Improving quality of life
Team London is all about the people who are giving their time to make London a better place to live, including these programmes that build stronger neighbourhoods and improve our environment through cleaning and greening London.
Londoners Love Trees
Increasing tree cover is an important part of the Mayor’s environment programme, which sets an ambitious target of a 25 per cent increase in the city’s tree cover by 2025. Volunteers can contribute to this goal by signing up to join our planting and maintenance programme running in 15 boroughs. More than 4,000 volunteers will plant over 9,000 new trees, maintain existing stock and help set up new tree warden groups and tree nurseries over the next eight months. The project is led by Trees for Cities and the Tree Council and supported by the London Tree Officers Association and Barcham Trees.
Capital Clean-up
Capital Clean-up is a Londonwide partnership campaign led by the Mayor to make public spaces cleaner, safer and greener for the 2012 Games and beyond through volunteering and community ownership and is part of Team London’s goal to improve quality of life. Hundreds of events involving thousands of volunteers have taken place, including Thames riverbank and canal clean-ups, litter picks, habitat restoration and graffiti removal.
Capital Growth
Capital Growth is a partnership initiative between the Mayor of London, London Food Link and the Big Lottery’s Local Food Fund to create 2,012 new community food growing spaces by the end of 2012. Over 1,200 spaces have been created to date and more than 35,000 volunteers have been engaged in food growing activities. Projects are based in a wide range of locations including small parks and gardens, schools, roofs, businesses and even a floating barge in the Regent’s Canal. Capital Growth gives Londoners the chance to grow their own food and regenerate neglected corners of the city in the process. The programme offers grants, practical help, training and advice.
Love Libraries programme
Libraries are at the heart of information access and community services, providing not just books and learning but free internet and a range of community activities. A consortium of at least ten London borough library services will take part in the Love Libraries programme to provide library volunteering opportunities for 2,000 people.
- Become a Library Champion and volunteer with Love Libraries
Connecting Older People
Our digital technology programme will recruit 1000 volunteers to share their IT skills one-to-one with people over 60. The participants will learn how to use email and Skype, understand social networks and how to access local services online. Older people are the fastest growing group of internet consumers and use of the internet among the over 60s is proven to reduce social isolation. Six out of ten Londoners do not feel there is a strong sense of community in their area and this problem is exaggerated among older Londoners, many of whom live alone. If you are an older person seeking IT help or to give back, please get involved!
Helping the elderly
Recent findings from the Social Isolation Among Older Londoners report (published October 2011), show that at least 75,000 people, over the age of 75, are living lonely lives in the city. There are many ways to help make a big difference in the life of an older person, including: Contact the Elderly, Age UK, Community Network, Kilburn Neighbours, Recycled Teenagers Voluntary Action Team, New Horizons Activity Centre, Jewish Volunteering Network.
Big Jubilee Lunch
We are looking for champions from every borough to help the Mayor’s Street Party Ambassador, Barbara Windsor, ensure the Queens Diamond Jubilee weekend in June 2012 is enjoyed by as many Londoners as possible. Working with the national charity, the Big Lunch, the Mayor is keen to identify enthusiastic Londoners with strong local knowledge and networks who are willing to promote the initiative in their borough. Over half of London residents do not feel there is a strong sense of community in their area. The Diamond Jubilee is the perfect excuse to organise a street party or neighbourhood gathering.
Big Dance
Big Dance 2012 is a festival of dance and dancing in London, celebrating the diversity of the art form in the city and inspiring Londoners young and old to get involved. The five Big Dance Hubs – East London Dance, English National Ballet Greenwich Dance Agency, Sadler’s Wells & Siobhan Davies Dance – will connect volunteers with a range of activities and events aimed at fostering enjoyment and community collaboration.
London Leaders
London Leaders London Leaders brings together leaders in sustainability from across different sectors in London, with 15 leaders appointed each year. The intention of the programme is to motivate and empower individuals, organisations and communities to take responsibility and make the changes necessary to deliver a sustainable London. The programme is supported by the GLA and led by the London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC).
London Ambassadors
As well as the 25,000 volunteers assisting in the Olympic venues, 8,000 host city volunteers - London Ambassadors - will welcome visitors from all over the world to London for the duration of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. These individuals, recruited from over 22,000 applicants, will be trained as the welcoming face of London, well prepared to provide information and help on every aspect of visiting the city.
