The document discusses engaging young people in volunteering. It notes that young people are motivated to volunteer by opportunities that fit their schedules, make volunteering seem cool, and offer variety, fun experiences, and certificates. Younger generations want short-term, flexible opportunities to volunteer with friends using new technologies. The document recommends promoting causes through social media, offering various micro-volunteering activities, and establishing youth advisory boards to engage more young people in volunteering.

1. Young People and Volunteering
Sophie Wellings
AVM Conference – 24th October 2014

2. Young People & Volunteering
• What motivates young people to
volunteer?
• Why do we want to involve young
people?

3. Vanishing Volunteers
Katherine Gaskin
Flexible – opportunities that fit with their timetables
Legitimacy – making volunteering ‘cool’
Ease of access - effective promotion of volunteering
‘Xperience - relevant and interesting
Incentives - certificates
Variety - choice
Organisation – informal
Laughs - fun

4. Engaging Gen X & Y in volunteering
Gen X – 1964- 1977
Resourceful, self sufficient
Pragmatic
Flexible, comfortable with autonomy
Gen Y – 1978 – 1994
Valued, coddled
Tolerant to difference, value education and training

5. Engaging Gen X & Y in volunteering
Gen Xers
• may not buy into their parents’ optimism about changing
the world.
• feel capable of helping one person.
• may prefer to focus on local, not global issues, on
tangible results, not idealism.
Gen Yers
• look for variety, stimulation and "push button" action.
• are searching for their causes.
• exhibit a strong interest in volunteering.

6. Attracting Gen Yers
• Promote your cause/mission or issue
• Focus on issues that represent the interests of the
community rather than individuals.
• Promote collaboration, team spirit and diversity.
• Offer multiple options, parallel opportunities instead of
asking people to commit to one thing.
• Offer a variety of exciting and challenging experiences.

7. Millenials/Nexters
• Tech savvy
• Walk, talk, listen, type and text
• Simple priorities – they come first
• Hard working
• Clever/resourceful
• Signed up to volunteering

8. Millenials/Nexters
• Micro, one-off,
short term opportunities
• Group activities/with friends
• Easy access
• Self directed
• New technology, social media

9. Monitoring
• Demographic profile – age, gender, ethnicity,
faith, disability, status, sexuality
• Comparison with local community
• Accuracy of data
• How and where is management information
shared?
• How is data analysed?

10. Breaking down barriers
Who do we need to involve?
How do we involve them?

11. Be Proactive
• Outreach
• Social media/new technology
• Fundraising, campaigning, peer programmes,
co-production, micro activity
• Young people’s steering/advisory group
• Interesting/quirky/efficient
• Profiling
• Certificates

12. • Insurance cover
• Consent
• References
• Recognition
• Profiling
• Health and safety
• Induction/training

13. Step up to Serve
• Campaign to promote ‘social action’
• The goal is to double the number of young people
participating in social action to over 50% by 2020.
• Pledge
• www.stepuptoserve.org.uk

14. Action Plan
3 things you can do to involve young people as
volunteers

15. References:
Vanishing Volunteers – Katherine Gaskin
http://www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/vanishing-volunteers
Gen X and Y as Volunteers
www.volunteeringwa.org.au
Presented by Sophie Wellings
Email: wellings179@btinternet.com
Tel: 07910 820596