Grant of the Month
Volunteering to meet real community need...
Pictured (left to right): Keith Williams, regional manager of UK Steel Enterprise, Caroline Langston, centre development manager of the High Street Centre and Sue Wragg, fund manager at SYCF
VOLUNTEERING spirit is alive and well in Rotherham thanks to a local community initiative and the support of a local business.
The High Street Centre in Rawmarsh has around 85 community minded people giving their time to get involved in the many activities that take place there, including tai chi, zumba, keep fit, luncheon clubs and the Activate youth project.
UK Steel Enterprise, through its charitable fund with the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, made a cash grant available for the group to help them to push forward with their activities.
Caroline Langston, centre development manager, said: "We don't struggle to get volunteers as there is a lot of good will in the community.
"I think that people like to be valued and treat well and more than anything feel as though they are contributing to something worthwhile. Some people do it for work experience to help them get a job in a school or as a youth leader, but they want to volunteer in a way that suits them.
"We also find that people are always willing to volunteer if it is something in their own community."
The volunteers that get involved at the High Street Centre range from 18 to 70 years old and there is a real feeling of local unity as a result of these inter-generational activities.
Caroline Langston said: "We have spent a lot of time trying to get people in to use the centre and the result is that we are working with lots of partners.
"We always try to look at the local area and work out what there is and what there isn't. That way we can provide services that people want and need without duplication."
UK Steel Enterprise's charitable philosophy is built on making a positive difference to the economic regeneration of communities affected by changes in the steel industry.
Through its fund with the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, UK Steel Enterprise is linked to groups and projects that are adding lasting value to local communities on a daily basis.
Keith Williams, regional manager of UK Steel Enterprise, said: "Part of our role is to put something back into local communities, particularly those that have been affected by changes in the steel industry.
"It is great to come and see firsthand what is going on in our area and the important contribution that voluntary sector organisations have to community life as a whole.
"The High Street Centre is providing a fantastic base for the constant development of community spirit in Rawmarsh. The number of groups that operate from this building shows just how effective they have been in setting the place up as a real hub of the community that is respected and cared for by local people.
"We value our partnership with SYCF highly and in particular their ability to link us to worthwhile project such as this one."
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