GRANTS totalling more than £600,000 have been helping groups and organisations improve in York.

City of York Council awarded the £658,681 available from its Local Area Agreement (LAA) Delivery Fund to 17 different projects last year.

Funding was allocated to increase volunteering opportunities in York, encourage businesses to use staff volunteers to help disadvantaged children and give youngsters a helping hand on the career ladder.

One of the projects that received funding was the Volunteering City project, run by York CVS, which aimed to increase the number of volunteers in the city.

York Cares Kids’ College, run by the University of York and employee-volunteering charity York Cares, also benefited.

The money helped the project deliver a range of programmes to schools, including teaching children about healthy eating, reading with children to boost their literacy and career talks by business volunteers. Last year university students and staff volunteers invested more than 3,000 hours into the project and engaged with more than 100 children, 13 per cent of whom are from the traveller community.

Laura Calsela, volunteer and student at the University of York, said: “I cannot believe how much I had learned while having fun.

“I would recommend this experience to anyone.”

Other organisations’ bids that were approved included Starting Blocks, which provided work experience for young people living in or leaving care who are among the most vulnerable in the city.

About 16 per cent of 16 to 18 year olds leaving care are unable to find work, compared to the national average of seven per cent of school leavers.

The project aims to get local business volunteers to offer young people practical skills that can give them a helping hand into adulthood.

The LAA Delivery Fund comprises money that the council has received in performance awards from the Government for meeting targets.