Foreword from Councillor Anne Handley

Leader, East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Volunteers are the lifeblood of thriving communities and make a huge contribution to the local economy. Work done by volunteers accounts for almost 1% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Profit, or almost £20 billion, according to research by the Office for National Statistics and National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). They also estimate that during 2020, approximately 20 million people (around 1 in 3 nationally), formally did voluntary work through groups, clubs or organisations at least once during the year, and at least half of us did some form of informal unpaid work to help others.

In the East Riding of Yorkshire, as nationally, there were large increases in the number of both formal and informal volunteers working throughout the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. These included community groups collecting food parcels and prescriptions, offering befriending services or driving vulnerable residents to hospital appointments. Hull and East Yorkshire Smile Foundation reported that at the peak of the pandemic, 3,500 volunteers were recorded as being active in the East Riding.

Empowering and supporting communities is one of East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s five priorities. We can achieve this through a strong and active commitment, working with our partners, particularly voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and town and parish councils, to support resilient and healthy communities. Tackling inequalities, particularly those around health, which in many instances have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be a focus for the council.

The Do it For East Yorkshire Community Fund was created to help community organisations recover and encourage residents to return to activities and services in their communities. Because of the success of the fund, the council has continued to commit funding to the grant year on year – totalling £750,000 as of July 2023.

This resource – How to do it For East Yorkshire – has been put together by the council’s regeneration and funding team to help community groups access external funding and to assist voluntary organisations that wish to develop and diversify. The team have brought together a range of resources from trusted sources in one place to provide voluntary groups with a one-stop shop for advice and guidance.

Whether you are just setting up, organising a public event or want to business advice for your social enterprise, the How to Do it For East Yorkshire website is the place to start.