vinvolved, England's biggest ever youth volunteering programme, begins
11 April 2008
The new £75 million national youth volunteering programme vinvolved begins
in April 2008. The aim of the programme is to involve 500,000 more young
people aged 16-25 to volunteer in England over the next three years.
With £75 million from the Office of the Third Sector, the youth
volunteering charity v is funding third sector organisations to offer a
range of exciting volunteering opportunities, and to support young people
who want to get involved.
vinvolved teams
v is establishing 107 local vinvolved teams across England, to promote
youth volunteering across local authority areas, broker young people into
suitable opportunities and to support other third sector organisations,
especially those that have not traditionally involved young volunteers, to
develop new opportunities.
These teams will be hosted by local third sector organisations including
some volunteer centres. They will also be recruiting and working with Youth
Action Teams, groups of young people who will act as ambassadors for
volunteering amongst their peers.
The vinvolved teams will work with schools, colleges, Connexions advisers
and local authorities as they seek to increase the number of young people
engaged in positive activities, promote skills development and encourage
more cohesive communities.
vinvolved projects
v is funding 152 third sector organisations to create new volunteering
opportunities for young people which tap into their passions and interests.
Some of these projects will also be working with target groups to ensure
that the vinvolved programme widens access and increases participation in
volunteering activity.
Examples of vinvolved projects:
Generating Choices for Life for Young People, Ingol and Tanterton
Action Group, Preston
The Generating Choices for Life for Young People vinvolved project in
Preston will create 225 opportunities for young people to volunteer.
A huge range of activities are on offer, including organising summer
festivals, delivering DJ workshops, developing internet cafes for the
community and coaching sports groups. The project, which is being run
by Ingol and Tanterton Action Group, will also have an intergenerational
element which aims to bridge the gap and foster better relationships
between younger and older people.
Artemis project, Mansfield Volunteer Centre, Mansfield
The Artemis (Alternative Routes to Training, Employment and Social
Involvement) project of the Mansfield Volunteer Centre is being funded
through the vinvolved programme to develop volunteering opportunities in
Mansfield for young offenders and ex-offenders. The aim is to develop
opportunities that will tap into young people's passions and interests
including graffiti art and conservation where volunteers will help
re-vitalise areas of the local community affected by vandalism or
neglect. Another volunteering opportunity involves community culinary
events which will bring diverse groups together at a neighbourhood level
through a celebration of food and entertainment. Over three years, the
project aims to create 190 short-term, 80 part-time and 30 full-time
volunteering opportunities for young people.
For further information about the scheme please visit the v
website [external website].
