The success of Craigavon and Banbridge Volunteer Centre's three-year Placement and Access project developed with a grant of £100,000 from the Big Lottery Fund's Voluntary and Community Sector programme, was showcased at an event in the Jethro Centre Lurgan last Wednesday.

The project has helped develop volunteering in a wide range of community and voluntary organisations for people with learning and physical disabilities, sensory or visual impairment, brain injury, and those with mental health problems.

Placements, which have included an administration role for a person at Craigavon Independent Advice Centre and a training role at the council, have given volunteers the chance to expand their own skills, learn new ones, make friends, and play a positive role in communities.

The project also ran personal development training programmes for people who were not quite ready to get involved in volunteer placements. The project identified development programmes to increase their skills, confidence and self-esteem.

Nearly 50 people have taken part in the training programmes which have involved many classes, including arts and crafts, stress management and cooking. The project has worked with people at their own pace to ensure they gain the confidence to either improve their lives or go on to their own volunteer placements.

The project has far exceeded all expectations and has ensured that people who might never have been given the chance to get involved in volunteering have increased their confidence and self-esteem either through placements or training, and developed their skills and abilities, changed peoples perception on what a person with a disability is capable and improve their overall quality of life.

It has also given the carers of people taking part in the project the opportunity to enjoy some valuable respite, and created strong community link.

John has Aspergers Syndrome and volunteered as a Guide Help with the Chest Heart and Stroke Association. He provided support to local people using the organisation's bus support service to and from their centre. He said: "I like getting out and helping people with my volunteering. I have gained a lot of confidence and have tried things I would not have done before".

Carmel McKenna, Placement and Access Officer for Craigavon and Banbridge Volunteer Centre, said: "The project provides a unique service in this area for adults with a disability. It gives them the opportunity to become pro-active within their local community, avail of valuable personal development training to enhance their social skills and promote their health and well-being."