Volunteering England comments on Cameron's Citizen Service
Justin Davis Smith, Acting Chief Executive of Volunteering England, commented on David Cameron’s National Citizen’s Service for the 21st Century:
“Volunteering England welcomes any initiative that encourages more young people to become involved in their communities, such as the Conservative’s proposed ‘Citizen’s Service’. However, we would like to see more clarity regarding the terminology used: volunteering, charity work and National Citizens’ service are often used interchangeably. There needs to be further guidance on the boundaries between compulsory service and volunteering, how these activities might be delivered and how this would complement existing volunteering infrastructure and the work of V, Millennium Volunteers and other programmes.
“Volunteering England also has concerns that some volunteer-involving organisations which may be perceived as being less youth friendly may lose out to specialist youth opportunity providers. We are also keen that volunteering should not be perceived as just a tool for delivering public services, developing citizenship and delivering educational outcomes. Volunteering is about transforming lives and communities through people’s freely given time, passion and commitment and we hope that any new policy or initiative will be cemented by this understanding.”
