youth volunteering report

© www.somersetyouth.org.uk © 1

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Somerset Youth Volunteering Network 9 Silver Street, Glastonbury,

Somerset BA6 8BS 01458 836130

E-mail [email protected] Www.somersetyouth.org.uk


4. Methodology 5. Young people's views and commitment to volunteering 6. Key motivators for volunteering 7. Volunteering that is attractive and worthwhile 8. Youth led volunteering projects 9. Personal development 10. Being valued as a volunteer 11. Recruiting volunteers 12. Organisations volunteering opportunities for young people 13. Organisational based process of recruitment 14. Organisations volunteering barriers 15. Volunteering within the community 16. Roles of schools and colleges 17. Rural impacts on volunteering 18. Policies 19. Youth Matters 20. How does the Russell Commission fit with Youth Matters 21. How does the Russell Commission fit with Youth Matters 22. Russell Commission 23. Russell Commission 24. Key Findings 25. Key Findings 26. Recommendations 27. Recommendations 28. Proposed Action Plan 29. Appendix 30. Make A Difference Day Survey + What is volunteering 31. Do-it.org.uk 32. Rights and Responsibilities of a Volunteer 33. Volunteering Code of Practice (compact) 34. Peer Supporters Resource Fair 35. Peer Supporters Resource Fair 36. Out of the Box Good Practice with Young Volunteers Event 37. Out of the Box Good Practice with Young Volunteers Event This report was created by young people and staff from Somerset Youth Volunteering Network. 9 Silver Street, Glastonbury Tel. 01458 836130 e-mail [email protected] www.somersetyouth.org.uk


A number of key objectives were set when targeting young people to take part in this report. 1. We wanted as much input from young people who: don't volunteer; do volunteer, or have

volunteered at some point. 2. A true cross section of young people from Somerset were to take part. 3. Key questions and conclusions were to be tested with a wider group of young people be-

fore being included in this report (2000 young people were spot checked at the Bath and West event in November) . Some of their answers can be seen in the ’Young Peoples Com-ments’ boxes throughout the report

4. Ethnic and minority groups were targeted with additional support so as to have a meaning-ful input.

The main form of participation was through young people and organisations completing a ques-tionnaire, both individually and in groups. In total 253 young people, aged between 14-25 years of age were interviewed and 2000 young people were asked one of the questions at the Bath and West Careers Skills Road Show. In addition 150 organisations were asked to take part of which 21% responded.

“People that volunteer build self-esteem which makes them feel better about themselves”

Age Range

0

5 0

1 0 0

1 5 0

Non-Volunteers 121 28 2CurrentVolunteers

61 35 6

14-16 17-19 20-25

Gender

0

50

100

150

Non-Volunteers 41 106

CurrentVolunteers

29 72 2

Male Female Unknown

Ethnicity

0

50

100

150

Non-Volunteers 97 56

Current Volunteers 52 58 23

british white british other unknown

total 253 young

people, aged 14-25

were interviewed

An additional 2000 young people

were asked their thoughts on the

key recommendations in this report.


“Volunteering means that I can help people and it will make me a better person. You don’t get paid, which makes you feel better because you are helping out through your own

heart”

How long have you volunteered for?

Up to 2 yrs14%

Up to 1 year16%

Under 6 months

20%

Unknown27%

Up to 5yrs10%

5yrs +1%

To 3yrs12%

What Do You Think the General View of Volunteering Is?

36

6

83

7 4 3 3 19

3 7

0102030405060708090

Pos

itive

/Goo

d /G

ood

Peo

ple

Feel

goo

d fa

ctor

Hel

ping

oth

ers

(hel

p fo

rfre

e)

Giv

ing

up ti

me

Peo

ple

with

time

(too

muc

h tim

e)

Bit

sad

/Fre

aks/

Lone

rs/L

oser

s

Don

't ca

re a

bout

mon

ey

Not

ver

y co

ol/G

reat

Onl

y fo

r old

peo

ple

Res

pect

/Gen

erou

s/ha

rdw

orki

ng

Not

man

y pe

ople

Don

't kn

ow

One of the key questions we asked current young volunteers was “How long have you been volunteering for”? 37% had been volunteering for more than a year with over 23% having been volunteering for more than 3 years

We found that youth volunteering figures only decrease by 2% in each year of young people’s commitment to volunteering. Therefore after five years 90% of young volunteers are still active volunteers.

Somerset young people are clear that volunteering is about helping others (for free). Young people also see volunteering as good and positive. The image that volunteering is only for old people has de-creased as only 1% of young people still hold this view.


Result: •Young people that already volunteer have said that they mainly started through their friends, family, youth organisations or they also start volunteering through their school/college.

•A lot of young people are not fully aware of the voluntary role that they are already involved in.

•Young people are also unaware of the positive contribution that they give to others and them-selves.

•A large number of young people’s services were unable to identify positive examples of youth volunteering within their own organisations. The phrase “it’s just easier if I do it myself” was common.

•The single biggest motivator for young people was word of mouth. It didn’t seem to matter if that person was a peer, member of their family or adult in a position of authority, but it did matter that they were respected by the young person.

“Volunteering has never come to mind as I have never seen it advertised”

“I don’t know where to sign up for volunteering”

“I do volunteer, it has helped me gain skills that I couldn’t find anywhere else, it’s fun and a good experience”

How Did You Get Into Volunteering or What Would Motivate You to Start?

16

23

1

2019

12

1 1

46

0

5

10

15

20

25

Youth

Centre

/ Club

Schoo

l / Coll

ege

Camp

Friend

s

Family

/ Rela

tive

Agenc

y Nam

e

Church

Heard

abou

t it / w

ord of

mou

th

Candy

floss

(SYVN)

Press /

Adv

ert / P

oster

Training

/ Work

Experi

ence

Other

Young people have stated that one of the key factors of motivation is volunteering with peer groups, friends and families.

Young people get involved through the links they al-

ready have, they don't source volunteering

information from dedicated volunteer support services


Result: •Young people are being turned away from volunteering, as they see that the only benefit is the development of a CV and some stated it sounded like school and there-fore not fun. •It is apparent that active young volunteers have a wide understanding of the benefits of participation. Recommendation: Marketing of volunteering to non volunteers needs to highlight those areas that young volunteers actually state as attractions or worthwhile, rather than those perceived by non volunteers.

“To learn a new skill like hairdressing”

“I like animals, so I would like to volunteer at the RSPCA” “I would like to go to another country and help young people

or children in some way”

Volunteering That is Attractive and Worthwhile

88

2

73

9

8

3

6

9

6

12

4

14

12

12

11

16

8

6

4

7

5

14

0 20 40 60 80 100

Working in YouthClub/With Young

Youth having a say /Youth Councils

Mentoring/Advice

Opportunities/Experiences

Fun stuff

Good for CV/ JobReferences

Fundraising/Workingwith Charities

Aid/ Volunteering forother countries

Help inGeneral/Community

Helping people to helpthemselves

Fetes, Fun Days /Trips / Festivals

Work with Children/OldPeople

Work withAnimals/Environmental

Own interests.Something I love

Sports

Music/ Media

Meeting people/ Newfriends

Don't know / Not sure

Other

VolunteersNon Volunteers

Notes: Blue figures are those given by young people

who have never volun-teered


Result: Projects run by young people have the single highest yes responses of all options of-fered to young people, 98% of young people saying that they think that this is a good idea. The top right picture gives a good example of a peer led project which is run by young people from Grapevine. These young people have decided to take a gap year to gain new experiences through volunteering. It is also worth noting, that in discussion young people repeatedly named projects that pre-tended to be youth led, but were actually not. An example of this was 6 young people who had been part of an interview panel for a new worker but had then been asked to leave the room when it was time to make the final decision. They could also identify those that didn't have a tokenistic level of participation and where they could have a hand in the running of the project. Recommendations: •Support young people to take an active role in all levels of project development and planning. •Train staff from both voluntary and statutory organisations in how to support young people to run their own projects. •Promote the current support services on offer to youth led projects, to both young people/ adults and the wider community.

“We are a group of young volunteers from Grapevine. We organise a lot of our own volunteering projects, it’s great fun and very rewarding.”

Views About Voluntary Projects Being Run By Young People

Don't know0%

Good for career1%

Encourages / attracts more young people

12%Good Idea

76%

Offers good opportunity / experience

7%

Would need adult help1%

Don't like sound of it, + being bossed

around by someone younger.

2%

Comments1%


Results: •Young people found it simple to identify personal skills developed through their volunteering. As expected adults and non volunteers found this difficult, with non volunteers stating, meeting new people and awards as being key elements, which reflects the differences in perception from page 7 ’What young people think is attrac-tive and worthwhile’. • Somerset young volunteers, did identify social skills, communication and confidence building as the key skills they had personally developed through volunteering. This reflects the expected outcomes from sustained volun-teering as listed in the Russell Commission framework. It also hits the ’make a positive contribution’, element of Every Child Matters. •Less than 2% of Somerset young volunteers identified awards or qualifications as a key motivator in their vol-unteering. Recommendations: •Young people need to be supported to set their own goals for their volunteering. The MV framework is a good proven example of this and would link to the proposed ’V’ achievement certificates due out in 2007.

•Qualifications, awards and certificates should be part of the package of support, offered to young volunteers, but must only be an add on option, rather than the core element.

•The development of social skills, confidence building and just having fun doing new things, should be the cen-tre of the support offered to young volunteering in Somerset.

“ I started volunteering because I wanted to build up my confidence” “I have learnt how to mix with others”

“My social skills have developed through my volunteering experiences”

15

66

30

16

36

28

7

5

3

32

3

5

3

2

3

2

20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Communication/Listening Skills

Understanding(emotions)/Counselling/Caring

Confidence building/Personalskills

Social skills (patience)

Teamwork

Leadership

Respect

New skills/Develop skills

Awards/Certificates/Qualifications

Meeting New People

Work with Disabled

Interaction with Children

More involved

Eager to do more

No Comments

Volunteers

Non Volunteers

The development of social skills, confidence building and just having fun, doing new things should be the centre of the support offered to

young volunteers in Somerset


Results: Young people have stated that there is more to volunteering than just receiving certificates. Young people high-lighted that there are different types of rewards such as, Being treated as adults Being thanked Learning new skills Certificates Having fun Meeting new people Personal growth Public thank you Helping others Making a difference 90% of those young people who had volunteered before but currently didn’t, stated ‘Not being valued’, as the key factor in them quitting as a volunteer. The remaining 10% equally stated being asked to do too much and not having enough to do

“Volunteering means giving up your free time to pursue something that you feel is important”

“Volunteering is fun stuff! It would be great to get your name on the television for helping out”

Do You Feel Valued As A Volunteer?

No Comments8%

Not much1%

No2%

Yes89%


Result: 75 young people said that they didn’t want to or they didn’t like the sound of volunteer-ing. 69 young people gave a variety of reasons such as not being aware, never thought of it and never had the chance. Young people fitted into two distinct groups •Those that had or do volunteer had a positive opinion of volunteering and could identify a number of person positive outcomes form their experiences as a volunteer.

•Non volunteers had multiple reasons that made volunteering a negative experience, most of which were not backed up by the experiences of those young people that actually volunteered.

Key point Though it is apparent that volunteering still has a very negative image for a large number of young people, in comparison with a smaller survey that SYVN undertook in 2001, the per-ceived age range of volunteers has changed from just the over 60’s in 2001,to now include peo-ple of all ages. The perceived opportunities have also changed from 80% of the young people in 2001 seeing charity shop work being their only option, to the comparison with today where even non-volunteers can identify a wide range of volunteering opportunities open to them, in-cluding conservation work, staffing events, youth councils, carnival clubs and the young farm-ers clubs

“How do I volunteer? There isn’t enough information” “Give young people opportunities to accomplish new skills”

“Funky websites and booklets attract young people”

Is There a Reason Why You Have Never Volunteered?

31

75

416 22

0 1

34

0

20

4060

80

Nev

er h

eard

/ N

otaw

are

of a

ny

No

/ Did

n't w

ant

to o

r lik

e so

und

of it

Stu

dy /

GC

SE

's /

Wor

k

Nev

er th

ough

t of

it

Nev

er h

adch

ance

Don

't kno

ww

here

to g

o?

No

Mon

ey

No

Tim

e / T

oobu

sy


Op

po

rtun

ities

Th

at Are

Pp

rovid

ed

for Y

ou

ng

Pe

op

le

6

9

22

7

1

2

1

22

1

3

6

22

1

3

22

2

5

2

1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Peer Education / Active living centres

Activities/Sports/Leisure/Coaching/Trips

Anti- Bullying/Anti racism

Workshops

Leadership (incl. facilitation/organising/stewarding)

Work with Learning Difficulties

Work with / older services (50+) etc

Befriending

Safety / First Aid

Health / Carers

Helpers / Drivers

Local links/Signposting

Projects (including developingprojects/groups)

Fundraising

Advocacy

Administration / Office wk

Management roles / Councils (Youth/Parish)

Mentoring (incl. 1-1 wk)

Victim support (incl emergency phone/online services)

Casework

Student led work

Knowledge/Skills/Training

Liaise with agencies


Process for Recruiting Volunteers

9

3 32

3 3 3

5

12

12

With

inex

istin

ggr

oups

/C

lient

bas

e

Gen

eral

ly

Nam

edco

ntac

t

App

licat

ion

form

/In

terv

iew

/R

efer

ence

s

Wor

d of

mou

th

Kno

wn

netw

orks

(incl

relig

ious

+E

vent

s /

Wor

ksho

ps/ P

ublic

ity

Inst

itutio

ns(S

choo

l/C

olle

ge/U

nive

rsity

)W

ork

plac

e(in

cl w

kpl

acem

ent)

Web

site

s

Do

not d

o it

ours

elve

s

Oth

er

Young Volunteers Recruited in the Last Year

574 428132

745524

104

2507

231610

154

14-16 17-19 20-25 14-15 17-19 20-25 14-15 17-19 20-25

Male Female TotalYoung

Total No. from RuralArea

Somerset Youth Volunteering Network Peer Mentoring Event at Glastonbury

Result: In total eighteen organisations responded to this questionnaire, of which fifteen provided volunteering opportuni-ties for young people. Nine of these organisations are charities, two were traditional youth clubs and six were schools. In total 2,507 young volunteers have been recruited in the last year. The main age group were those aged between 14-16 years of age National figures show that 70% of volunteers are female. However Somerset has traditionally had a high propor-tion of male volunteers (around 42%). This has been attributed to Somerset's strong carnival club culture and its rural culture. Based on a number of the anecdotal responses we received, Somerset may reflect the national fig-ure, as a larger number of females than males didn't identify what they were doing as volunteering. They rather saw it as ‘just helping out’ which may give Somerset a true figure of 65% female 35% male, rather than the re-ported 58% / 42% split recorded Key point No one system of recruitment was seen as working in all locations. Groups also stated they needed to change their approach regularly to keep recruitment figures up. Young people running recruitment programmes had high success rates, as did Organisations that actively recruited at places that young people were having fun, such as college open days and public events such as the fetes and fairs. One organisation that mixed the two ap-proaches stated in the last 6 years it had been forced to temporarily close at least one young project every year as they became swamped with new young people wanting to sign up as volunteers


Result: This research shows that organisations would like to provide a service for young volunteers but are unable to do so. The two main blocks or issues stated by organisations were, lack of resources and lack of funding. However in informal discussions, almost all the organisations fell into two groups, those that just had a lack of confidence in working with young volunteers and those that just didn't want to have young volunteers in their or-ganisation. Some of the other key statements given by the second group were: They have no respect now days Don't want a lazy one What if they steal equipment? We had one once, he didn't come back They’re only children Health and safety won’t let us A large number of this group also had strong opinions as to the type of things that young people should do as vol-unteers. These tended to be the jobs that nobody else wanted to do either. One youth organisation gave as an ex-ample of this, a phone call they had received from the chair of a village in bloom committee, during which the chairman had stated that the regional judges were due in 3 days and he wanted the young people to clear up the dog mess from the High Street as ‘it was their community too’ and the adults had done their share by planting and watering the flowers and he felt it was wrong to ask the adults to do this as well. On a more positive note, the organisations that lacked confidence were keen to learn more, with some of the key skills they wanted to develop including: Recruit young people Keep them happy Reward them Getting them to stay CRB Insurances Health and safety Child protection

Issues or Blocks in Providing or Wanting to Provide a Volunteering Service for Young People

1 1 1

2

5 5

2 2

1 1 1

2

1 1 1

2

1

Transpo

rt

Cost o

f trav

el

Availa

bility

of tra

nspo

rt

Suppo

rt staf

f

Lack

of re

sourc

es

Lack

of fu

nding

Prepara

tion f

or Vuln

erable

Young

Peo

ple

Knowled

ge of

Opp

ortunit

ies op

portu

nities

Young

People

making a

diffe

rence

Commitm

ent

Service

s for

older

peop

le

Unable

to co

mmit lon

g term

Insura

nce (

18+ on

ly)

Nature

of work

Knowled

ge +

skills

(e.g.

lega

l)

Capac

ity

Very fe

w


Results: Community based volunteering was seen by young people as the most rewarding of all types of volunteering. Young volunteers stated they were attracted to the different opportunities that their communities could offer and the feeling of being respected by their peers. They also stated they feel valued when they are accepted within their communities and often continue becoming positive youth roles to others. They were also the group that had the highest retention rates with some young people starting as volunteers aged 14/15 and continuing until they joined management committees in their early 20’s, where they stay until they either move away from the area or stop when they start having their own families. Evidence showed that those young people who were members of a club or society had better opportunities when it came to volunteering in their community. These types of organisations were also big enough and open minded enough to let young volunteers develop their own skills by moving from users of the services to volunteer and then finally become trustees.

“Volunteering helps to prevent violence in the young community” “Volunteering can benefit the surroundings because it brings communities and different

lifestyles together”

Your Voluntary Community Involvement

1417

36

1

93

22

0

18

3 3 5 3

18

Fund

rais

ing

Eve

nts

Fete

's

Com

mun

alG

athe

rings

Env

ironm

enta

l

Pet

ition

s

Com

mun

ity

Cou

ncil/

Com

mitt

ees

(Sch

ool o

r

Clu

bs /

Gro

ups

Nam

e of

Age

ncy

/ Clu

bet

c

Hel

p in

gen

eral

Spo

rts /

Gam

es

Wor

k /H

elp

elde

rly

You

th +

Chi

ldre

n

Not

muc

h

Oth

er


Result: An outstanding result of 159 young people stated that they feel that schools and colleges should provide volunteering opportunities for them. The two main reasons for this were , 57 young people said that it would give more volunteering opportunities and 31 young people stated that it would motivate them and that they could gain new experiences. 60% of those young people that volunteer within the community also volunteer within their schools or college. Young people were very clear that volunteering was voluntary and not just an option instead of PE. They saw activities that they did at lunch time or after school as true volunteering. In interview,14 young people stated they had been disappointed by the lack of information they could get from their school/college. They stated they felt that staff didn't see the skills they developed as a volunteer as being equal to those they could get through work experience.

“I already do mentoring at the Robert Blake Science College. Hopefully my mentee will learn more skills which will help them”

Do You Feel that Schools and Colleges Should Provide Volunteering Opportunities?

159

11 257

4 431

7

Yes No

Prov

ide

Tran

spor

tG

ive

mor

eop

portu

nitie

sto

hel

p /

Don

't kn

ow

Tast

ers

tose

e w

hat I

it'slik

eG

ives

expe

rienc

e/M

otiv

atio

nG

etin

form

atio

nea

sier

Volunteering at School/College

93 1

14 11 10

04

9

20

10

Com

mitt

ee/

Sch

ool,C

oll

ege

Cou

ncil

Env

ironm

enta

l

Fund

rais

ing

Mor

eop

tions

/D

iffer

ent

orga

nisa

tio

Men

torin

g

Clu

bs (i

ncl

extra

curic

ular

)

Com

mun

ity

Cha

ritie

s

Inte

rnat

iona

l Aid

Don

't kn

ow

Oth

er


Result: Out of 253 young people,101 young people said that they lived in a rural area, of which 61% of them said that living in a rural area has prevented them from volunteering. 48% of young peo-ple expressed that no or very little transport was the main reason and 47% young people said that there was not much opportunity for volunteering. It is worth stating that though young people want an affordable integrated transport system, there was just as much demand for support and opportunity for them to volunteer within their own communities. In follow up interviews a number of young people identified that though there were no organi-sations within the community that they would wish to volunteer at, they could however identify a number of projects they would like to set up and run themselves. These included: Recycling Mural project Crime reduction Community socials (for all ages) Dog show Community allotments

“We need more buses in rural areas, as young people feel restricted” “There is nothing in my area to volunteer for”

“We need more rural volunteering opportunities”

Rural area factors

101

5749

30

2 2

29

4

29

20

20

40

60

80

100

120

Yes

No

Yes

No

A li

ttle

Dis

tanc

e to

ofa

r

No

(littl

e)Tr

ansp

ort

Cos

t -U

naffo

rdab

le

Not

muc

hop

portu

nity

Unk

now

n /

com

men

ts

2a. Do you live ina rural area?

2b. Has living in a rural areabeen a factor in preventing

you from volunteering?

2c. How has living in a rural area prevented you from volunteering?

Series1


Policies

Notes on How we Put Together

the Following Policy Elements of

This Report

Both the Youth Matters and the Russell Commission policy's are exten-sive and in depth. Having discussed it in depth, the team of young peo-

ple felt, for the benefit of this report, that they would focus on the key elements that are relevant to bringing

the two agendas together or

are potential barriers that need to be recognised.

It also needs to be noted that we were unable to link this piece of research work to

Somerset's workforce planning strategy, as we were unable to source appropriate information on the strategy

in time to include it in this report, as they hadn't finished writing it


Youth Matters aims to give all young people the chance of a positive future by helping them to learn in ways that motivate and stretch them and enable them to achieve; engage in posi-tive developmental activities; make informed choices about their lives and benefit from high-quality, targeted support before problems escalate. In July 2005 the government launched its green paper Youth Matters setting out proposals designed to improve outcomes for 13-19-year-olds. It proposed that young people should have:

• More things to do and places to go in their local area - and more choice and influence over what is available.

• More opportunities to volunteer and to make a contribution to their local community. • Better information, advice and guidance about issues that matter to them, delivered in the

way they want to receive it. • Better support when they need extra help to deal with problems. The Youth Matters green paper looks at combining several other pieces of legislation, in-cluding the children’s and the extended schools policy, part of which was to meet the needs of the “NEET” (Not in Employment, Education or Training) group, worked on by the Depart-ment of Education and skills, and one group who looked at the general provision for young people, such as things to do and places to go etc, which was looked at by the Prime Minis-ter’s strategy office. The policy itself looked at “local offers” in regards to teenagers. A part of this came from the Labour Manifesto of 2005 that included 'National framework for youth volunteering, action and engagement' (The Labour Party 2005: 106) and 'Positive activities' for young people such as: • Access to two hours per week of sporting activity. • Access to two hours per week of other constructive activities in clubs, youth groups and

classes. • Opportunities to make a positive contribution to their community through volunteering. • A wide range of other recreational, cultural, sporting and enriching experiences. • A range of safe and enjoyable places in which to spend time. A direct link in the youth matters agenda can be seen in its commitment to encourage more young people to volunteer and to become more involved in their communities: The new body identified as having the role of implementing the recommendations of the Russell Commission on volunteering ‘V’, will have the task of developing exciting and inno-vative ways to achieve a step-change in volunteering. This will help to develop a stronger sense of rights and responsibilities and improve mutual understanding between young peo-ple and the wider community. (HM Government 2005 [Youth Matters], para. 3.1) The proposals include: • Encouraging more peer mentoring – young people supporting other young people. • Explore how to expand longer-term volunteering opportunities. • Promoting more volunteering and active citizenship approaches in schools, colleges and

universities. • Encouraging more volunteering in public services. • Considering options relating to financial support for volunteers. • Developing more flexible approaches to volunteering. • Celebrating further young people’s positive achievements in the community. • Exploring the role rewards can play in encouraging volunteering and affirming young peo-

ple’s positive choices. (ibid. paras 151-162)


The Russell Commission and Youth Matters link nicely in their ethos and ideas. They both desire to encourage, support and nurture young people, both in and not in volun-teering over the coming years. They both desire to look at: • How the extended schools programme can assist in the longevity of well being for

young people. • A desire to encourage young people over 16 to stay active beyond school. • Expanding long term volunteering options and the number of young people taking

them up. • Offering greater opportunities and support for young people to succeed in any num-

ber of fields; gaining qualifications, volunteering or becoming self sufficient. • Making services more responsive to the needs of young people and their parents/

carers.

The match is close, although the Youth Matters paper needs to shift just slightly to a more pro-active stance in order to work in full co-operation, but it is necessary to say that they are in close correlation with each other. The Russell Commission seems to be aiming to follow Youth Matters by looking at stepping up the mapping networking of differing voluntary organisations through the linking of the Connexions services with MV and volunteer centres as well as providing advice and guidance to young people interested in volunteering and helping them to participate in youth-led projects. The only differences between these two groups of principles is the Russell Commis-sion’s beliefs in the use of Advice and Guidance services, to help aid a central net-working point for all volunteering opportunities. As the Russell Commission suggests, there have been over 150,000 young people aided in their volunteering under the MV scheme (over 3,500 in Somerset since 2000), which could be considerably raised by building on established youth volunteer-ing networking provisions. This additional development will include using various forms of new digital technologies as they become more widely available over the next three to five years. These include digital television and the use of the “red button”,

Youth Matters Russell Commission Empowering young people Setting up a national portal for easy access for young people to

access information on volunteering and decision making

Young people as citizens and making a contribution

Give wider opportunities for young people to volunteer whilst in school, college and university within their communities

Enjoying and achieving through reformed targeting

To celebrate the achievements of young volunteers with the implementation of an annual youth volunteering award cere-mony for the contributions to UK society

Supporting choices through in-formation advice and guidance

Ensure high quality information, advice and guidance on volunteering, living choices and health awareness


phones and the Internet, along with the use of centrally organised and networked cen-tres (such as the Mentoring and Befriending Foundations ‘Beacon’ status programme)Both reports believe in the need for better networking between volunteering, voluntary organisations and the schools/colleges. This would aid in informing the involvement of young people in the citizenship elements of the national curriculum and encouraging “extended schools” whereby they are “open to all, all of the time”. The case study given within the Russell Commission’s report for “engaging young peo-ple” stated the work done within a school in Wirral regarding how they had gone into partnership with several community groups to start a horticulture project. The project in-corporated the school, two community centres, the housing association from the estate the school was based and the local Millennium Volunteers group. A Somerset example of this is the Wells Blue School, who have committed time and effort over the last few years to developing a culture of volunteering throughout the school. This level of joint participation is also requested within the Youth Matters policy on the framework for young people’s services. This also comes in with the attempt by the Russell Commis-sion’s aim to encourage volunteering within Further Education, as they have highlighted if there is a gap in opportunities and involvement from young people within this age bracket.

16 Key Actions set down by the Russell Commission 1. A series of campaigns to promote awareness of volunteering, force a step change in peoples’ per-

ceptions of volunteering. 2. A national volunteering portal giving direct access to local information and advice on volunteering

opportunities. 3. To ensure young people receive high quality advice and guidance, set up a dedicated implementa-

tion body, 4. All education institutions should have a volunteering ethos. 5. Annual youth volunteering award ceremony. 6. Young people should have access to a ‘menu of opportunity’. 7. Increase significantly the numbers of young people taking part in volunteering across three types

of volunteering (short-term, part-time and full-time). 8. The national framework should recognise the popularity and worth of international volunteering,

by offering up to 1000 overseas placements. 9. Government should develop strategies to encourage greater levels of volunteering within public

services. 10.Volunteering opportunity providers should be encouraged to meet minimum quality standards governing the access, involvement, development and reward of young volunteers. 11.A system of accreditation and awards, to recognise young volunteers’ personal development and to help them develop their skills. should be available to all young volunteers. 12. Measures to make it easier for young people on benefits to volunteer. 13. Government should build the capacity of organisations to engage disabled volunteers effectively. 14. A dedicated implementation body to commission delivery of the framework. 15. Public funding for young people’s volunteering should be ring-fenced and routed through the imple-mentation body. 16. The implementation body should measure the impact of the framework.


Short-term volunteering was seen as the simplest to accommodate, through week-end, holiday or evening based quick burst projects (tasters), such as helping with youth clubs or organisations of an art or sports based event. These volunteers were also seen as being the cheapest, costing approximately £50 per volunteer/ per event. Part time volunteering (such as MV) was seen as a potential linchpin in their com-munities. The Commission saw them as being the least known quantity but possibly the biggest contributors on a long-term basis. They are the ones who go in once or twice a week, maybe more often, to a project and it becomes an integral part of their lives. This was seen as something that could be made more of. Examples given in-cluded: St Johns Ambulance, the Scout movement and the National Trust, as well as smaller community groups, who had young people on the committees of youth led projects. Unit cost £1000 per 200 hours of volunteering (approx).


Full time volunteering Currently, there are only 9,000 full time volunteering oppor-tunities for over 7 million young people in the 16-25 bracket within the UK and very few organisations offering these. This is highlighted with the amount of young peo-ple who want to continue volunteering but have no opportunities, as there is very little funding for them to carry on after completing their 200 hours with MV. Support for this group should include accreditation and a small expenses bursary and accommo-dation being available to the young people involved and has an average individual unit cost of £7,000 (approx). It is worth noting that ‘V’ the implantation body charged with implementing the Rus-sell Commission recommendations was only created this year and though they are committed and keen, currently they only have around 10 staff and had over 120 grant requests for each available grant in one of its last funding rounds this summer.


• Youth volunteering figures only decrease by 2% in each year after year 1. After five years 90% of young volunteers are still ac-tive volunteers. (P5) • The single biggest motivator for young people to start volun-teering was word of mouth. It didn’t seem to matter if that person was a peer, member of their family or adult in a position of au-

thority. But it did matter, that they were respected by the young person. (p6) • A large number of young people were volunteering, but didn’t see themselves as

volunteers. (p6) • A large number of young people’s services were unable to identify positive exam-

ples of youth volunteering within their own organisations. (P6) • Non-volunteering young people are starting to be turned away from volunteering,

as they see that the only benefit is the development of a CV. (p7) • A large number stated that qualification based volunteering was more like school

and therefore not fun. (p7) • Active young volunteers have a wide understanding of the personal benefits they

get from volunteering. (p7) • Projects run by young people have the single highest yes responses (98%)of all

options offered to young people. (P8) • Somerset young volunteers, identify social skills, communication and confidence

building as the key skills they had personally developed through volunteering. (P9)

• Less than 2% of Somerset young volunteers identified qualifications or awards as a key motivator in their volunteering. (P9)

• 90% of those young people who had volunteered before but currently didn’t, stated ‘Not being valued’, as the key factor in them quitting as a volunteer. The remaining 10% equally stated being asked to do too much and not having enough to do.(p10)

• Young people have stated that there is more to volunteering than just receiving qualifications. Young people highlighted that there are different types of rewards such as, Being treated as adults, Being thanked, Learning new skills, Certifi-cates, Having fun, Meeting new people, Personal growth, Public thank you, Helping others, Making a difference. (p10)

• Those that had or do volunteer had a positive opinion of volunteering and could identify a number of person positive outcomes from their experiences as a volun-teer. (P11)

• Non volunteers had multiple reasons that made volunteer-ing a negative experience, most of which were not backed up by the experiences of those young people that actually volunteered. (p11)

• Young peoples perception of volunteering is changing. It is now seen as open to them, not just the old. (p11)

• Young people can now identify a wide range of volunteer-


ing opportunities open to them including, conservation work, staffing events, youth councils, carnival clubs and the young farmers clubs, unlike In 2001 when they could only identify charity shops as the options open to them. (p11)

• No one system of recruiting young people as volunteers was seen as working in all locations. Groups also stated they needed to change their approaches regionally to keep recruitment figures up. (P13)

• Young people-run recruitment programmes had high success rates, as did or-ganisations that actively recruited at places where young people were having fun. (p13)

• Almost all the organisations interviewed fell into two groups, those that just had a lack of confidence in working with young volunteers and those that just didn't want to have young volunteers in their organisation. (p13)

• Organisations that lacked confidence with young volunteers were keen to learn more, with some of the key skills they wanted to develop including: re-cruit young people, keep them happy, reward them, getting them to stay, CRB, insurances, health and safety, child protection. (p14)

• Community based volunteering was seen by young people as the most re-warding of all types of volunteering. (P15)

• Young people that volunteer in community groups have the highest retention rates of all the young volunteers interviewed. (p15)

• Young people that volunteer within large community groups build on average the largest group of skills of all youth volunteering in Somerset. (p15)

• Young people stated they had been disappointed by the lack of information they could get from their school/college. They stated they felt that staff didn't see the skills they developed as a volunteer as being equal to those they could get through work experience. (p16)

• Young people stated that they felt that schools and colleges should support volunteering opportunities. (p16)

• Young people at schools saw activities that they did at lunch time or after school as true volunteering being distinctly different from those activities that took place during normal lesson times, which a large number saw as just a way of getting out of class (p16)

• Rural issues were a problem for 40% of the young people interviewed with ½ wanting an affordable transport system. More interestingly, there was just as much demand for support and opportunity for them to volunteer within their own communities (p17)

• A number of young people in rural areas are keen to set up their own project. (p17)


A number of key recommendations have come out of the project which can be broken down into: Young peoples’ perception of volunteers It was clear from the research that a large perception gap is growing between those young people that do volunteer and those that don't. There is also a growing issue with the mainstreaming of volunteer-ing, due to the need for staff to justify their support of young people. Volunteering is being promoted to young people by staff as an educational tool, through which they can gain qualifications and build a CV (both are true). However young peo-ple are starting to see volunteering as an extension of school rather than the life long joy that volunteering can be. What defines volunteering? Based on the feed back from Somerset young people, we define Volunteering as,' Choosing to give your time for free to participate in a role that has a community benefit (outside your own family)’ This can then be bro-ken into 3 types: a) ‘One off’. Short term, usually only lasts between 1 hour to 2 days, b) ‘Part time’, at least 1 hour a week for more than 2 months, C) ‘Full time’, 30+ hours a week (including gap year). All 3 types can be formal ( through groups, clubs or organisations) or informal (ad hock or just with friends). Adults’ perceptions of young volunteers We were shocked by the number of negative attitudes that we came across towards young people as volun-teers (non-paid staff). This included a number of organisations that had young people as their only client group. However an equally large group want to support young people as volunteers but currently lack both skill and confidence to do this. What is good practice with young volunteers? From the research, the group identified 4 key documents that, if fitted together, would form both a good prac-tice bench mark and an implementation structure for individual organisations in Somerset to follow. These are: Somerset Compact “volunteering code of practice”, Somerset Youth Volunteering Network “Rights and responsibilities as a volunteer” document. The Youth Action Network’s REACH quality framework and the Mil-lennium Volunteering plan/supervision and profile forms. These could be added to with either the ‘V’ volun-teer certificate (due out in 2007) or the current SYVN county award. A county structure Somerset is a lot further down the road than most other counties on this agenda, as since 1999 it has had Somerset Youth Volunteering Network, Somerset’s own dedicated youth volunteer organisation. Currently it employs 18 staff, all dedicated to supporting young peoples’ involvement in volunteering/community action and active citizenship. At the end of 2005 the charity went through a step change in the way they work. Re-profiling 33% of their work away from direct face to face support of young volunteers and into the support of staff within other organisations to develop their own recruitment/support and celebration programmes for their own young volunteers (currently 12 schools and colleges have joined up in phase 1 ‘peer to peer mentoring’ programmes with phase 2 “general volunteer support” due to start in 2007 with a pilot of a 10 week staff train-ing programme ‘Introduction to working with young volunteers’ (supported by VISTA) due to start in January. As part of this step change they have also created and held two county events to date. One ’Out of the Box’ about young volunteering and the Glastonbury Mentoring/Befriending Conference. Both events are planned to become permanent features (Out of the Box 2 is already booked for March 2007) It is also worth noting that SYVN runs Millennium Volunteering in 4/5ths of Somerset and was audited this summer by ‘V’ and granted development funding to prepare to transfer to ‘V’ in September 2007.

The big picture - 25% of Somerset young people want to volunteer. However there is a big skills shortage across the whole of the county in how to support young people

to achieve this appropriately.


Action points 1. Young people need to be supported to set their own goals for their volunteering. 2. Qualifications, awards and certificates should be part of the package of support, offered to young volun-

teers, but must only be an add on option, rather than a core element. 3. The development of social skills, confidence building and just having fun doing new things, should be

the centre of the support offered to young volunteering in Somerset. 4. Young People and volunteering Advertising skills and experiences that can be achieved through vol-

unteering not qualifications. 5. Recruiting Young Volunteers To increase young people's knowledge about volunteering and the pos-

sible volunteering they have already undertaken. 6. Educate young people and those that offer voluntary work about the positive contribution that young

people give to others and themselves. 7. Young people are to be celebrated for the voluntary service that they give to others. 8. Skills and personal growth is one of the key areas that needs to be highlighted and encouraged among

our young volunteers. 9. Young people need clear access points on how to become a young volunteer, and need continuing

support in what they offer to society. 10. Taster sessions are crucial to enhance young people’s knowledge of volunteering. 11. Schools and Colleges. Young people strongly feel that schools and colleges should support their vol-

unteering. Schools and colleges need to take up this opportunity, by working in partnership with their local volunteering organisations, and other agencies.

12. It is paramount that schools and colleges recognise that volunteering is an activity that young people choose to do. Therefore how it is introduced and put into practice needs to be taken into consideration to ensure that it remains ‘voluntary’

13. Community groups need support to open up new opportunities to young volunteers including training for current staff and volunteers, taster days and a dedicated support.

14. Celebrations should be based within the community and are culturally acceptable to their peer group. 15. Rewards Offer every volunteer personal growth awards which highlight individual achievement and

development. (But they must be voluntary). 16. Personal Development Volunteering must reflect young people’s personal development, young people

should be given the opportunity to reflect and engage at a level that is appropriate to their learning abili-ties.

17. Organisations that work with young people need to receive training in supporting young people to be-come volunteers.

18. A simple self-development monitoring form or a young persons diary which can be completed by the volunteer should be encouraged across the whole county.

19. Rural Increase young voluntary opportunities within rural areas and support for young people to set up their own project.

20. Youth Led Volunteering Give young people ownership of their voluntary projects, including supporting the current young trustees training programme in Somerset.

21. Support community groups and organisations to provide a wide range of voluntary opportunities to young people.

22. Organisations Support a direct and clear format for the recruitment of young volunteers, based on cur-rent provision.

23. Support young people to take an active role in all levels of project development and planning. 24. Train staff from both voluntary and statutory organisations in how to support young people to run their

own projects. 25. Promote the current support services on offer to youth led projects, to both young people/ adults and

the wider community. (p8) Both the voluntary and statutory services have a great opportunity to join together to support Somerset young volunteers. To make this happen, all organisations need to publicly commit to working together as equal partners, with each bringing strengths to the agenda.


First steps Schools and Colleges • Identify one key member of staff that can be trained and supported to become the link for volunteer-

ing within their establishment. • Support young people to identify their own projects. • Develop links with local VB or SYVN for support. County Youth Services • Integrate the training of staff as volunteer support workers into ongoing training programmes for all

staff. • Look at current provision for supporting young people volunteering across the county and link into it. • Building on the success of the youth parliament, support each county youth club to develop a club

based volunteering programme that supports young people to get active in their local community. Children's Trust • Link in and support the development of current provision for support of young volunteers (including

gap year) rather than create a brand new one. • Support statutory services staff to develop links with the voluntary sector. • Identify potential links needed by locality teams and give that information to the youth volunteering

hub for dissemination. Somerset Youth Volunteering Network • Open up all current training and support to statutory as well as voluntary sector based staff. • Increase the accessibility of the SYVN gap year programme to all young people. • Continue to develop the Somerset Youth Volunteering hub. • Open up peer to peer staff training programme to all agencies working with young people. Somerset Voluntary Sector Network (including the volunteer centres and CVS’s ) • Identify current opportunities open to younger volunteers. • Support staff to develop the skills to work with young volunteers. • Link all opportunities to the do-it web site so as to make them universally accessible. • Work within known groups to identify those individuals that are willing to start having young volun-

teers and support them to access training to make this happen. Joint Pieces of Work • Set up a small working group to develop the good practice recommendations as set out in the recom-

mendations. • Identify and list what support each organisation (financial or in-kind) can be committed to developing

over the next 3 years. • Jointly run the ‘Out of the Box 2’ event due in March and use it as a launch point for actioning the

recommendations set out in this report. • Link information systems together, specifically web based, and create a directory for all staff to use

giving both good practices and local links in Somerset.


Appendix and

Other Relevant Information

Identified During the Project


Commissioned by CSV Make a Difference Day and Barclays, Volunteering fights obesity and improves health and fitness, particularly amongst young people, and it can improve your sex life. In the survey of 600 volunteers aged 18 to 24: 1. 47% say volunteering has improved their physical health and fitness. 2. 25% of people who volunteer more than five times a year say volunteering has helped

them lose weight. 3. 60% of 18-24 year olds say volunteering has improved their fitness. 4. 22% of 18-24 year olds say volunteering helps them cut down on alcohol. 5. 30% of 18-24 year old smokers say volunteering helps them smoke less. 6. 17% of volunteers aged 18-24 years old say that volunteering has improved

their sex life. 7. 15% of all volunteers say volunteering had led them to eat less chocolate.

Definitions of volunteering

The UK does not actually have one common national definition of volunteering, although you can find definitions set out in govern-ment legislation and reports, as well as in research on volunteering. Generally, volunteering is described as an unpaid activity where someone gives their time to help a not-for-profit organisation or an individual who they are not related to. Here is a selection of re-cently quoted definitions which you might find useful to refer to:

1.The Compact Code of Good Practice on Volunteering published in 2005 contains a short definition of volunteering within a longer context setting description of volunteering. It states that volunteering is “…an activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to) close relatives”.

2.The National Survey of Volunteering published in 1997 defined volunteering as "any activity which involves spending time, un-paid, doing something which aims to benefit someone (individuals or groups) other than or in addition to close relatives, or to benefit the environment" (pages 13-14).

3.The Job Seeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 say that "voluntary work" means work for an organisation, the activities of which are carried on otherwise than for profit, or work other than for a member of the claimant's family. Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 207, regulation 4

4.The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002 offers a short definition of a volunteer as "a person engaged in an ac-tivity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party other than or in addition to a close relative". Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 233, regulation 2.

5.The United Nations used a long and detailed definition in the International Year of Volunteers in 2001. (The Russell Commission consultation document quoted this definition in 2004) Viewpoint – The UN Definition Of Volunteering “There are three key defining characteristics of volunteering. First the activity should not be undertaken primarily for financial reward, although the reimbursement of expenses and some token payment may be allowed. Second, the activity should be undertaken voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free-will, although there are grey areas here too, such as school community service schemes which encourage, and sometimes require, students to get involved in vol-untary work and Food for Work programmes, where there is an explicit exchange between community involvement and food assis-tance. Third, the activity should be of benefit to someone other than the volunteer, or to society at large, although it is recognised that volunteering brings significant benefit to the volunteer as well. Within this broad conceptual framework it is possible to identify at least four different types of volunteer activity: mutual aid or self-help; philanthropy or service to others; participation or civic engage-ment; and advocacy or campaigning. Each of these types occurs in all parts of the world.” United Nations Volunteers Report, prepared for the UN General Assembly Special Session on Social Development, Geneva, Febru-ary 2001. Information supplied by Volunteering England.

Based on the feed back from Somerset young people, we define Volunteering as,' Choosing to give your time for free to participate in a role that has a community benefit (outside your own family)’ This can then be broken into 3 types: a) ‘One off’. Short term, usually only lasts be-tween 1 hour to 2 days, b) ‘Part time’, at least 1 hour a week for more than 2 months, C) ‘Full time’, 30+ hours a week (including gap year). All 3 types can be formal ( through groups, clubs or organisations) or informal (ad hock or just with friends).


Somerset currently has 5 volunteer centres/ bureaux

Of which only Mendip ‘Involve’ project has a dedicated system to sup-

port volunteers under the age of 18 INVOLVE, a project run in Mendip, puts volunteers in touch with the or-ganisations that need them. The project has a database of volunteering opportunities all over the Mendip District. The database uploads to the National Volunteering Database on the do-it website

(http://www.do-it.org.uk) through which volunteers of all ages, can access details of local volun-teering opportunities via the internet or via the Community Channel on satellite TV. More than 200 local organisations have been in contact with INVOLVE project alone during 2006, of which 60 have been verified as having the correct procedures in place to be included on the do-it site. Though the set up for supporting volunteers is different in each district council area of Somerset, all 5 use the do-it system and all are keen to support younger volunteers, though at least 2 have requested support and training in how to do it ( which has been arranged through SYVN for early 2007). It is worth stating that 3 of the five have had significant staff losses in the last 12 months due to lack of funding and at least one may face closure in 2007

You can see from the above graph that though the bureaux are keen to involve young people as volunteers, their strength is currently in sup-porting volunteers over the age of 25.

16 24 63

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Volunteering Opportunities Available by Age in Somserset


In 2001 as part of SYVN commitment to good practices in youth volunteers, we worked with 50 Millennium Volunteers to develop what has become our quality mark on what makes a good volunteering opportunity. This list was written by 2 groups. 1 in 2003 and another in 2005, and is the practical face of one of the key elements in all work that SYVN does with young volunteers in Somerset. Rights as a young volunteer • The volunteering opportunity should be something you want to do. You shouldn’t be pressur-

ised or coerced into an unsuitable placement, or activities that are against your principles. • Health and Safety is paramount. You should only be placed where all efforts have been made

to ensure that Health and Safety regulations and good practices are followed, and that appro-priate insurance is obtained. If you are not happy, stop and ring us.

• Volunteers should not replace paid staff. • You need to have full and comprehensive information before commencing on any placement.

You should know what to expect, and what the organisation expects of you. • As a volunteer you have the right to regular and good quality support, training and supervi-

sion. You will be assigned a project buddy. • You should • Not expect to be out of pocket through volunteering, and all expenses should be paid as

promptly as possible. • Not be exploited or discriminated against at any stage of your recruitment, placement and

support. • Know to whom you are responsible and accountable to for your actions on projects. • To be made to feel a ‘part’ of the organisation, valued and supported, no matter what your

role. • Your volunteering should be a fulfilling and enjoyable experience where you can learn and are

encouraged to develop self-confidence, skills and knowledge. • You have the right to say “no” and have a choice regarding the tasks undertaken. • You should have the opportunity to review and evaluate your project work with the people

you are working with, and receive positive feedback on performance through regular supervi-sion.

Responsibilities as a volunteer • To abide by your placement providers policies, e.g. on confidentiality and work in accordance

with their aims and objectives. • To be reliable and punctual – and to do what you say you will. • To advise the placement in advance if you are not available or going to be late. • To maintain Health and Safety procedures and standards. Never put yourself, or others at risk. • To acknowledge and respect the rights of other workers/ service users and their confidential-

ity. • To recognise personal limitations and prejudices and to ask for support if necessary. • To give feedback. • To read the information circulated to you. • To undertake the necessary training.


The voluntary and community sector and public bodies will act as equal partners. They will recognise each other’s strengths and work together for the benefit of the people of

Somerset.

4. VOLUNTEERING CODE OF PRACTICE • Recognise that volunteers are free to choose. • Welcome diversity among the volunteer force and work together to remove barriers to participation, particularly for people who have been socially excluded. • Promote opportunities that will give volunteers useful work skills, personal development, experience and contacts, social opportunities and fun, a sense of achievement and inclu-sion in the organisation and the wider community. • Recognise the value of volunteers as well as the cost. • Agree that public funds should be invested in volunteering infrastructure so that the net-work improves and partnership initiatives can be established. • Take a consistent approach when reimbursing out-of-pocket expenses. With key partners committing to: • Recognise that volunteers have as much right to personal and professional development as paid staff. • Encourage and enable volunteers to gain accreditation for the skills and knowledge gained through volunteering. • Give volunteers the same protection as paid staff under health and safety policies and procedures and public liability insurance policies. • Recognise the importance of trustees as a specific group of volunteers and ensure that they receive appropriate training and support. • Develop systems which record the work of volunteers to ensure that references can be provided to potential employers and to other voluntary placements. • Never replace paid staff with volunteers as a way of saving money. • Make it clear which roles and responsibilities are volunteers’ and which are those of paid staff. • Never expect or ask a volunteer to do anything which conflicts with his/her principles or beliefs. • Provide opportunities for volunteers to be involved in the management and development plans of the organisation. • Ensure that all relevant statutory policies and procedures are evaluated for their impact on voluntary activity, and carry out impact assessments on all new policies and proce-dures. • Identify and address barriers to volunteering presented by existing policies and prac-tices.


Result: The day was an amazing success showing that organisations are committed to supporting young peoples’ involvement as mentors/befrienders. However a number of key issues came out of the day: •97% of the organisations running mentoring /befriending projects in Somerset are not at a good enough standard to achieve APS standard. •6 groups have identified need for support and training on child protection, dealing with depression in young people. •A number of staff from different organisations raised personal issues around isolation when it came to getting support and super-vision on mentoring from within their own organisations.

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The event took place on 11th October 2006, 160 people took part. Planned by Somerset Youth Volunteering Network, working with ChildLine and with the support of Somerset Healthy Schools, hosted the regions first young peoples peer mentoring conference. Over 94 young people aged between 14 and 19 attended the event and 35 statutory and voluntary organisations were also in attendance and contributed to the day’s success by hosting stands, providing free information and engaging in face to face to discussions with all the young peo-ple present. The day brought together, for the first time, young people from various Somerset schools and colleges who give up their free time to support fellow students in either a befriending, peer supporting or mentoring capac-ity. The aims of the day were threefold; The day succeeded in • To enable young people to network and share their mentoring experiences with fellow mentors. • Celebrating young mentor’s achievements and reward them for all the invaluable work that they are doing within their educational establishments to make fellow students feel happy and integrated. • Providing mentors with the opportunity to engage in discussions with regional organisations that provide support services for young people in order to enhance their own understanding about particular issues that can affect young peo-

ple. Key subjects identified by young delegates included:

Bullying Depression

Eating disorders Mental health

Groups that attended were: Schools and Colleges that attended: St Dunstans – Glastonbury, Ladymead – Taunton, Huish Episcopi – Langport, Crispin – Street, Ansford – Castle Cary, Sexeys – Bruton, Selwood – Frome, Bishop Fox’s – Taunton, Taunton School – Taunton, Braunton School – Devon, Somerset College of Arts and Technol-ogy – Taunton, Strode College – Street Organisations that attended: Breaking the Cycle, Connexions, Robert Barton Trust, Somerset Racial Inclusion Project, Somerset Young Carers, Al Anon & AA, Young Somerset, Somerset Gay Health, Mendip YMCA, South Somerset Mind, Samaritans, Somerset Rural Youth Project, Grapevine, Mendip PCT, Promise Mentoring, Actionwork, Diabetes UK, On the Level, Avon & Somerset Police, Somerset Gateway, Schools Health Advisory Service, Gloucestershire Youth Service, Scarman Trust, Cruse, Winstons Wish, Avalon Fair Shares, SWEDA


96 Delegates, 30 workshops, 25 stands, 315 scones and the biggest bucket of Somerset clotted cream you have ever seen...

April 2006

the lunch hour when all dele-gates were encouraged to net-

work by selecting various people or organisations that they would like to talk to and were matched up with the help of helium balloons… ...it was a sight to behold with balloons coming to-gether in pairs for 5 minutes before wending their ways to collide with their next date… • Somerset Community

With a big thank you to everyone involved, we feel that we

achieved our aim to get workers to share information and ideas

with each other. Like any Fresher's Fair,

the day was made up of lots of little workshops and display

stands where we shared what we were doing, learnt from oth-

ers and built links with other people and projects from across

the South West. Delegates attended many short,

practical workshops and learnt ways of ‘best practice’; whilst finding out what other groups and organisations get up to when involved in youth work. Our Time Fairies kept everyone on their toes and ensured that work-shops were short and snappy. Some found it useful to network at the closed SVSN meeting, all of the regions MV groups were in-vited to attend the Millennium Volun-teer ‘catch-up’ (a short meeting for all those who run Millennium Volun-teer Award Schemes to share the latest news). Workers really got into the ‘speed-dating’ event in

Some of the workshops running were: Foundation held a work shop on the funding they offer and gen-eral advice on how to apply to them for money. • Big Lottery Fund ran a very

popular (!) workshop on the dif-ferent funds available to groups in the South West and (even bet-ter) how / who can apply. APS Mentoring, peer mentoring and how to get your project Ap-proved Provider Status with input from both local projects and the Mentoring and Befriending Foun-dation (the national people), in-cluding the launch of the Somer-set Mentoring Hub.

Street Connexions: Supporting

gay lesbian and bisexual young people to volunteer.

• Ivy Project: brought a group of their young volunteers to tell us about volun-

Out of the Box

The first FREE Fresher Fair for workers involved in working with

young volunteers’

Somerset Youth Volunteering Network


• You(th)inc • Involve • SCARAB Trust • Learning S.W. • Scope • SVSN • County hall • Strode College • Princes Trust

We have gathered a lot of infor-mation and current contact de-

tails, and collated it into our Links Database: .

This information has been used already to contact a few of the services that may be interested in promoting their services direct to young people at our mentoring event in Glastonbury on October 11th. Here we are working in partnership with ChildLine and backed by Healthy Schools. It will be used to contact those interested to inform them of future events and other relevant infor-mation regarding youth work and

Some attendees were: • Somerset Young Carers • Creative Dialogue • Avalon Fair Shares • Young Somerset • Blooming Youth (SYVN) • Youth Action Network • Devon Youth Association • Cornwall Centre for Vol-

unteers • Somerset Voluntary Sector

Network • Racial Inclusion Project • Bournemouth Council Volun-

tary Service • Somerset Rural Youth Project • Sedgemoor Volunteer Centre • Bolton Lads & Girls Club • Taunton Deane CVS • Somerset County Council • Yeovil & District CVS

volunteering. We have since updated our web-site with useful links for gaining grants and funding. Click onto www.somersetyouth.org.uk to find out the latest… We are positive that this is the start of something bigger & bet-ter… Please feel very welcome to contact us if you would like to get involved with our peer mentoring event in October; if you would like to set up a link between our and your website; if you know of any information that you would like us to share with our links contacts or info to go on our website or to get involved in next year’s event.

So,… what’s next?

unteers. • Richard Lees (Barnardos) and SCOPE talked about integrat-ing Disability Equality in or-ganisations working with young people. • Safe Group: Joint agency of youth service, Connexions and

Mind, who set up a peer support youth group for young people in mental health services. • Ros Wilkins of MDC kept ‘all her balls in the air’ and told how she juggles the puzzle of working between the council and volun-tary sectors. • The Robert Barton Trust gave insight into the traveller community and looked at per-

teering in their own words. • Diocese of Bath & Wells looked at provision of volunteering in faith-based opportunities. • Glade: explored how young people lead the way and take action to-wards greater equity and justice. • You(th)inc: our own youth-led team of workers ran through the benefits of having young workers getting feedback from young vol-

ception of groups of people • Various environmental groups

included BTCV, National Trust, Magdalen Project, and the Young Farmers Group, talked about how they engage & keep volunteers.

SYVN, 9 Silver Street, Glastonbury, Somerset,

BA6 8BS Tel: 01458 836 130 (fax 139) www.somersetyouth.org.uk [email protected]

Some of those who attended were:

Who attended?


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youth volunteering report

Documents

Transcript of youth volunteering report