A GROUP of volunteers which has devoted thousands of hours to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, is in danger of disbanding.

The Community Service Volunteers (CSV) Vibe project has been providing young volunteers to Queen Mary’s for the past 11 years.

Last year it fielded 363 young volunteers contributing 14,198 hours of work on a variety of tasks at the hospital, from organising social activities and delivering patients’ books, to artwork and helping with health campaigns.

They even created a new quadrangle garden for patients.

Now, as part of a government shake-up, the project is about to be axed.

Vibe is funded through a national youth volunteering organisation v (lower case single letter ) which receives government cash and distributes it to groups all over the country who run volunteering schemes for young people aged between 16 and 25.

Over the past three years CSV VIbe has received pounds 298,000.

But after March 31, v’s funding will be slashed from pounds 37m to just pounds1m and CSV Vibe looks like losing all of its financial support.

The Youth Action Team (YAT) which represents Vibe’s volunteers, says they do not want the scheme to end.

It has now launched an online petition to try and save the project.

A spokesman for YAT said the project provided young people with “the opportunity to gain experience, skills and confidence, find new friendships, and the chance to give something back.”

Vibe Buddies offers the same opportunities to young people with disabilities .

George Jenkins, chairman of South London Healthcare Trust, which runs Queen Mary’s, said: ”We are very grateful to all our volunteeers for their generous support and for the tremendous contribution they make to trust staff and patients.

“We fully support the young people of Vibe in their quest for continued funding.”

To sign the petition, go to petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savevibe