Making a Positive Contribution

Despite the frequent characterisation of young people as trouble-makers, huge numbers are actively making a positive difference to their communities and further afield, supported by youth workers.

The range of ways in which young people make a positive contribution includes:

Also of interest...

  • Youth councils or youth forums - structures for supporting young people's involvement in democracy and their involvement with local or national decision-makers;
  • Youth action and other projects which support young people in identifying local needs or problems and taking action to address them;
  • Peer education or other projects through which young people educate or support other young people;
  • Young people helping shape local services, for instance through consultation, service delivery, evaluation or inspection;
  • Young people engaging in a wide range of voluntary action with vulnerable groups in the local community;
  • Young people managing and delivering, or helping manage and deliver, youth provision.

To view any case study in full, please click on the name of the organisation.

Brief description, aims and objectives:

Bread (Bristol Education for Action in Development) Youth Project works with young people, local organisations and communities of Greater Bristol to develop young people's skills and confidence through informal and social education. Bread's Adisa project worked with 22 young people and a range of heritage professionals to explore historic links between Bristol, Ghana and the transatlantic slave trade. The young volunteers took part in field research and workshops to explore their heritage and gather information about the trade. Work included a visit to Ghana by a core group of eight young people and opportunities to share learning with the wider community through the creation of an exhibition, a film to promote discussion within local schools and a series of talks about the project. Young people have also been trained as peer educators as part of an eight week 'global citizenship' course delivered by partners involved in the project.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Barnsley Youth Service's Voice and Influence Team was set up in 2001 to focus on capacity building to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to allow young people to engage face to face with key decision makers. Speakout meetings provide the mainstay of the infrastructure. The team also support a democratically elected youth council, youth summits, website, conferences, programmes of personal and social development and links with Connexions South Yorkshire's work on Engaging Young People. Membership of UK Youth Parliament and links with European Youth Parliament through youth council provide a voice at national and international level. The involvement of young people in decision making-processes has led to an impact on local service provision and facilities including outdoor skate parks, youth shelters across the borough, indoor skate park for the town centre, obtaining funding to run specific projects and support the youth council, environmental improvements, and a review of policing methods as a result of a Speakout consultation.

Buckinghamshire Community & Youth Engagement Intergenerational Project

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Buckinghamshire Community and Youth Engagement (BCYE) Intergenerational Project was developed as part of its post-16 citizenship programme. It began in January 2006 as a two year pilot project in the north of the county, using the theme of World War 2 to build positive relationships between young people and older people. It uses a range of activities to enable young people and older people to share experiences and knowledge using the four themes of conflict, consequences, resolution and reconciliation. In addition to group work, field trips and community action projects, the programme included a joint residential to the site of the Normandy invasion and an educational visit to Berlin for the young people. Participants helped produce a DVD resource documenting their experience, for use as a learning and promotional tool to encourage further intergenerational activities.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Millennium Volunteers (MV) B-Active! programme supports young people aged between 16 and 24 to volunteer through individual placements or as part of a team. It is hosted by BVSC (Birmingham Voluntary Service Council), the Centre for Voluntary Action. The project targets hard to reach groups including young people with physical and learning disabilities or mental health issues. It seeks to empower and engage young people by supporting youth-led initiatives that allow them to develop their skills and confidence while benefiting others in their community. The 'What Next?' service offers advice to Millennium Volunteers participants (MVs) on opportunities for progression into additional volunteering, employment, education or training.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Cupboard Project is a health project for young people aged 13-19 within South Leeds. The project offers a range of services aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable young people, by addressing health inequalities, promoting participation in decision making and youth action, and improving services through collaboration and partnership work. Services include 1-2-1 support, group work, drop-ins and development work. The 'Bling' (Broader Learning in New Groups) groups are part of a national Young People's Development Programme (YPDP) aimed at addressing risk taking behaviour among young people aged 13-15. It offers ten key elements of the Cupboard's work including access to volunteering opportunities such as community based projects, peer education supported through 'Bling Friday', consultation activity, involvement in decision making within The Cupboard and input into national and local events.

Darlington Intergenerational Project

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

This partnership project brings young people and older people together to find common ground, break down barriers and explore intergenerational issues across Darlington using a variety of creative mediums. As part of an initial 12 week programme, the group produced a short film based on their discussions and secured separate funding to create a range of resources to support the development of intergenerational work more widely. Members of the group continue to be actively involved by developing and delivering workshops promoting intergenerational work to a variety of local youth, community and school based groups. As a result of the original programme some young people involved in the group have joined their local Community Partnership, participating in local decision making at a strategic level.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Democratic Action for B&NES Youth (DAFBY) is the youth democracy service for young people aged 13-19 in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES). The service, underpinned by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, aims to reach and support young people in having a voice in decision-making processes that affect their lives, so that they become more active citizens. DAFBY currently has around 45 democratically elected members, known as youth councillors, who represent other young people within B&NES Council, the Connexions service and the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP). Members are involved in a range of citizenship activities, provide support to the member of youth parliament (MYP), campaign for young people's rights, work strategically with B&NES Council, participate in the development of the Connexions service and undertake peer education. DAFBY is taking part in the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) post-16 citizenship pilot programme.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Waltham Forest award winning Defending Da Hood (DDH) project was set up in 2004 to work with 'hard to reach' young people and address the issues which are relevant to them whilst raising awareness of employment, health, crime and community safety. The project's core aim is to improve the life chances of young people and reduce gang-related crime. It uses a programme of community events and activities to create an environment where young people can tackle issues such as gang culture, gun crime, teenage pregnancy and community tensions. Regular youth forums and consultation events provide young people with a platform to discuss issues of concern and influence local service provision.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Doncaster Millennium Volunteers (MV) is a CSV (Community Service Volunteers) project that enables young people aged 16 to 24 with additional needs to make a positive contribution to their community through volunteering. It offers a broad range of volunteering opportunities to support individuals' needs, experience and abilities. Young people can volunteer individually or in groups, and the project supports those with:-

  • physical and learning disabilities;
  • mental health issues;
  • sensory impairments; and
  • a variety of medical conditions.

Doncaster MV, like all other MV schemes, aims to assist young people who may not otherwise participate in volunteering to reach their full potential by applying the MV mantra of encouraging young people to 'build on what they're into'. It works with them to overcome potential barriers to volunteering because of their disability or lack of accessible opportunities locally. It provides training to help a young person into their volunteering role, such as confidence and team building, assertiveness training and customer care. Additional role related training can be provided such as basic certificates in food hygiene and First Aid.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Essex Youth Action offers young people aged 13 to 19 - supported by a network of youth action workers - challenging opportunities for participation, involvement in decision making and volunteering. Local youth action projects offer a wide range of activities, while local youth councils and the Young Essex Assembly (YEA) - a self-governing elected body recognised as the official voice of young people - provide opportunities to become involved in decision-making. The county council supports the Assembly though funding for young councillors to develop their own projects, agreeing a formal method of consultation with the Policy Development Group for Children and Young People's Services, and and supporting members in monitoring council performance through the Hear by Right standards for youth participation.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Fairplay is a registered charity working in North Derbyshire to improve opportunities for children and young people with disabilities and their families. This includes a range of after school, evening, weekend and holiday playschemes and youth groups available to children and young people aged 0-19.

In 2005, the charity made a successful application to the Heritage Lottery Fund's Young Roots programme. Young Roots offers grants to involve young people in youth-led projects to find out about their heritage, thereby developing skills, building confidence and promoting community involvement. The Fairplay project involved a group of young volunteers with additional needs and disabilities making 'mystery shopper' visits to local heritage sites in the Chesterfield and Bolsover area of Derbyshire. Their evaluation of the sites was used to develop a youth friendly heritage guide and a mobile exhibition to encourage other young people in the area to visit the sites, withan emphasis on accessibility for people with disabilities and sensory impairments. The project also aimed to increase the young people's skills and knowledge and bring heritage to life.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) is a community based youth action project using sports and youth work to engage young people and support them in developing projects which benefit the community and improve relationships between people from different ethnic and age groups throughout the London Borough of Camden. Set up in 1997, its motto is 'young people creating a better community'. The projects include a community football programme, the Unity Cup anti-racist football tournament, a drug peer research project, a young residents' association, and a range of intergenerational and environmental activities. By bringing different groups together, FYA has restored pride and ownership of the local environment and helped generate a sense of community among residents.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The national charity Girls' Friendly Society (GFS Platform) has been supporting young women since 1875. It has four community projects, the first established in Great Yarmouth in 1989. GFS Platform Great Yarmouth aims to address the needs of young women aged 14-25 who are pregnant, have children or are excluded from mainstream society. This is done through several projects, including the mentoring project described here.

In 2004, the project became one of 27 pilot sites for the Department of Health's (DoH) Young People's Development Programme (YPDP). This national programme sought to reduce risk-taking behaviours in young people aged 13-15 through a holistic programme of education and targeted support. Mentoring and volunteering were a key component of the GFS Platform project. The DoH funding came to an end in March 2007 but the work continues with funding from other sources. From April 2007, the project also receives funding from a new Department of Health programme Youth Work 4 Health (YW4H).

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

HAFAD is an independent organisation led by disabled people which promotes equality for disabled people living and working in Hammersmith and Fulham through providing a range of support services, campaigns and developing opportunity and inclusion. The Agenda for Youth programme, driven by the 1st Chance Project, aims to develop an integrated programme of social and learning opportunities for young disabled people, which provide support and progression pathways into the wider community. The programme includes opportunities for members to volunteer within the organisation or in the community, and to influence local services through regular consultation forums.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Hornsey School for Girls is a single sex school with approximately 1,500 students. Almost 90 per cent of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, with over 60 different first languages spoken in students' homes.

The school originally set up a learning mentor support scheme, Hornsey Learning Mentors, in 2000 as part of Excellence in Cities. The scheme aimed to provide support to students to raise their academic achievement and promote their personal development. As part of this, a peer mentoring scheme, now operating under the umbrella of the Positive Behaviour Support Programme, began in 2002. A key focus of the programme is to provide support to students with English as an additional language (EAL). Targeted help is also available on a wide range of issues including bullying and friendship.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Ivy Project is a dedicated youth volunteering project with trained specialist workers. It provides opportunities for young people aged 12 to 25 to access a range of volunteering opportunities in their community, encourages their personal development and enables them to celebrate their achievements. It has four main objectives:

  • Making volunteering flexible, fun and accessible;
  • Ensuring that young people are encouraged and recognised as valuable members of their communities;
  • Working with and supporting young people from a range of backgrounds, especially those who are at risk of social exclusion; and
  • Giving young people a say in the running of the project.

It uses a three-model approach including taskforce - one-off volunteering opportunities; matching - traditional volunteer placements; and youth action - young people designing and managing their own projects.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Kings Norton New Deal for Communities (NDC) Youth Strategy, operating on the 3 Estates in the Kings Norton area of Birmingham, has been developed under the leadership of Birmingham Youth Service. The strategy aims to ensure that young people's involvement in local regeneration is 'built in, not bolted on', with young people working for change in partnership with mainstream service providers and policy makers. The Youth Strategy Team, supported by three Peer Liaison Officers, is developing a strategy for delivering the five core Every Child Matters outcomes in consultation with local young people. The 3 Estates Youth Forum has been established to provide a mechanism for the coordinated involvement of children and young people in decision making processes, including formal links to the NDC board and the Extended Schools Cluster. Forum members take part in consultation activity and are promoting the use of Hear by Right participation standards to local organisations. To date they have developed a manifesto outlining their priorities, begun contributing to plans for local facilities and services, and taken part in recruitment processes. Once the forward strategy document is produced, they will play a more active role in taking forward recommendations arising from the ECM research.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Situated in Sunderland, the Lambton Street Fellowship Centre has provided a broad menu of youth work opportunities for young people since it was established in 1901. In 2002, the project moved to a purpose-built centre where facilities include a computer suite, large sports hall, fully equipped boxing gym, and fitness suite. The centre supports over 2,000 young people a year and specialises in combining youth work with health and sport related activities. Young people have access to a wide range of sports, including football, trampolining, basketball, fishing and combat sports such as boxing, karate, judo, and aikido. Projects include Positive Activities for Young People, a girls’ health and lifestyle project, targeted work with young people with disabilities to enhance their employment prospects, and the U-project, which works with marginalised young people.

In 2006, Lambton Street made a successful application to v and received funding to develop part-time volunteering opportunities for young people.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

LadyLever Art Gallery (LLAG) is one of nine museums that form National Museums Liverpool. Art Present junior guides scheme aims to train young people aged 14 to 18 to lead guided tours for primary school groups around the gallery. The scheme is designed to diversify the gallery's audience and expand young people's interest in the arts through increasing their knowledge and understanding of the gallery, its collections and operation, and providing a platform for them to act as ambassadors on its behalf. Additional volunteering opportunities are also provided within practical workshops as part of the wider young people's provision. Formal accreditation is offered through Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Based in Milton Keynes, Living Archive helps local people develop a sense of community and pride by celebrating their lives and place through artistic and creative activities. The 'Music that Moves You' project worked with local youth organisations to enable 'hard to reach' young people aged 13 to 25 to explore their heritage through music, particularly grime and urban music. It offered young people opportunities to research, write, direct and edit their own films and interview family members and artists from the urban music scene. They also created their own soundtracks for the films and designed a website about their heritage with links to the Living Archive's website. The young people have presented their work to the local community and decision-makers and a DVD based on the project is being distributed to local schools and youth groups to raise awareness of heritage.

Magic Me Annual Arts Projects

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Founded in 1989, Magic Me is a specialist provider of intergenerational arts based projects in the East End of London. Its annual programme of activities brings together young people and older people for mutual benefit, learning and enjoyment. For the past five years Magic Me has worked with The Women’s Library, based at London Metropolitan University, and Mulberry School for Girls to deliver an annual arts project for young women and older women as part of the after-school programme. Project themes have included beauty and self image (‘Beauty?’ 2004), women’s relationship with the home (‘Spinning Plates’, 2005), campaigning on issues of concern (‘Heartfelt’, 2006), and women’s voices (‘Sound Tracks’, 2007). Participants share their learning with the wider community through various artforms including photographs, poetry, a soundtrack and calendars.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Multi Agency Project for Young People (MAP) is an area-based regeneration initiative working with young people aged 11-21 as part of New Deal for Communities (NDC) strategy in the ABCD (All Saints and Blakenhall Community Development) area of Wolverhampton. It aims to provide activities and support for young people at risk of educational, employment and personal social exclusion by putting them at the forefront of improving the social environment in which they live as well as improving their own education and career prospects. The ABCD youth forum 'Positive Youth Action' group provides opportunities to influence service provision and effect change locally A range of volunteering opportunities is also available including cycle repair and maintenance work. Motiv8 learning programme and opportunities to gain formal accreditation in areas such as Junior Sports Leadership provide young people with the necessary training and support to assist in their personal and social development and become actively involved in the community.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Maypole Centre provides planned programmes of support to young people in the Druids Health area within a target age range of 11-25. It seeks to improve personal and social development and assist with entry into education, training, employment through programmes on sexual health, substance misuse, adventure and sports opportunities, alternative education, personal development, mentoring, peer education and arts development. The Centre's 'Innov8' programme provides in-depth support to young people at risk through a one-year development programme funded by the Department of Health. This funding ends in March 2007. The centre is one of few statutory youth service outlets with a contract with Supporting People to deliver housing related floating support to 40 young people at any one time, assisting them to move to independent living.

Medway Sports Leadership Programme

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Medway Council is a large unitary authority in Kent providing services for a quarter of a million people. It has been running sports leadership and volunteering programmes for young people since 2001, initially as the Medway Active Communities (Rural) project, then as the Medway Active Communities Volunteer programme, and more recently as the Sports Leadership Programme. The programme aims to enable young people aged 16-18 to develop their confidence, motivation and skills through sports leadership and volunteering opportunities. In 2007, the programme was extended to include young people aged 15-18 with moderate learning difficulties.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Motorvations delivers an alternative education programme to young people aged 13 to 17 who are 'at risk', have special educational needs, physical or mental health problems or do not fit into any other educational system. It uses a broad based approach to engage young people in constructive activity including training in motor mechanics in purpose-built workshops, basic skills and a range of life skills. Between 2004 and 2007 it took part in the three-year pilot of the Department of Health funded Young Person's Development Programme (YPDP), which addressed risk behaviour among young people aged 13-15. As part of this, Motorvations set up a community cycle project, through which young people repair old bicycles, which are then donated to charities. Motorvations has continued build on the YPDP model, which linked young people's physical well-being to academic attainment.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Museum of London Inclusion Programme aims to encourage participants to connect with their heritage through a series of projects that aim to enhance basic skills including literacy and ICT, and increase confidence and self-esteem. The three year programme targets three groups at risk of social exclusion, including young people predominately aged 16 to 25. Projects use a variety of arts such as media, visual arts, ICT, music and drama to engage participants, who include long-term unemployed young people, young carers, disabled young people and those not in education, employment or training. The projects also benefit the wider community through the tours, exhibitions and performances they develop.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

A National Voice (ANV) is an organisation run by and for care experienced young people, with staff who have themselves been in care. Set up in 1999, its main aim is to create positive changes to the care system in England and provide a national platform for approximately 60,000 looked after children and young people, plus a further approx 50,000 care leavers. Its work includes consultation with young people, organising regional and national events for young people and promoting a positive image of young people from care. It works alongside voluntary organisations and local authorities to improve the care system, and raise awareness and promote the rights of young people in and leaving care. Its work is guided by a management committee consisting of young people aged 14 to 24.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

North Tyneside VODA (Voluntary Organisations Development Agency) provides a range of services to support volunteers, paid staff and management committee members of voluntary and community groups. Services include advice, training and development support, and provision of the Volunteer Centre for North Tyneside.

The Millennium Volunteers (MV) Project is one of two youth volunteering projects delivered through the Volunteer Centre. It works with local voluntary and community groups to develop opportunities for young people aged 16 to 24, including targeted work with young volunteers with disabilities. The separately funded Active Youth Project involves young people aged 13 to 25 who would not normally consider volunteering in short-term, group-based volunteer challenges.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Parallel is a young persons' health centre designed by young people for young people. The project offers a range of health and well-being services for young people aged 11 to 19 through a holistic approach involving collaboration with partner organisations. The Parallel aims to work with young people in securing their right to a positive and health lifestyle through their involvement in all stages of planning for the future direction of the centre.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Youth Consultation Peterborough involves young people aged 13-19 in a range of projects aiming to reach and support young people in expressing their views in the decision-making process. The focus is on building bridges between young people and decision-maker's to increase skills and confidence, support decision-maker's needs in partnership with the young people's agenda and to enable their voices to be heard.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Prince's Park BMX Skate Park was formally opened in July 2005, following two years' work by young people, supported by an area youth worker, to secure this facility as part of a community initiative to improve the park. Local young people had already identified the need for a BMX skate park, and formed the BMX Bandits to achieve this. They consulted with other young people, developed funding bids, worked with Environmental Services and worked with designers and artists on the park's design and construction and additional artwork. Since its opening, the park has been used constantly. It is now the main meeting point for young people and has helped improve relationships between young people and other residents.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Hartlepool based RESPECT (Reaching Every Social and Personal Effect Concerning Teenagers) provides a mentoring and befriending service with professional counselling support for young people aged 11-19. The overall aims of RESPECT are to help young people reduce self-harm, bullying and isolation, increase youth participation and improve holistic well-being. It operates a four tier support service - including counselling and referral to external services - enabling young people to access the appropriate level of support. This case study will focus on the services offered in levels one and two: befriending with group support, and mentoring.

RESPECT became a constituted voluntary organisation in 2004 and offers a range of services in addition to mentoring and befriending. These include accredited training schemes, issue based workshops, and an all year round drop in service.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (STH) involves approximately 2000 volunteers, including 300 volunteers under 24, in the Trust's five hospitals across Sheffield. Volunteers undertake a wide range of roles within wards, departments, outpatients, welcome desks, snack bars, trolleys and transport, to complement and support the work of the Trust's paid staff. The voluntary services department includes a young people's coordinator, and a young people's project has recently been set up to recruit and support young volunteers aged 16 to 24. The project is targeting young people from socially excluded groups, to enable them to gain experience in the health sector, improve their chances of future employment, and develop their general and life skills. It will also focus on giving young volunteers a voice, so that their views and experiences can help shape STH's services.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Signpost is a voluntary youth organisation working in partnership with schools to engage 'at risk' young people to become involved in alternative personal and social education programmes including volunteering, group work, accredited training and employment opportunities. It focuses on young people in the Manor/Castle area of Sheffield who are not thriving in mainstream education, involving them in a range of activities while building up their confidence and self-esteem. There is a strong focus on involving young people in the regeneration of the local community, and on encouraging young people to attain or improve qualifications in order to boost their life chances. Most young people stay with the project for two years, and Signpost has strong links with Connexions through a personal adviser based in the youth centre - both factors are key to its long-term success. The project is based in a multi-use centre and managed by an umbrella organisation (The Young People's Health Project)

Sixty Plus Intergenerational Project

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Sixty Plus is a small independent charity supporting older people in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to maintain their independence, dignity and choice. Its Intergenerational Project involves young volunteers in a range of activities with older people, aiming to break down barriers and prejudice between the generations by building partnerships of mutual benefit and promoting both groups’ self-confidence and contributions to the community. Its core scheme provides one-to-one support in information and communication technology, reading, and English language, plus other projects. Other activities include a three-week summer drama project and smaller projects throughout the year

Sports Volunteering North West Young People's programme

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Sports Volunteering North West (SVNW), an independent regional body representing volunteers and the voluntary sector in sport and physical activity in the North West established the Young People’s Programme in 2002. Using sport as a vehicle to develop leadership skills in young people, the programme combines and coordinates the Millennium Volunteers and Step into Sport volunteer programmes. It provides signposting and supported pathways into volunteering placements and potential employment in sport for young people across the region.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

St Basils works with young people aged 16 to 25 to enable them to find and keep a home, to develop their confidence, skills and opportunities, and to prevent homelessness. It has developed a range of services for young people at risk, including providing accommodation and support for around 400 young people in Birmingham, Solihull and Redditch. It is committed to involving young people at all levels of the organisation, with young people involved in setting standards, identifying priorities and improving services, in particular through its youth advisory board. St Basils also supports the Schools Training and Mentoring Project (STaMP), through which young people are involved in peer education and mentoring on housing and homelessness issues, in order to prevent homelessness among other young people.

Stepney Bank Stables

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

The Stepney Bank Equestrian and Activity Centre is a community horse project set in Newcastle’s inner city. With a state of the art riding arena and stable yard, the centre is also a British Horse Society accredited riding school and a Pony Club Centre with around 60 members. The project was originally established in 1992 by the City Farm Byker, becoming an independent organisation in 1999 and a registered charity shortly afterwards.

The project works with young people from some of the most socially disadvantaged wards in the North East, most of whom become involved to meet a variety of personal, social or educational needs. Stepney Bank aims to use horses and equestrian activities as a tool for motivating, educating and passing on key social skills to young volunteers.

StreetGames

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

StreetGames is a national charity providing sports programmes for young people living in disadvantaged communities who are not current participants or members of sports clubs. Young people can access sport and dance opportunities where, when and how they want. Training is often done in basic but convenient facilities such as local parks and community spaces. Volunteers of all ages are involved in StreetGames, with a volunteer programme specifically for young people – the Co-Operative StreetGames Youth Volunteering Programme - currently being developed.

The programme aims to:

  • provide a route into sustained and regular sport;
  • develop local leadership, citizenship and coaching skills within communities;
  • spread skills and knowledge so sports workers learn how to involve young people;
  • support renewal agencies in communicating with young people about their sporting needs and other lifestyle issues.

StreetGames operates through an expanding network of projects (currently 24) across England. This case study focuses on Reading StreetGames which has a proven track record of working with young volunteers.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Streetvibe Youth Inclusion Project is a key partner in delivering a youth strategy for Braunstone New Deal for Communities (NDC) regeneration programme in Leicester. It offers an integrated programme for young people aged 13 to 25, particularly those most at risk of social exclusion. It has three strands including a mobile youth bus/outreach facility, detached work and youth affairs. The youth affairs strand aims to involve young people in the regeneration of Braunstone estate through a involvement in a youth panel, youth forums and consultation events. The youth panel administers the Youth Action Fund, which provides local young people with small grants for activities and initiatives. A young people's steering group helps run the project to ensure that its programme meets the needs of young people in Braunstone.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Swindon Borough Libraries is a local partner in the Partners for Change initiative, which aims to involve young people 'at risk'in decision-making and service provision within library services in the South West of England. Between 2005 and 2008, the Swindon project targets two groups of young people aged 11 to 19: teenage parents and looked after young people. Young mothers and mothers-to-be undertake a training programme intended to encourage library use, improve literacy levels and help library services become more receptive to the needs of young people and babies. They are then offered volunteering opportunities within the library service. The looked after children project aims to use web-based methods of consultation to engage young people in plans for the new central library and encourage a sense of ownership.

Trans-IT

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

Age Concern Enfield works in partnership with a range of voluntary and statutory organisations, to improve the quality of life of people aged 50+ and their carers in the London Borough of Enfield. Inaugurated in 1985, it is an independent charity and part of the national federation of Age Concern.

The Trans-IT intergenerational computer project began as a pilot project in September 2006. It aims to help older people access computers and the internet through a weekly programme of one-to-one tuition delivered by young volunteers from local secondary schools. The service aims to develop positive and mutually beneficial relationships between young volunteers and older learners and provide older people with new skills and confidence which help to promote their independence.

Brief description, including aims and objectives:

VOXinc. is an inclusive project operating as part of the Millennium Volunteers (MV) programme. It supports young people aged 16-24 with learning disabilities, mental health difficulties, those not in education, employment or training to volunteer. Support is also provided to other young volunteers to support people with a learning disability. The VOXinc. mission is to bring together young volunteers and others in a way that enables people with a learning disability to become involved in their local community.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

VSU Youth in Action supports volunteering by young people aged 14 to 25 across Kent. There are 13 units in Kent and Medway, with a central office in Sevenoaks. Each unit organises a programme of projects, community placements and one-off taster activities. VSU works with young people aged 16 to 24 through the new v funded programme (previously Millennium Volunteers). It also undertakes targeted work with young volunteers aged 14 to 16, using a progressive model of volunteering to encourage them to develop an interest and commitment to volunteering as they mature.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Wycombe Youth Action (WYA) is a registered charity offering young people challenging opportunities for voluntary work within the local community. WYA works in partnership with a wide range of other voluntary and statutory groups in Buckinghamshire. Volunteers, who are usually aged between 14 and 25, become involved in a variety of projects, many undertaken in response to special requests from local groups. WYA provides volunteers with encouragement, advice and support throughout their voluntary work. In addition to WYA's own award scheme, Millennium Volunteers provides national recognition of contributions for 16-25 year olds. Social events also offer opportunities for young people to share experiences and celebrate achievements. Links with Wycombe Area Youth Council and UK Youth Parliament provide a mechanism for young people's views to be represented at a local and national level. WYA also serves as a Connexions point, offering young people access to information, advice and support on a range of issues and workshop sessions to develop social skills.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Youth2Youth (Y2Y) is a confidential national helpline run by young people for young people. It recruits young volunteers aged between 16 and 21 from the local community of Ealing, West London, and surrounding boroughs, and trains them to help young people aged 11 to 19 who feel they need emotional support. The helpline can be contacted by telephone, email or online chat. Experienced volunteers may become team leaders, providing support for other volunteers and liaising with the Board of trustees. Volunteers may also get involved in a range of other activities in line with Y2Y's aims and objectives which provide further opportunities for personal development.

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Established in 1997, the Somerset Youth Volunteering Network (SYVN) is a charity based in Glastonbury. Run with young people, it aims to support young people in Somerset who want to get involved in volunteering, community action and citizenship. The network supports over 600 young people a year through a variety of projects, including Millennium Volunteers, an intergenerational allotment project called Dig, INVOLVE - a project providing signposting to volunteering opportunities, and Youth 4 Youth.

Youth 4 Youth (Y4Y) is a peer to peer mentoring programme for young people aged 14 to 25. It has been running since 2002 and provides young people with accredited training and support to mentor other young people across Somerset. Mentors provide help and encouragement in a non judgemental way by providing a listening ear, signposting to specialist support, and supporting young people with problems ranging from bullying to time management. They mentor face to face, either in groups or individually within their youth group, school or college. Y4Y also helps other organisations and projects to set up and run mentoring programmes.

Youth on Health (YOH!)

Brief description, including aims and objectives

Youth on Health (YOH!) is part of the Leeds Education Healthy Schools Initiative and supports the citizenship curriculum. It aims to provide a city wide forum on health run by and for young people recruited from primary and secondary schools working with Leeds Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Leeds Healthy Schools Standard (LHSS), giving them opportunities to identify health related issues within their schools and bring about positive change to improve their health. Pupils represent their school and are supported through YOH! to become ambassadors for change and making a difference.





Young Researcher Network website
Youth Work 4 Health
Find out more about Hear By Right and What's Changed
Youth Information