Youth Volunteering
If you are aged 16-25 and fancy doing something different then why not give volunteering a go?
Volunteering? What’s it all about?
Volunteering is for everyone and is done by everyone.
If you're applying to college or University, volunteer work could be one of the things which enhances your UCAS personal statement and makes it stand out from the crowd.
Volunteering can and does boost your self-esteem, helps you meet new people, helps you make new friends and looks good on your CV. What more could you ask for?
What’s in it for me?
Add up the time you'd usually spend doing something a lot less interesting and spend it doing something which will make you feel good about yourself as well as make others feel good about themselves
What kind of thing are we talking about?
Help a community organisation, or just make a contribution doing something that doesn't have to seem like work at all! You could even get some friends together and I’ll try & help you achieve whatever it is you want to do.
Do I get paid?
Not usually, apart from travel expenses and so on.
How long do I have to volunteer for?
It's pretty dependent on the opportunity, and on how much of your time you're prepared to give. It can be anything from a one-off thing to a set number of days a week to weeks in themselves.
Who will I be volunteering with?
Again, it depends on the type of thing you’re doing and who you’re doing it for.
What kind of information will I need to give out?
When you sign up with us or with an organisation you’ll have to give out some of your personal details -- name, address, phone number, email; that kind of stuff. If you want to take up a particular type of voluntary work, for example with children, you will have to undergo a police check.
I’m stuck… Help!
If you need any support, the best people to ask are the people you’re volunteering with. They should be qualified to answer any questions you might have. If they’re not, or you’re having difficulties for any reason, then contact Frances Barry.
Text: 07770834593
Email/MSN: Frances Barry
Phone: 01685 353900
You can also pop in and see me at the:
Volunteer Centre
Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil,
89-90 High Street,
Merthyr Tydfil
Many thanks to the Power of 5 and the Volunteer Centre Edinburgh for letting us reproduce their content.
Russell Commission
The Russell Commission was established to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement.
On 16 March 2005 the Commission published the national framework detailing its recommendations. The framework is applicable across the United Kingdom however takes account of volunteering being a devolved issue. In Wales this means that the final decisions on its implementation are being taken by the Welsh Assembly Government.
The purpose of the framework
“The purpose of the national framework is to deliver a step change in the diversity, quality, and quantity of young people’s volunteering. It will respond to the demand from young people to volunteer in their communities, and to the good will that exists in the private and voluntary and community sectors to support volunteering.
It will broaden access to volunteering opportunities, enhance the benefits that young people can get from volunteering, and raise the value that society places upon their contribution. It will transform the number of young people who engage in volunteering, enabling them to participate in volunteering activities that they find personally rewarding, and that are of measurable benefit to local communities. This will help to embed a culture of volunteering among the young which will continue to pay dividends, for them and their communities, in later life”. (Russell Commission Report 2005)
In Wales £3 million has been allocated to take forward the recommendations over the next 3 years.
Through the Russell Commission 22 Youth Volunteering Advisors have been employed throughout the County Voluntary Council’s in Wales.
Frances Barry is the Youth Volunteering Advisor based at VAMT.
