If you are involved with a community group or charity in Leicester, you may wonder whether giving voluntary (or paid) opportunities is something your group should consider. There are many good reasons for doing this:

• Work gets done
• It gives insight into an area of disability much less publicised than some others
• Friendships are formed
• The charity's objectives are fulfilled

The Government's 'Valuing people' White Paper requires local authorities and others to ensure people with a learning difficulty get choice, respect and a role in the community. 

The 2003 ‘Every Child Matters’ Green Paper also campaigns to improve the health, safety, positive contribution and enjoyment of every child and young person across the country and this has more recently been revised to incorporate a campaign for improving the lives of every child and young person with a learning difficulty. ‘Every Disabled Child Matters’ campaigns for the complete welfare of young people with a learning difficulty as well as of their carers. To find out more about ‘Every Disabled Child Matters’ go to http://www.edcm.org.uk/Page.asp. ‘Every Child Matters’ can be accessed via this link: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/. VALUES and VALUES Youth are proud to help deliver this to Leicester.

Often for people with a learning disability their voluntary work is there main source of self-esteem. Your help offers something that we all crave: somewhere to belong. Being part of our network is good for our health, good for our learning and good for our sense of citizenship.

VALUES is funded by Leicester City Council and the BBC Children's fund