THE National Mentoring Network and Volunteering England (NMN/VE) have been awarded £800,000 by the Home Office to jointly develop a national mentoring and befriending body and to boost the mentoring movement.
A separate £600,000 grant has been awarded to the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service to help them promote the involvement of older volunteers, in particular the over-65s, across the country. Fiona Mactaggart, the charities minister, said the grants would help release the vast untapped potential for volunteering that existed in society.
“Action that can be taken on a one-to-one level, by individuals, often has the biggest impact in transforming lives. There are so many personal stories of how a mentor or a friend has helped someone out of difficult circumstances or given them the guidance they need,” she said.
With the mentoring and befriending grant, NMN/VE will contribute to the formulation of national and promote mentoring government bodies as means of complementing their existing services.
It will also act as a central distribution point for inquiries on volunteering opportunities in this area and will co-ordinate the activities of four regional mentoring networks.
Advertisement
With the grant to promote the involvement of older volunteers, WRVS will help to raise the profile and value of older volunteers and their potential for impact on local communities, from a co-ordinated national perspective.
ONE of the most historic houses in London, St Barnabas-in-Soho, will be opening its doors to the public on Saturday, September 18 as part of London Open House 2004.
Advertisement
Established in 1846 to provide temporary accommodation for homeless people, the House of St Barnabas-in-Soho (located on the corner of Soho Square and Greek St) was founded on the ideal of Practical Christianity, inspired by the Oxford Movement which swept through the Church of England in the 19th century.
The present Grade I listed building dates from 1754 and contains rare examples of period plaster work and intricate wrought-iron balustrades.
The least known aspect of St Barnabas-in-Soho is the extraordinary Chapel located in the rear garden (overlooked by Centre Point Tower), built between 1862 and 1864 in the Romanesque style and is one of the first religious buildings erected under the influence of the Oxford Movement.
Today, the House of St Barnabas-in-Soho provides temporary accommodation, care and support for 39 homeless women who need more than just a meal and a bed for the night.
Eluned Santos, chief executive of St Barnabas-in-Soho, said that taking part in this year’s London Open House scheme would provide the organisation with an invaluable way of showing the public the important work it does throughout the year.
Advertisement
On the weekend of September 18-19 the public will be able to enter dozens of buildings that are not usually open to visitors, from government offices to private houses. More than 500 buildings were open last year and more than 100 new sites have been added for 2004.