the European network for volunteering and Active Citizenship and has 2,000 members across 30 countries in Europe.
2. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. In 2006/7 229,869 people gave time as volunteers through CSV. CSV trained 12,309 people of all ages and linked 29,000 people to learning through BBC Local Radio. www.csv.org.uk
3. The 17 networks of the European Year of Volunteering alliance: the European Volunteer Centre (CEV), the Social Platform, the World Scouts Movement, the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Confederation of European Senior Expert Services (CESES), the Association of Voluntary Service Organisations (AVSO), the Red Cross/European Union Office, Caritas Europa, Volonteurope, AGE, Solidar, ENGAGE, Johanniter International, the European Non-Governmental Sports Organization (ENGSO and ENGSO Youth) and Youth Action for Peace (YAP) and the Euclid network of third sector leaders.