In June each year, we celebrate national volunteer week. It is hugely important to take time out to focus on and thank the wide range of volunteers active in our communities.

Whether it's people like Charlotte at Kingsway Community Connections or Robert at Linkes, these volunteers and many like them are the backbone of our area.

Glasgow Life made the most of the 40th anniversary of Volunteers Week Scotland by celebrating the outstanding support of thousands of volunteers who help the organisation make a real difference. Either at major events hosted in Glasgow or in regular roles supporting programmes delivered through museums, arts and music venues and community facilities.

Glasgow Life’s volunteer programme had its biggest year ever in 2023/24, with more than 6,000 volunteers donating over 100,000 hours of their time. In a 2023 survey of volunteers, 93% rated their experience as excellent or very good. Volunteers reported how they feel more connected with their communities, and how it has improved physical and mental health, by gaining confidence, new skills and experience, and in addition making life-long friends from becoming involved in a volunteer role.

Of course, the third sector in Glasgow reports similar positive outcomes which is why investment in organisations and local groups across the city is so important.

On winning the election in 2017, your SNP City Government set about delivering on its manifesto – a review of the Integrated Grant Fund which many local groups felt was a closed shop.

Now in its second phase, co-designed and created with Glasgow City Council for the voluntary sector and others, since 2020 the £55m+ Glasgow Communities Fund (GCF) guarantees three-year funding from 2023-2026.

£6.5 million of funding has been ring-fenced to support financial inclusion and legal support activity benefitting Drumchapel Money Advice Centre and Drumchapel Citizens Advice Bureau, who I had the great privilege to visit a few weeks ago.

GCF funds 220 organisations to deliver diverse programmes of activity at a city-wide and local level – over £10m being invested in community groups in North West Glasgow – in turn developing the skills of workers and volunteers across the city.

The fund aims to tackle poverty and inequality by removing or minimising disadvantages, building the skills, capacity and resilience of individuals and communities, and supporting activities and services that will enable and empower communities to become involved in the social, economic and cultural life of the city.

I’ve seen first-hand the impact this money can have with local organisations such as Ignite Theatre and DRC Youth Project utilising it to unlock the potential of our young people.

Recently at committee, an interim report examined the impact of the fund: it was overwhelmingly positive with 88% of organisations telling us that they had the project infrastructure in place and were already delivering 100% of their project.

A total of 181,944 service users were engaging in the projects, with 88% of organisations seeing more people than expected.

Capacity is always a concern for small community groups, therefore, it was amazing to hear how 70% of organisations had secured 75% or more match funding on the back of the CGF. Nearly half, a staggering 48% of organisations, secured 100% or more match funding.

Of course, this is just one fund the council operates.

The Place Fund which has recently invested £445k in Fossil Grove and the game-changing £485k Food Systems Fund which will create a farmer's market in Whiteinch highlights our commitment to our communities.

Our Holiday Programme also has volunteers – and weans – at its heart. 49 organisations will be funded a share of £2m to feed, entertain, educate and excite kids throughout the summer. One wean described last summer’s programme as “a rainbow of fun”.

Pioneering, prioritising and protecting this fund has been at the heart of Glasgow SNP’s work, despite annual attempts by Labour to cut it.

As both Labour and the Tories refuse to scrap the two-child benefit limit and other policies which harm our kids, our national SNP Government has invested £1.4 billion in the last financial year, with policies such as the child-poverty busting Scottish Child Payment.

The SNP are putting money where our mouth is: Shifty Sunak and his Shadow Sir Sleekit Starmer are keeping schtoom on the £18 billion of public service cuts they have both signed up to, which will perpetuate the child poverty the SNP are working so relentlessly to eradicate.

The choice is clear at the election: if you don’t want to be shortchanged by Starmer and Sunak: vote SNP.