Seven cities have today unveiled plans to organise up to 2,000 volunteers to tackle local problems, as Cities of Service launches in the UK – a volunteer programme based on the US model founded by the former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg.

Over the next 18 months Barnsley, Bristol, Kirklees, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Swindon, and Telford and Wrekin will use their new status as Cities of Service to encourage local volunteers to go out into communities and address neighbourhood issues. Some of the challenges set out in the cities’ individual service plans, which map what volunteers will be doing and how their success will be measured, include:

·         helping to reduce energy bills for lower income families by mobilising volunteers to help clear loft space ready for free insulation

·         improving the literacy of primary school pupils through weekly reading sessions with volunteers

·         reducing social isolation amongst older people by arranging for volunteer ‘buddies’

Cities of Service UK is backed by innovation foundation Nesta and the Cabinet Office. Nesta will work with each of the seven cities to help them measure the impact of the volunteers. The programme was first established in the US in 2009 by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and has now expanded to more than 180 cities across the country.

To celebrate the Cities of Service launch in the UK, US Ambassador Matthew Barzun will host an evening event at the US Embassy on Wednesday 10th September, attended by the Minister for Civil Society Brooks Newmark MP.

Brooks Newmark MP, the Minister for Civil Society, said: “The Cities of Service UK programme is a great example of how we are mobilising communities to take action on the issues that matter to them. I’m looking forward to hearing about the impact of these volunteers on  tackling their cities’ key challenges - putting people at the heart of solving problems from poor child literacy to loneliness amongst older people.’

Vicki Sellick, Nesta Director, added: “Cities of Service is about helping to funnel the passion of local volunteers into areas most in need of support in their own communities. The programme has already proved successful in the US and we look forward to replicating that success in the UK, supporting the seven cities to mobilise thousands of volunteers where they are needed most. Ultimately, we think every city in the UK could become a City of Service.”

The cities’ service plans are available on to read in full on the Nesta website.

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For more information visit www.nesta.org.uk or contact: Laura Scarrott, Press Officer, Nesta, 0207 438 2697

Cities of Service: Cities of Service is programme run by Nesta, and in partnership with the Cabinet Office, to mobilise the talents and energy of volunteers to meet city wide challenges. It is based on the programme run by CitiesofService.org and launched by the former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg. In the UK, Barnsley, Swindon and Telford & Wrekin will each receive grants of £30,000 to support new initiatives that mobilise citizens to make a difference to specific challenges. Bristol, Kirklees, Plymouth and Portsmouth will each receive grants of £180,000 to fund the creation of a Chief Service Officer post to drive these new initiatives and challenges.

Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund: Cities of Service is just one of the programmes Nesta is running in partnership with the Cabinet Office through the £14million Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund. To date it has backed more than 40 social action innovations and mobilised thousands more volunteers to give their time alongside public services.

About Nesta: Nesta is the UK’s innovation foundation. We help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. We do this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills. We are an independent charity and our work is enabled by an endowment from the National Lottery. www.nesta.org.uk