The NYA Blog
Volunteering a Hot Topic for Opinion Formers
23 October 2009
Hot on the heels of the launch of the new-look NYA this week, we have been showcasing our new brand and services at the Local Government Association National Children and Adult Services Conference in Harrogate.
The event attracts some of the most influential people from across the industry and we are proud to be a sponsor this year.
Our stand was designed so that we could not only demonstrate our reach to local authorities and opinion formers, but also gain their views on key topics within the youth sector through a ‘question of the day’.
We were surprised by the feedback we had to our first ‘question of the day’ on Wednesday, which asked attendees; “Should there be more volunteering opportunities for young people in your community?”
A total of 176 responses were received, with an astounding 91 per cent saying that young people should be provided with more opportunities and that actually it was a no-brainer in some people’s eyes based on the benefits it brings to young people experiencing new things.
Six percent said that they couldn’t answer as they were unaware of what opportunities were available already, and three per cent said that they couldn’t say yes if it was to the detriment to other services in their areas.
We were really pleased with the results as it truly shows how open Local Authorities are to the positive impact volunteering brings to young people’s lives. It enables them to experience things that they might not necessarily have done normally -supporting their social and personal development.
Two other questions of the day were asked over the course of the event and we will feedback the stats next week.
Holly Draper, NYA Communications Executive can be contacted on: 07921 687847