Youth Volunteering

This Specialist Theme of the Good Practice Bank is here to help volunteer-involving organisations find resources and helpful links on working with younger volunteers.

You may also like to browse the general resources in the Good Practice Bank's Core Themes. They cover topics such as 'Equal Opportunities and Diversity', 'Protection and Safeguarding of Vulnerable Clients' and 'Creating Volunteer Roles'. Visit the Good Practice Bank index to find a full list of themes.

Overview

The UK has seen a particular focus on youth volunteering in recent years, especially through the Millennium Volunteers scheme launched in 1999, the Russell Commission's framework for youth action and engagement published in 2005 and the new youth volunteering charity V launched in 2006.

Some important themes in youth volunteering include increasing social inclusion and community participation, creating ownership through youth-led opportunities and recognising young volunteers through specific awards and accreditation. Organisations wanting to involve young volunteers also need to deal with a range of legal and practical matters when deciding what roles are suitable or adaptable for a particular age group.

Articles

Legal Issues and Youth Volunteering - VE article
Active Citizens in Schools - IVR report
Millennium Volunteers Evaluation - IVR report
What Young People Want From Volunteering - IVR bulletin
Young Adults and Voluntary Arts - Voluntary Arts Network (external link, PDF)
Young People's Volunteering and Skills Development - National Youth Agency and Department for Education and Skills
summary version (PDF) or full report (PDF)

Examples, Samples and Templates

Real life examples

Example Documents for Registering Organisations - FOCUS vinvolved Leicester (PDFs)

Please note that Volunteering England has not produced the 'real life example' documents listed directly above and is therefore unable to take responsibility for the content. Volunteering England and the organisations that contribute example documents to the Good Practice Bank can accept no responsibility for how they are used. They are presented as examples of good practice, but it is every volunteer-involving organisation's responsibility to ensure that their volunteers are safe, and that policies and procedures meet current legal requirements. For further information about the resources listed in the Good Practice Bank, please visit our 'top tips' page