Alan Yarrow responds to an article by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday 20 November:

Sir,

"Secretary of State Pickles is right to encourage volunteering (Telegraph 20 Nov), but we should not forget the full spectrum of benefits that volunteering provides. Giving time to our communities not only helps others, it also enriches and expands the life of the volunteer - increasing productivity, health and wellbeing. As the new City Lord Mayor I come from a banking and capital markets background so you would expect me to be in favour of creating wealth. But I see this as very much a precursor to the next section of the City's story: giving time and supporting people. As Andy Haldane (Chief Economist of the Bank of England) put it so well recently, volunteering has huge economic and societal value - both to the beneficiary and the volunteer. I see volunteering as part of our work. Giving back keeps us mindful that we are all part of the same community, and that every City person needs to be a citizen."

Alan Yarrow, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Mansion House, EC4