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Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, is joining forces with arts and cultural organisations across the capital to raise the profile of volunteering and enhance the status of volunteers working within the sector, with the development of the first ever citywide volunteering framework for the sector.

Boris Johnson said:  ‘Across London a hidden army of volunteers make a huge contribution to the city’s unrivalled arts and cultural scene. Their enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge – front of house and behind the scenes – help our fantastic museums, galleries and theatres tick. My appreciation for their commitment cannot be overstated and it’s about time they got the recognition they deserve. Our aim is to help cultural organisations of all sizes attract more volunteers and get the very best out them.’

Mr Johnson is now working with London Cultural Quarters to develop a five year strategic plan aimed at providing a clear framework for volunteering in cultural organisations both large and small. It is the first time such a plan has been developed and will encompass the whole sector, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of organisations, policy makers, volunteering representatives, as well as case studies and findings from the GLA survey. This work will complement Team London, the Mayor’s ambitious programme to get more people in the capital, which is officially launched this summer, as helping take forward the Mayor’s strategy Cultural Metropolis.

Iwona Blazwick, Chair, London Cultural Strategy Group, said: ‘Volunteering is a great way of getting involved in the arts sector, be it just for a day as a tour guide or as an experienced curator or a board member. Volunteers bring a wealth of experience and skills, and above all a real sense of enthusiasm and dynamism to organisations. It is important that there is a coordinated approach and understanding of volunteering across the sector.’

The draft strategy and a newly published guide called ‘Culture and Volunteering’ will be unveiled at an event in City Hall today from 4 pm to 7:30 pm. The guide illustrates the wide range of ways that volunteers are active within organisations. For example the Theatre Royal Stratford East’s Open Stage programme got 25 volunteers of all ages to help it programme a season of work for 2012.

The ‘Culture and Volunteering’ guide is available from www.london.gov.uk/publication/culture-and-volunteering.