<p class="summary">The Team London fund will give voluntary sector grants of up to £10,000 to increase volunteer numbers</p>
<p>The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced a new £4m grant fund to encourage volunteering in the capital.</p>
<p>The fund, called Team London, will give grants worth up to £10,000 to
voluntary sector organisations that want to increase the number of
volunteers they use.</p>
<p>The cash will also support uniformed youth clubs, including girl
guide and scout groups, so that they can recruit more volunteers, and it
will fund a new Mayor's Mentors programme that will train volunteers to
mentor young people.</p><p>
</p><p>The three-year fund is made up of a £2m donation from the <a href="http://www.reubenfoundation.com/" target="_blank">Reuben Foundation</a> - a charitable foundation set up in 2002 by the property developers David and Simon Reuben - and £2m from the <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Greater London Authority</a>.</p>
<p>A statement from the GLA said Johnson would seek additional funds
from the private sector and charitable foundations. The body will start
looking for partners to deliver the fund in the next month.</p>
<p>In a statement, Johnson said: "London has a rich history of
volunteering and civic responsibility, and I am continually humbled by
some of the amazing, generous work Londoners do to make it a better
place for us all.</p>
<p>"Team London is about what we can achieve when we act together. I
want to see the village put back into the city and for every precious
hour that Londoners spend, volunteering achieves the greatest possible
impact."</p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Jaqui Devereux<br>Director, Community Media Association<br>0114 279 5219<br><br>
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