Children, School & Youth

Volunteers are a major asset to the children and young people’s workforce.

Statistics from the Thriving Third Sector Report suggest that about a third of the voluntary organisations researched work with children and young people, and 81% of those organisations involve volunteers in their work in some way.

Volunteering is important for children and young people, because:
Young people who volunteer gain valuable experiences that can help them to get a job, or to support their applications to university
Volunteering can be great fun, lessen the risk of exclusion, and motivate young people through positive activity
Children and young people are often the recipients of services provided by volunteers, that otherwise would not be delivered or would be restricted in some way

Volunteer Centres work closely with a number of children and young people’s services provided by both the statutory and voluntary sectors to provide:

Volunteers
Training in volunteer management
Good practice information and advice
Information, updates and signposting regarding safeguarding, CRB checks etc.

Volunteer Centre-supported services for children and young people are wide and varied, and contribute to the targets in each districts’ Sustainable Community Strategy. Services supported include:

Sure Starts, Children’s Centres and Extended Schools
Anti-bullying projects
Mentoring schemes in partnership with the private sector
Help in schools with literacy and numeracy in partnership with the private sector
Sports, arts, cultural and recreation groups
Uniformed groups, such as Brownies, Guides, Scouts, Cadet Forces etc.
Working with schools & sixth forms to engage young people in volunteering, supporting citizenship
Identifying volunteering placements for young people doing Duke of Edinburgh Awards, to support their UCAS applications, and as part of their course requirements for health and social care, counselling etc.
Directly running V youth volunteering projects, and signposting where the scheme is not integral to a Volunteer Centre
Enabling young people to volunteer in a wide variety of settings, providing them with the skills and experience they need to develop personally and professionally

Contact your local Volunteer Centre, whether you are a young person who wishes to volunteer, or whether you are a service provider that would like to involve volunteers in delivering your services.

"Volunteering in drug and alcohol work has helped me to help people and as a result I will never stereotype people and never judge them before I know them. It has helped to change my life and realise what I would like to do for the rest of my life"

- Cher Fishburn, young volunteer

York Youth Community Action for 14-16 Year Olds

Through the V-involved project, York CVS was working with 16-25 year olds, though the project was also attracting young people aged 14 and 15 who were interested in volunteering. The team found that there were very few opportunities for this age group. Young people were either interested in getting involved on a personal level or because they needed to complete the community element of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

An opportunity became available to bring down funding, with partners City of York Council and York Cares, to offer a grant fund to organisations to develop opportunities for 14-16 year olds. The funding has already created over 4000 new opportunities, offering vocational volunteering experiences and accreditation for level 1 learners.

Getting young people involved in volunteering at an early age is an excellent way to encourage active community participation, volunteering, and citizenship throughout life.

V-involved Youth Programme in York

In York the V youth volunteering programme is delivered by York CVS.

Between March 2007 and March 2010 the V-involved team helped to develop 3626 new opportunities with a range of voluntary, community and statutory partners across the city and placed 950 young people, challenging perceptions among local young people that volunteering is uncool, for old people and amounts to working for free.

The team worked with 65 organisations and supported many more to help develop new opportunities where young people’s skills and enthusiasm could be harnessed to support York’s voluntary, community & statutory sector.

Volunteering is a personal choice and young people that have been through the system are attracted by this and the opportunity to make friends. Because of this, the project is seen as a safe haven for NEET young people who have been through various back to work packages.

Many of the opportunities created have attracted young people facing social exclusion, or where volunteering is not already part of their culture. Young people who were unemployed have progressed into work or further education, and volunteers suffering mental health distress have grown in confidence and progressed into other volunteering opportunities or work.

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Ripon Grammar School Volunteering Programme

Ripon Volunteer Centre facilitates the Ripon Grammar School volunteering programme, with around fifty Year 12 students per year engaging in volunteering in the community.

Students undertake volunteering one afternoon per week for six months, in a range of community projects, including working in schools to assist learning, working with people with disabilities, and working with older people in the community and in residential homes, among other activities.

The project promotes citizenship among young people, introducing volunteering as a normal and positive activity. It provides students with additional experience to enable them to progress further in volunteering, add to a CV to increase employment prospects, and support their UCAS application. The project brings people together, improving relationships between different members of the community. It supports statutory and voluntary organisations to carry out their work, and improves services for people who need them.

V-involved in Hambleton and Richmondshire

V-involved North Yorkshire is part of the national youth volunteering programme known as "v" Led by Northallerton Volunteer Centre. There are 5 members of staff, 2 of whom are based in Volunteer Centre Northallerton. The project supports and recognises the voluntary work that young people aged 16-25 do in the Hambleton and Richmondshire area, enabling young people to get involved in issues that they care about, make a real difference to others, and gain experience, confidence and skills. The programme provides volunteering opportunities, training and support for young people and organisations. Youth Action Teams, made up of young volunteers, champion youth volunteering throughout the county.

Since the start of the project 1337 young people have been brokered in to opportunities in Hambleton and Richmondshire.