Wycombe Youth Action

BASIC INFORMATION

Case study date: November 2005

Local authority in which project based: Buckinghamshire

Date started: November 1982

End date if not ongoing: ongoing

Type of organisation: independent registered charity

Brief description

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.

Collaboration

Project works closely with the Connexions Service and other local organisations and charities to deliver a coordinated approach. Other partners include Skidz Motor Project, the police and Buckinghamshire Chiltern University College. Support for Wycombe Area Youth Council is provided through a partnership of representatives from Wycombe District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe Youth Action.

Funding

Wycombe District Council provides revenue grant (£12,000 per annum). WYA also receives additional funding of £95,000 p.a. from central government for its Millenium Volunteers (MV) Project (October 2000 to March 2006) and Connexions funding within voluntary sector partnership led by Milton Keynes YMCA.

Staffing

In addition to two Connexions Personal Advisers, WYA employs a full-time project manager and four other staff.

NATURE OF PROVISION

Which groups of young people does the project work with?

WYA supports young people aged 14-25 years, with about 400 volunteers registered at any one time.

How was the need for the project identified?

The project was founded over 21 years ago (1982), starting out as a committee serviced by a coordinator post.

How do young people become involved? What, if any, commitment do you ask for?

Volunteers get involved in a variety of projects, many of which are undertaken in response to special requests from local groups or through the suggestions of young people themselves. Young people can approach the project directly but are also referred from a wide range of agencies, including Connexions, local schools, colleges, youth clubs and Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution. Levels of involvement vary, with some young people achieving up to 500 hours of volunteering.

Wycombe Area Youth Council consists of two year 10 representatives from each school in the area. Older members also remain involved. Democratic elections are held for representation on UK Youth Parliament.

What are the main approaches used and activities offered?

WYA promotes the active involvement of young people between 14 to 25 through identifying and supporting an extensive range of volunteering opportunities. Volunteers are provided with encouragement, advice and support throughout their voluntary work. The introduction of Millennium Volunteers has helped to expand the quantity and range of opportunities and increase the numbers actively involved throughout Buckinghamshire. Young volunteers are now active in all districts of the county. Examples of activities and projects supported include:

BLINK FM radio station, a MV project for young people in the High Wycombe district, provides an annual service lasting for 24 hours a day over 28 days during the summer holidays. It broadcasts live, with a reception area extending to the M3 and M25. The project reaches a large audience, playing music, running competitions and receiving texts from listeners as well as providing information about services available to young people during the summer holidays. Further developments include web streaming which provides worldwide coverage resulting in e-mails from America and Australia.
One-to-one support for children with special needs at playschemes run by NCH Action for Children at a local sports centre and school during the summer holidays. Volunteers are trained in first aid, and Makaton 'signing' training days have been provided by a former volunteer.
In partnership with Skidz Motor Project, WYA works with young people who are not in education, employment or training, helping them to use volunteering and youth action as a means of returning to education, employment or training. The KIT project, funded through Positive Activities for Young People, brought together a group of 10 'at risk' young men aged 14 and 15 to strip an old VW Beatle car and use its parts to build a kit car buggy. The project, which included opportunities for personal development, took place over five weeks during the summer holidays. The group is now running a raffle to sell the car and raise funds to run the project during the next summer holidays, and it is hoped that some of the original young people will act as mentors to new participants.
An annual Christmas shopping event, through which volunteers from local schools offer assistance to elderly and disabled visitors to Chiltern Shopping Centre. Volunteers have also carried out an assessment of access for wheelchair users in Wycombe town centre.
A community mural project, run in partnership with the police and BuckinghamshireChiltern University College.
Don't Just Stand There groups set up with the support of Connexions leading anti-bullying campaigns within their schools.
Individual placements at a range of local voluntary and community organisations.

The project also supports Wycombe Area Youth Council to give young people a voice on issues that concern them. Youth councillors are involved in a number of projects including Act Local Think Global, which raises awareness about environmental issues, and a Heritage Lottery Project (REWIND), looking at the history of Africa and the movement of people that have settled in High Wycombe. REWIND has led to the creation of a steel pans group and a drama/dance group.

How are young people involved in shaping the project/programme?

Young people are seen as equal stakeholders in Millennium Volunteers and their views are sought at all stages of the project. Most of the project ideas come from the young people themselves, and each appropriate project has a young person's management group supported by the staff team.

How does the project respond to the needs of different young people, particularly the most marginalised?

Positive Activities for Young People funding has been used to support and create projects targeting young people who are not in employment, education or training or at risk of becoming so. Two workers (one through Connexions and one from Youth Action) currently run the KIT car project, supporting young men at risk of becoming excluded from school and helping them to develop skills through youth action and volunteering. The school has reported that participants' behaviour in class has improved. WYA also works with young offenders to encourage involvement in MV, promoting the benefits of volunteering to the community as well as the individual.

OUTCOMES OF WORK

How do young people benefit from their involvement in the project?

The benefits to the young people varies depending on the level of commitment. Many volunteers find their involvement is rewarding, and that they develop new skills and increase their confidence. This can assist with re-entry into education, training and employment, particularly where formal education has not worked for them. Formal recognition through MV provides further benefits to the individual.

How do others (young people, organisations or the wider community) benefit from the project?

Requests for voluntary help are always carefully considered and monitored to ensure they offer young people opportunities to make a contribution to the community while benefiting young people.

Does the project contribute to community cohesion?

The REWIND project has raised awareness of cultural diversity and celebrated the journey of minority ethnic groups and their settlement in High Wycombe. About 100 young people were involved in research, script-writing and performing, including acting, dancing and playing steel pans. Young people's understanding of Black history improved and the youth councillors then linked with Wycombe Museum to display their findings for Black History Month.

How are young people's progress and achievements measured and recorded?

Accreditation is offered through Millennium Volunteers - to date 350 volunteers have received 200 hour awards. WYA members' achievements were recognised at the South East region Millennium Volunteer of the Year Awards, with awards going to the steel pan group and an individual award for volunteering at a playscheme and a youth club. MV achievements are celebrated at award nights. WYA also organises its own award scheme in recognition of the valuable contribution that volunteers make to their community. The four level awards range from Bronze, marking 30 hours' volunteering, to Platinum for 100 hours and more.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How is the project evaluated?

Internal evaluation is through an annual report to Board of Trustees. External evaluation includes review by MV, and annual reports to Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe District Council. Evaluation sessions are undertaken at the end of each project. The personal development of the young people forms part of all reviews.

What are the findings of any evaluations to date?

Evaluation commonly highlights the skills developed by young people involved in WYA projects. The REWIND project has been cited as an example of an excellent lottery-funded project, resulting in the group performing at national celebrations in London.

What changes/developments have occurred - or are planned - as a result of evaluation?

As the skill levels of young people involved, WYA is developing and supporting an increased range of youth led projects. While placements are still recognised as valuable, youth led projects are seen as particularly effective in promoting young people's personal development.

What factors help the work?

A keen, enthusiastic, energetic staff team.

Strong partnerships to increase reach and provide new opportunities.

What factors hinder the work?

Continuing need to secure funding.

PARTNERSHIP/MULTI-DISCIPLINARY WORKING

What other agencies do you work with?

Examples include NCH Action for Children, Wycombe Leisure Ltd to facilitate school holiday activities, local schools, sports centres, Aylesbury YOI, Amersham and Wycombe College, The Environmental Centre and the police. The MV project has helped facilitate closer links with Aylesbury Youth Action and the volunteer bureau.

When working in partnership, what is the distinctive contribution of your organisation/project?

The support offered to the volunteers.

Has this partnership resulted in greater collaboration or increased understanding between partners? If so, how?

Yes, partners are now aware of each other's expertise and partnerships have enabled access to other funding streams.

STRATEGIC IMPACT

Do you consider this project to be innovative?

Some of the activities and projects are, such as the KIT project, through which a small group of at risk young men built a buggy from a old VW Beatle. They gained practical skills, improved personal development and went on to assist with fundraising and potentially, act as peer mentors in future projects.

How do you disseminate the learning from the project?

WYA produces newletters and also submits reports via the AGM. The youth council make annual presentations to the council to demonstrate their achievements.

Has the learning from this work influenced wider organisational/service strategies?

Yes, youth action and volunteering are increasingly part of district and county council agendas.

What plans do you have to sustain/develop this work?

This depends on funding and the ideas from the young people involved.

CONTACT

Wycombe Youth Action
46 St Mary Street
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire HP11 2HE

Tel: 01494 447250
E-mail: wya_mv@yahoo.co.uk
Website: http://www.wycombeyouthaction.co.uk/