The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu has been announced as patron of Volition, the Cathedral Volunteer Programme.
Volition is a newly formed national charity which works with local employers to offer unemployed people the skills and confidence they need to gain employment. They do this through an innovative volunteering programme where individuals opt to volunteer to develop new skills, supported by NESTA and the Cabinet Office.
The charity has its roots in the Manchester Cathedral programme, which was launched in 2012, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus. With impressive results, Jobcentre Plus have re-commissioned the programme on a number of times in Greater Manchester and Liverpool. Hundreds of volunteers have benefited as a result, with over 100 people now in jobs. Many other cathedrals in the UK have now expressed interest to Volition. Chester is coming on board in the autumn of 2015 and other Cathedrals are expected to follow.
The Very Reverend Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester and Chair of Volition said:
“Volition is our new and exciting community outreach project, seeking to make a practical difference in the life of our city and beyond. I am extremely pleased that Archbishop Sentamu has agreed to be our patron and for his encouragement for our cathedrals to engage with unemployed people”.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu said:
“It is a great joy and privilege to be a patron of Volition. This programme, which began at Manchester Cathedral, has now been successfully launched at Liverpool Cathedral. Many Volition volunteers are already finding employment with local businesses. This is a creative and innovative way in which our Cathedrals are engaging with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. I am very pleased to pledge my support for the work of Volition as we help many more long term unemployed people back into work”.
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