Volunteering

At the start of National Volunteering Week, Mike Stonard talks to Mike Gale of Volunteering England about the contribution of volunteers to our society and communities, why so many people do it, and where you can find out more about local volunteering opportunities.

Some of the highlights of the previous week's Community Chest Shows. This week: Lawrie Hallett on location with a group of people who are excavating the site of the former Norwich City Railway Station; Jasmine speaks to Laura Crosley of the Norwich Heritage and Regeneration Trust about the Norwich Dragon Festival; and I discuss Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender History Month with Katy-Jon Went and Hilary Koe of the LGBT History Month Steering Group. 

Russell J Turner presents his first Platform, with reports on Fiddler on the Roof, volunteering at the NNF (Kate Roma reporting), local poet Hannah Jane Walker (in the studio) and Olympians (Mark Chamberlin reporting, another debut)

Dawn Jackson, who set up Future Projects, formerly called the NR5 Project, in April 2000, has been made an MBE for services to young people in Norwich.

The organisation, which includes Norwich community radio station Future Radio, originally provided two volunteer youth workers on the streets of Earlham after reports of antisocial behaviour hit the headlines.

The charity now employs 47 people and has 5,000 registered users. It has also helped children receive life-changing full time education.

In April 2010 Future Projects (formerly NR5 Project), who run Future Radio, will celebrate it's 10th anniversary.