Setting the scene

The Beacon Scheme is a good practice and knowledge transfer programme run by the Department of Communities and Local Government and IDeA. It is designed to recognise practice excellence in Local Government and to facilitate the sharing of this experience within local authorities in England. Round Seven of the scheme included the ‘Positive Youth Engagement’ theme.

In 2006, eight local authorities were awarded Beacon Status under the theme and went on to secure funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Office for the Third Sector at The Cabinet Office for a two year Beacon Peer Support Programme.

The work involved a range of partners, providing support and guidance to the programme.

The programme was designed to address the Russell Commission recommendations relating to the public sector. Recommendation 9 is concerned with unlocking the potential of young volunteers to provide additional help in the delivery of public services. It also seeks to maximise opportunities for young people to become involved in shaping local services and as active citizens in local democracy. It envisaged young people as ‘doers’ and ‘shapers’ of local services.

Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes and the programme sought to dispel myths and enable all those involved to have a shared understanding of What is volunteering?

The programme was also aimed to address Public Service Agreement 4 (PSA4) to increase voluntary and community engagement, especially among those at risk of social exclusion.

Using a range of approaches with different audiences, seven projects with 15 authorities were delivered over two years, with a range of outcomes and achievements - What was achieved by the Beacon Peer Support Programme?

The Beacon Peer Support Programme encouraged the development of a range of approaches to increasing and improving volunteering and engagement in local authorities. Areas adopted a range of methods and targeted a variety of groups of young people.

This has resulted in a rich evidence base but has also allowed the identification of a number of common issues. Individual authorities have also developed a number of resources or tools to use in developing and implementing volunteering and engagement work, found in Making it Happen >>