This presentation, entitled 'Involving Young People as Volunteers', was developed by London Youth and Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets and looks at: •The myths, challenges, benefits and opportunities of working with young volunteers •Designing volunteer roles that will interest young people and benefit your organisation •Legal issues that organisations should be aware of when working with young volunteers •Practical hints and tips on recruiting and retaining young volunteers For further information contact Matt Dronfield at London Youth on 020 7549 8800 or email hello@londonyouth.org.uk. You can also tweet Matt @MattDronfield.

1. Involving Young People
As Volunteers
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
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2. Introductions
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓ Name
✓ Organisa+on you are from
✓ Briefly what you already do
with young people as
volunteers
On a sticky:
What you would
like to get from
today’s session?
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3. Myths Quiz
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
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4. Previous Experiences
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓ On your tables discuss
good and bad previous
experiences of involving
young people in your
organisa+on
✓ You have ten minutes
before we feed back
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5. Motivations
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Why do young people volunteer?
Source: Do-­‐it Volunteer Sa+sfac+on Survey 2011, Youthnet
Primary mo+va+ons for volunteering for the
16-­‐25 age group were:
• To gain work experience (83%)
• To gain or improve skills (78%)
• To help other people (75%)
• To learn new things (71%)
• Do something posi+ve with spare +me (64%)
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6. Motivations
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Student volunteering motivations
Source: Burs+ng the Bubble -­‐ Students Volunteering and the Community (Brewis, Russell and
Holdsworth, 2010)
✓ 95% -­‐ desire to improve things or help people
✓ 88% – to develop skills
✓ 83% – to gain work experience
✓ 49% -­‐ looking to enhance learning from their university course through
volunteering
✓ Women, younger students and students from less advantaged backgrounds are
more mo+vated to volunteer to enhance their employability
✓ BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) students, students from post-­‐1992 HEIs, students
with dependents and those who did not move away to university are more
mo+vated to volunteer by reasons connected to their personal values
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7. FLEXIVOL
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
An useful acronym of what young people have said would encourage them to volunteer
✓ FLEXIBILITY – in both +me and commitment
✓ LEGITIMACY – they need to know it’s worthwhile
✓ EASE OF ACCESS – there are barriers, many young people simply don’t know how to start
volunteering or who to contact
✓ EXPERIENCE – young people want relevant, useful experience and the chance to learn new skills
✓ INCENTIVES – what’s in it for them? Skills, add to CV
✓ VARIETY – both the type of work and the level of commitment
✓ ORGANISATION – volunteering needs to be both efficient and informal
✓ LAUGHS – volunteering must be fun
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8. Motivations
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Barriers to volunteering
✓They don’t know how to become involved
✓Lack of +me
✓Feel they can’t make a commitment
✓Lack of interest
✓No one asked them
✓Don’t know what they’ll gain
✓Don’t feel needed
✓Lack of transporta+on/support
✓Don’t think its cool
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9. Motivations
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
But remember...
Young people are not a homogenous group!
Ages, cultures, backgrounds, interests, mo+va+ons,
physical abili+es,
Support needs, levels of confidence, personality types
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10. Creating Rewarding Roles
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓ What the commitment is
✓ What they will be required
to do
✓ How the volunteer will
personally benefit
✓ How their contribu+ons will
help your organisa+on and
the community
✓ How long the commitment
is for
✓ Support they will receive
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11. Attracting Young People
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓Clear and accessible informa+on
✓Explain the bigger picture and breadth of roles
✓Be as specific as you can
✓Highlight what will they get out of it
✓Adverts should be fresh & appealing
✓Language and tone
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12. Attracting Young People
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Language and Tone
Ac+ve, fun and exci+ng
Sign up, get involved, join in, be special, come
forward, help out, speak up, stand up, step
forward, a chance, an opportunity, a place, a
posi+on, par+cipate, make a difference,
campaign, assist, support, engage, devote, offer,
pitch in, try, a challenge, share, lead, link up, get
ac+ve, give +me.
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13. Attracting Young People
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓Outreach: freshers fairs, community centres
✓Through Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets
✓Find out how they like to keep in touch
✓Use your current young volunteers (in person, film, photos
and quotes)
✓Respond immediately to inquiries
✓Be family friendly
✓Value what they have already done
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14. Retaining Young Volunteers
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
✓ Remember why they young
person chose to volunteer
with you
✓ Ensure regular catch-­‐ups
✓ Peer support
✓ Dedicated contact
✓ Genng volunteers
feedback
✓ Accredita+on
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15. Legalities
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Mohammed is 18 and has been volunteering with a small
charity, Play Today, for two years. While at school he
volunteered for 3 hours on Friday mornings when he had a free
period. He recently leo school and is now volunteering 3 days a
week. He is claiming job seekers allowance. Play Today give him
£5 per day for lunch and bus fare.
What are the issues?
What are the solutions?
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16. Legalities
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Carol is 15 and has been volunteering with Play Today for three months. She
seems very mature and capable, and has been running a drama group every
Tuesday and Thursday evening for groups of seven-­‐ten year olds. The session is
three hours long. As it finishes late in the evening, a member of staff gives Carol a
lio home.
For the first two sessions, a member of staff ran the drama group with her.
However, another aoer school club has started on a Tuesday evening, and the
staff member divides her +me between the two sessions.
Carol has not had a criminal record check (DBS check).
What are the issues?
What are the solutions?
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17. Celebrating Success
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
Formal
✓ Volunteer events (for example, a ‘thank you
event’ as part of Volunteers’ Week)
✓ Cer+ficates (could be an annual ‘thank you’,
or aoer a fixed term, such as comple+on of
a specific number of volunteering hours)
✓ Accredita+on, such as NVQs etc
✓ Invite volunteers to mee+ngs that affect
them, such as staff mee+ngs if appropriate
✓ Invite volunteers on to working groups etc.
(Again, if there are internal issues affec+ng
volunteers, they should be involved in the
process.)
Informal
✓ Saying ‘thank you’
✓ Making sure they have enough tasks to do
every day.
✓ Including them in social events
✓ Going out for lunch, to the pub etc.
✓ Consul+ng on informal masers, such as
where the new no+ce board should go
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18. Evaluation & Next Steps...
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
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19. Involving Young People
As Volunteers
@LondonYouth
@VCTowerHamlets
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