The Mayor of London visited The Maypole Project today (Thursday 11th June) to see how £10,000 from his Team London Small Grants Innovation Fund has helped to recruit an extra 10 specialist volunteers to get children and young people with complex medical needs involved in sports through the Maypole Active club.
The Mayor was joined by Senior Advisor on Volunteering Veronica Wadley to hear from volunteers, parents and children about the good work the charity does to provide a lifeline of support for children with a complex illness or disability and their whole family.
The Maypole Project supports 1,000 people every year, working across six south east London boroughs in Bromley, Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Greenwich and Croydon.
Team London is the Mayor’s ambitious programme to mobilise an army of volunteers across the capital. The aim is to improve life in London through programmes that will reduce crime, increase opportunities for youth and improve quality of life by cleaning and greening London and building stronger neighbourhoods. Team London has 89,000 registered volunteers and promotes volunteering opportunities for almost 1,250 organisations.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “I’m delighted to see the real difference the Team London grant has made to the lives of the children and families at The Maypole Project by helping to recruit specialist volunteers to run the Maypole Active club. This is an extremely worthwhile cause, helping sick and disabled young people to have fun, lead good-quality lives and get active through sports. Volunteers are the lifeline of any charity and I would encourage charities to find out how they can apply for funding and support from the Team London grant programme.”
CEO of The Maypole Project, Sally Flatteau-Taylor said: “Funding from Team London has provided truly positive support to The Maypole Project. Financially it has supported us by enabling us to recruit, train and supervise a really strong team of volunteers who in turn support 15 children with chronic conditions and their siblings in inclusive and adaptable sporting activities. Team London has really formed a very positive supportive and proactive relationship with the whole project.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Team London and The Maypole Project
The Maypole Project received a Team London Small Innovation Grant in the 2014/2015 round of funding, awarding them £10,000 to help to extend their volunteering strategy and outreach activities to recruit, train and deploy specialist volunteers to facilitate positive activities through sports for more of their children and young people affected by a complex illness or disability.
They have now recruited and trained an extra 10 specialist volunteers to work with their children and young people encouraging sporting activity in Maypole Active, an inclusive sports and activities club.
The Maypole Project recruits volunteers through the Team London website.
2. The Maypole Project supports children with complex medical needs who face life threatening or life limiting illnesses and have been diagnosed between birth and 18 years of life. The charity aims to relieve and help preserve the mental and physical well-being of children and young people and to support their family members as well as others who are affected by their suffering and, in certain cases, bereavement. It also aims to educate and support carers and professionals working with such families and help them with issues of loss and bereavement. The Maypole Project’s services to young people and their families include:
Counselling, therapy, befriending – one to one and couple, family therapy, child therapy, play therapy, therapeutic play and art.
Activities for children including Maypole Active Inclusive Sports Club (increasing inclusivity so all young people can take part in sport), therapeutic groups, activity days and art and craft groups.
Running therapeutic groups for parents, grandparents, other family members.
To find out more about The Maypole Project and its services, visit www.themaypoleproject.co.uk or call 01689 851596.
3. Applying to the Team London Small Grants Innovation Fund: Charities can find out more about the application process for the 2015/2016 round of Team London grants which will be live on the Team London website on Monday 15 June: http://volunteerteam.london.gov.uk/pages/pages/10