A wide range of self-led arts activity takes place each week, in cities, towns and villages across the country – an estimated 10,000 voluntary arts groups meet in Scotland alone – from voluntary-led choirs and craft groups to amateur dramatic societies and film clubs.

For those of us already involved, the value of this grassroots activity and the positive effects that taking part can have on our health and wellbeing might seem obvious BUT there are many people who don’t know about the groups that meet on their doorstep or may be apprehensive about going along for the first time.

Each May, Voluntary Arts Week shines a spotlight on cultural groups across the country and publicises a range of events that invite people to ‘get creative’ on their doorstep.

The events that make up the festival programme are run by groups and organisations of all shapes and sizes – connecting more people with arts activity happening locally and boosting awareness of the voluntary arts on a national level.

There are lots of ways for groups to get involved in Voluntary Arts Week, from opening up your usual meeting and making it welcoming to new people, to putting on a ‘come and try’ session or group exhibition.

Voluntary Arts Week is also a great opportunity to do something special, this could mean taking your creativity outdoors as part of a group Flashmob, CraftBomb or Woollen Woods, organising a collaborative event with other groups in your area or staging a drop-in workshop in your local shopping centre.

There are lots more event ideas on the Voluntary Arts Week website along with event toolkits and useful links that offer practical guidance on how to organise, list and publicise your event .

Apply to the Voluntary Arts Week Microfund – we will award 40 pots of £100 groups that plan to reach out to new participants and volunteers as part of their Voluntary Arts Week event. The aim is that this modest funding will help your group to grow and be more sustainable in the long term.

Last year groups used this money to cover venue costs, Facebook advertising, materials and refreshments. The Microfund application is straightforward to fill in and is an ideal first funding application for youth-led groups that may not have made a funding application before. For more information see the Voluntary Arts Scotland website. Deadline: 22 February.