EPIKs is celebrating after being awarded £10,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work to increase volunteering in Kirklees. The funding will to create more opportunities to enhance greenspaces, access to nature, low carbon deliveries by e-cargo bike and active travel. It will also give us the opportunity to expand our volunteering base to include people from a more diverse range of backgrounds and age groups.
Thanks to donations in early 2021 doubled by Match-It! And the One Community Foundation, we have been running twice- weekly volunteering sessions on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to improve sites along the River Colne, with help from our newly – appointed Volunteer Engagement Officer, Anne Merry. This new funding allows us to continue our volunteering programme into 2022.
The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will see even more opportunities for people to get involved though practical volunteering.
Volunteer Director, Ali Stopher, said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to broaden the range of environmental volunteering available to local people. This is great timing as taking action for the environment is becoming more pressing in the face of the Climate Emergency. Volunteering helps to bring people together, make a difference in their local area and enjoy having access to cleaner, greener outdoor spaces in Kirklees .”
EPIKs welcomes volunteers from all backgrounds and abilities to join us in our work. For more info contact
Collecting rubbish from Lowestwood Pond