The National Youth Agency - e-youthaction no. 38

e-youthaction no. 38 – June 2008

9 Jun 2008
Issue 38 of e-youthaction includes details of the recently published Morgan Inquiry on youth volunteering and the Conservative Party’s ‘green paper’ on the voluntary sector – A Stronger Society: voluntary action in the 21st century.

VOLUNTEERING

Also of interest...

The Morgan Inquiry into young adult volunteering has published its report. It calls for the introduction of a flexible day off for accredited volunteering, releasing young adults from employment or academic commitments, Department for Work and Pensions to recognise volunteering as a legitimate route into employment and to amend Jobseekers’ Allowance rules, the development of a government accredited volunteering skills award that would be universally recognised by employers and further/higher education institutions, and the consolidation of information available to potential volunteers.

Volunteering England has posted presentations from its national convention 2008 on its website. Topics include vinvolved projects and volunteer centres working together, and another on the work of the Youth Action Network.

STUDENT VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering England has produced a YouTube video for Volunteers’ Week, which features student volunteers talking about what volunteering has meant to them.

SPORTS

Sport groups can now measure the impact of their volunteers thanks to a new set of tools available from Volunteering England and the Institute of Volunteering Research. The web-based tools are available for sport organisations to use and are the first of its kind specifically designed for sport organisations.

Greater London Volunteering, the umbrella body for volunteer centres in the capital, has launched an online volunteering events calendar in a bid to harness enthusiasm for volunteering ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

The Department of Health is consulting on its proposals for a new volunteering strategy for health and social care. The strategy is intended to provide a framework through which to pursue long term organisational and culture change to support volunteering more effectively. The deadline for responses is 30 September 2008.

ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERING

BTCV has published a report, Inspiring People, Improving Place, examining the positive impact and behaviour change achieved through volunteering with BTCV. It looks at local community benefit, the financial returns generated through volunteering with BTCV, and the global benefits. It found that volunteering was an overwhelmingly positive experience for young people, with nine out of ten young volunteers saying that they learned something new, and 98 per cent said that they wanted to do it again.

INTERGENERATIONAL VOLUNTEERING

The latest in The NYA’s Youth Action and Engagement thematic case study sets takes building intergenerational relationships as its theme. Those featured include work taking place in a range of settings using a variety of different themes and approaches. Printed copies are available on request from ritak@nya.org.uk or as a free download from the NYA website.

BT has launched a nationwide search to find and reward young Internet ‘rangers’, who are helping bridge the ‘digital divide’ by teaching older people how to use the web.

Nominations for the awards must be made by 16 June.

FUNDING

The Big Lottery Fund has launched the second round of the Young People’s Fund programme. Up to £38 million is available over the next two years to support projects across England where young people lead from start to finish. The programme is open to voluntary and community sector organisations, offering grants between £10,000 and £500,000 to support activities and services lasting between 1 and 5 years. The closing date for applications is 16 October 2008.

AWARDS

The Diana Award is for young people aged 12-18 who make a difference to the lives of their friends, families, schools and communities by volunteering, campaigning, fundraising, or as inspirational role models to others. Award holders are encouraged to continue with their work and are able to benefit from training and networking opportunities to help them realise their full potential. The deadline for nominations is 20 June 2008.

Seventy-nine volunteering groups from across the UK have been announced as winners of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2008, in recognition of their outstanding contributions made to local communities. They include Jump 2K, which aims to offer young people in Lewisham alternatives to gun culture and underachievement, Base 33 youth project in Witney, and youth music and football projects.

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS

The Cabinet Office has published guidance to help organisations that use volunteers to be clear about when they do and do not need to carry out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on volunteers. The guidance is intended to cut unnecessary red tape and responds to concerns voiced by the voluntary sector that potential volunteers can be put off if they are asked to undergo a CRB check without good reason.

VOLUNTARY ACTION

The Conservatives have published a ‘green paper’ on the voluntary sector – A Stronger Society: voluntary action in the 21^st century. The paper includes a chapter on volunteering, which states that a Conservative government would ‘exclude any notion of ‘compulsory volunteering’, but notes that this is distinct from the ‘honourable tradition’ of service to the community.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

An opposition motion in support of volunteering, to mark Volunteers’ Week and the publication of the Morgan Inquiry report, was debated in the House of Commons on 4 June. It included discussion of the role and impact of v, the importance of volunteering in drawing people together, and the contribution of sports volunteers.

MEDIA

A survey of over 3,000 people aged 16 to 25, conducted by OnePoll for v, found that 70 per cent of young people say they are negatively perceived by the public, despite the fact that 44 per cent say they do positive things for their communities and 57 per cent give or raise money for charities.

RESEARCH

Youth Action Network is running a youth-led research project, Project Re:action, which has been looking into the effects of volunteering on young people and their communities. So far, the project has sought the opinions and experiences of hundreds of young people but the next phase requires input from staff working with young volunteers. YAN is asking anyone working with young volunteers to complete a short survey by 27 June 2008.

TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION

Participation Works is offering free training courses to young people aged 16 to 25 who are interested in becoming trustees. The one-day courses aim to provide young people with the skills to play an effective part in formal meetings, speak with confidence, and understand basic finance. The next training days are on 21 june (Taunton) and 5 July (Birmingham).

The British Red Cross is encouraging more young people to take advantage of its awards for young volunteers in its charity shops. The ‘Certificate in Retail Skills’ is open to all people under 26 volunteering in Red Cross charity shops, while the ‘Retail Innovation Fund’ makes awards of £250 to four young volunteers with ideas to increase their charity

RESOURCES

UK Youth has launched a new monthly online publication, The Source, which builds on its magazine UK Youth. The Source aims to keep youth work practitioners up-to-date with developments in the youth work field, emphasising the services and support available through the UK Youth network. The first issue includes features on sports volunteers and peer education.

The DCSF has published revised guidance on encouraging young people to get involved in their school. Working Together: Listening to the voices of children and young people provides best practice from schools and local authorities and advice on the principles and practice in involving students in decisions which affect them. It highlights the role that young people’s forums, consultation processes and peer mentoring can play.