Youth Action - The NYA's current priorities

Since April 2006 we have been working as a strategic partner of the Office of the Third Sector (OTS), funded to deliver a programme of development and information based work which focuses on youth action and volunteering.

This work supports government's own targets concerned with engaging more minority ethnic communities, increasing the involvement of those without qualifications and involving more disabled people. There is also a specific focus on addressing factors related to the current economic downturn, in particular supporting forms of volunteering that enable young people to build the resilience necessary to survive increasing levels of youth unemployment and to develop skills appropriate to current and future employment opportunities.

Central also are the opportunities presented by the Russell Commission recommendations, including the creation of the implementation body 'v' and the national youth volunteering programme vinvolved, Youth Matters: Next Steps and Aiming High for Young People: a Ten Year Strategy for Young People.

The 2009/10 work programme is clustered around the following three themes, in line with the OTS’s own priority areas:

Theme 1 - Influencing policy

Identifying and representing the views of the youth volunteering sector to the OTS by:

• Bringing together key actors in youth volunteering and facilitating discussion through a national stakeholder forum;
• Developing relationships with front line projects;
• Representing the youth volunteering sector in responses to government consultations and debates at national level;
• Monitoring overseas developments in young people’s volunteering; and
• Undertaking research

Theme 2 – Informing the sector

Disseminating information and advice about government policy on young people’s volunteering by:

• Making the latest information on youth volunteering available to practitioners, managers and policy makers through monthly bulletin e-youthaction online, the NYA website and to young people through youthinformation.com;
• Regular briefings on emerging policy and developments;
• Offering events, guidance and support for the development of intergenerational volunteering;
• Liaising with local authorities to encourage them to embed policies and allocate specific resources to youth volunteering as part of the local offer; and
• Making regional inputs to engage the field in dialogue about developments in youth volunteering.

Theme 3 – Projects and publications

Improving the quality of volunteering opportunities, celebrating young people’s voluntary action and sharing practice by:

• Producing the youth facing magazine, youthaction - celebrating young people’s involvement in their communities in their own words;  
• Producing case study sets illustrating good practice in volunteering projects and showcasing individual achievements;
• Practice guidance and support for work focusing on community cohesion; and
• Support for developments in young people’s leadership and sustainable development.

The OTS funded work is currently complemented by programmes which allow us to focus on developing practice in specific areas including sustainable development and intergenerational work (in partnership with Beth Johnson Foundation). Youth Action priorities are also integrated into our work as lead partners in the delivery of Youth of Today.