The Office for Civil Society and Nesta have launched three grant funds totalling £4m to encourage people over 50 to volunteer.
All three funds are open to organisations to apply for funding for and are the first to be funded through the second phase of the Centre for Social Action.
The three funds are:
- The Second Half Fund - Sharing Time and Talents for Life: grants of up to £250,000 to support the growth of new ways of mobilising the time and talents of people aged over 50.
- Join In Stay In: grants of up to £50,000 and significant non-financial support from behavioural science experts for organisations to undertake randomised controlled trials to understand what works best to encourage volunteers to continue to give their time regularly.
- Give More Get More - Exploring Intensive Volunteering: grants of up to £100,000 to support organisations to trial intensive volunteering placements for people over 50 - approaching or in retirement - that work alongside public services.
Rob Wilson, minister for civil society, said: “These funds represent an excellent opportunity to replicate our fantastic achievements in youth volunteering and I urge as many organisations as possible to apply. The funds will encourage more people over the age of 50 to follow the example of their children and grandchildren, get out in their communities and help us build a Britain that works for everyone.”
Vicki Sellick, director of Nesta’s Innovation Lab, said: “We know that many over 50s are already generously giving their time to help others - from reading to children in classrooms to keeping patients company in hospital. Given that those that do report far higher levels of wellbeing, and that more local communities could benefit hugely from their skills, we want to see how we can bring to bear the talents and experience that the over 50s possess to benefit even more people.”
Nesta and the OCS previously worked together to deliver the Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund and will publish the findings later this autumn.
More information about the funds is available from Nesta’s website.
