City gains from its volunteers

The national volunteering charity TimeBank has revealed Leicester to be the 10th most generous city in terms of numbers of volunteers registered.

I was so pleased to read this as in Brussels I have shadowed a report which will see the EU officially recognise the importance of volunteering by supporting a European Year of Volunteering in 2011.

The people of Leicester clearly share my belief that volunteering makes an immeasurable impact on people’s lives.
In tough economic times like these volunteering becomes all the more important and that is why I am passionate about creating a European Year of Volunteering which will encourage volunteers to come forward.

This is an example of the EU working at its best, rather than occupying itself with creating unnecessary legislation.

I feel proud that in discussions of this project at the European Parliament I am able to point to Leicester, as one of the major cities I represent, as an example of how communities can engage and benefit from volunteering.