Young leaders for active communities

Young Leaders for Active Communities A model for youth volunteering Contents The issue An overview of ContinYou Methodology Summary of main findings from feasibility study Recommendations A proposed model for youth volunteering in Wales Essential elements of the Young Volunteers Task Group The role of the Young Volunteers Task Group Leadership and the Young Volunteers Task Group Accreditation Providing support for the Young Volunteers Task Group How will the model increase volunteering? Engaging ‘the disengaged’ Anticipated outcomes from developing the Young Volunteers Task Group The Young Volunteers Task Group in practice Delivery timetable Appendices Appendix 1: Links with Russell Commission findings Appendix 2: Review of the literature Appendix 3: Working definitions Appendix 4: Review of providers & facilitators for volunteering opportunities Appendix 5: Young people involved in the consultation Appendix 6: Individuals & organisations consulted 2 Young Leaders for Active Communities: a model for youth volunteering The issue The Russell Commission reported in 2006 on the development of a strategy for Youth Volunteering in the UK. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is taking forward its recommendations in Wales. As part of this work, ContinYou Cymru was successful in March 2007 in its application for funding to carry out a feasibility study to test out new and innovative ways of engaging young people in volunteering. The feasibility study tested the potential for developing a range of volunteering opportunities for young people through taking part in a young leaders programme, and through linking with Out-of-school-hours learning (oshl) and Community Focused Schools (CFS) developments. The aim has been to look at whether this approach can support the development of a ‘bank’ of young volunteers, who will be trained as young leaders to plan, manage, lead and deliver Oshl and CFS activities for children, young people and others in their communities, and to engage other young people in volunteering (see Appendix 3 for definitions of CFS and Oshl). Whilst the feasibility study has focused on gathering the views of young people aged 12-16 to inform future working, the learning points and key messages from the study apply to developing opportunities for young people aged 12-25. Young people were consulted as part of the feasibility study, and the consultations were planned and delivered in partnership between the University of the First Age and ContinYou Cymru. The UFA is an educational charity, primarily working in England, and that works in partnership to develop the confidence, achievement and potential of young people through extended learning opportunities. The study has looked at addressing the main themes of the Russell Commission: • improving access to volunteering • involving young people in the design and implementation of volunteering activities • producing diverse and quality opportunities • offering real development in terms of community cohesion • recognising the achievement of young volunteers • increasing the appreciation and value of volunteering in educational institutions. The study was carried out between April 2007 and February 2008 and considers the potential of developing a model on a Wales-wide basis. Appendix 1 sets out the findings of the feasibility study alongside some of the Russell Commission’s recommendations. 3 An overview of ContinYou ContinYou uses learning to tackle inequality and build social inclusion through creating new opportunities for learning for people of all ages, especially those who have gained least from formal education and training. ContinYou Cymru carries out the charity’s work in Wales. Current areas of work include: • Supporting Community Focused Schools (SCFS): this service provides support to all 22 Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in Wales to support their CFS developments, and includes developing a range of supporting resources. This is grant-funded by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). • Oshl: providing support to all LEAs in Wales to develop Oshl provision across their areas, including developing a range of supporting resources. This is grant-funded by the WAG. • Volunteering for Active Communities: a pilot programme, being delivered together with North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), and funded by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action’s (WCVA) Wales: the Active Community, to accredit volunteering by adults in Oshl and CFS activities. • Cymru Cooks: a two-year project funded by WAG as part of the implementation of its Food and Fitness Plan to support the development of cookery clubs in all LEA areas. • Pyramid Programme: The Pyramid programme became part of ContinYou in September 2007. Pyramid aims to support quiet, withdrawn, isolated children, between 5 and 12 years of age, who find it difficult to make friends, to develop their social and emotional competence and wellbeing through Oshl clubs. ContinYou Cymru also benefits from being part of the wider organisation. In 2003, ContinYou carried out a study for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in England on developing and delivering the Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS) programme. The Millennium Volunteers Programme for 16-24 year olds was already proving successful but the DfES wanted to pilot work to extend volunteering opportunities to a younger age group. ContinYou worked with ten schools across England to deliver a pilot programme. A review of the outcomes of that successful pilot can be seen in Appendix 2. ContinYou has also delivered the innovative Young Leaders in the Community, a DfES sponsored programme in which young people aged 16 to 19 were employed and trained. The young people who took part included those who had been involved with a range of community-based organisations, such as Neighbourhood Support Fund projects, faith groups and Millennium Volunteers projects, as well as others who had shown enthusiasm and a willingness to assist in running these projects. The programme was launched in March 2002 with 40 young people working and delivering programmes in a range of settings, including community centres, advice and information programmes, youth federations, mosques, afterschool projects, and truancy programmes. A review of this programme can be found in Appendix 2. ContinYou’s strengths lie in its ability to: • produce resources and guidance documents alongside offering practical support and training • pilot and evaluate projects at the leading edge of learning development. ContinYou is always eager to identify and explore new ideas, especially when they promote, enable and support increased participation in wider learning opportunities. This opportunity is an ideal platform from which to develop a model to engage more young people in more diverse and quality volunteering opportunities that link to existing and new CFS and Oshl developments. 4 Methodology • Review of current programmes, practice and literature to establish a baseline on which to develop a model of volunteering that would bring together the school age group of young people (now referred to as 12-15 age group) and the 16-25 year olds, who are the Russell Commission target group (see Appendix 2). • Consultation with organisations across Wales involved in creating and developing volunteering opportunities for young people (see Appendix 6). • A focus group meeting of CFS and Oshl representatives from four Local Education Authorities (LEAs) was held on 17 July 2007 (see Appendix 6). • Two consultation events with young people from Porth County Community School, Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) and Ysgol Y Preseli, Pembrokeshire. Consultation events These consultation events sought the views of young people, some of whom were members of their school councils, and introduced them to the principles of a young leaders programme. These days were jointly planned and delivered by Jerry Murland, ContinYou Cymru and Liz Lowenstein, University of the First Age (UFA). The UFA is an educational charity, primarily working in England, which works in partnership to develop the confidence, achievement and potential of young people through extended learning opportunities. An identical programme was used for both events (see Appendix 5 for list of young people who attended). Consultation day 1 – Porth County Community School, RCT, 31 October 2007 An 11-18 co-educational school for 1423 pupils, including 236 students in the sixth form: the school serves the town of Porth and the nearby villages situated in the lower Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr valleys. The community served by the school is economically disadvantaged and lies within an Objective 1 area, with four of the five political wards that the school serves designated Communities First areas. The socio-economic indicators derived from the census confirm the level of deprivation within the area served by the school. Sixteen students between the ages of 13 and 17 gave up one day of their half term holiday to take part in the consultation day. Also in attendance were: Nicky Cornwall, Oshl Co-ordinator, RCT; Sue Phillips, representing Ffamwaith (RCT’s Children and Young People’s Partnership); Rhodri Thomas, Volunteer Development Officer, Interlink; and Fflur Rees, Youth Service, RCT. Consultation day 2 – Ysgol Y Preseli, Pembrokeshire, 21 November 2007 An 11 to 18 bilingual comprehensive school for nearly 800 pupils, maintained by Pembrokeshire County Council: the school is situated in the small town of Crymych and serves a wide catchment area. Currently, it admits pupils from about 30 primary schools. Three-quarters of the pupils come from rural areas and the remainder from small towns. Roughly 40 per cent of pupils come from homes where Welsh is the main language; all pupils speak the language either as a first language or to a comparable standard. All subjects, with the exception of mathematics and science, are taught through the medium of Welsh up to GCSE. Twelve students aged between 11 and 17 attended the whole day and four others attended part of the day. Also in attendance were: Luci Attala, Department of Voluntary Sector Studies, University of Wales, Lampeter; Jean Morris, Youth Volunteering Officer, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services; Rodney Parish, West and Mid-Wales Widening Access Partnership; Alastair Birch, Oshl Coordinator, Pembrokeshire County Council. 5 Summary of main findings from feasibility study The main learning points and key messages from the feasibility study point towards: • establishing a Young Volunteers Task Group (YVTG) that is supported to plan, develop and lead volunteering opportunities in a community (It is proposed that the YVTG would cover the community of a school cluster (typically a secondary school and its feeder primaries; it would draw upon the leadership potential within school councils and those young people who have left statutory education, but who remain within the brief of the Youth Volunteering Officers – see diagram 1.) • developing an approach that combines the talents and enthusiasm of the current volunteering population aged 16-25 and those still within statutory education, aged 12-15 • the notion that young people of secondary school age need to be more formally involved in a programme of preparation for volunteering before they reach the age of 16 in order for early enthusiasm to be harnessed and developed • an accredited young leaders programme delivered to the members of the YVTG (This can develop the inter-personal skills of young people to create young community leaders, engage more young people in volunteering and create diverse and quality learning opportunities.) • how any proposed model for increasing volunteering amongst young people must be one that can be adapted to meet the specific needs of local communities, whether they are urban, valleys, rural or semi rural • the link between volunteering and developing cohesive communities being a strong one (Consequently, a locally developed approach to volunteering is a powerful platform on which to involve local agencies, organisations and communities. If volunteering in the community is to be developed and become embedded in the psyche of young people then it must take into consideration the willingness of all young people to become part of the process and not exclude those young people still in statutory education.) • agreement amongst the Youth Volunteering Officers consulted that if the enthusiasm of the 12-15 year old age group is not harnessed and channelled into action there is a great danger of losing potential volunteers before they reach the age of 16 (A youth volunteering programme that includes the statutory school age group is crucial in embedding a lifelong ethos and culture of volunteering.) • the importance of involving young people themselves in the design and implementation of their volunteering activity (Consultations found that whilst there are existing opportunities for young people to volunteer, it wasn’t always easy to identify or access these opportunities. The volunteering opportunities for those young people who had volunteered were usually organised through the school or local clubs. There does not seem to be a coherent structure for youth volunteering. Evidence suggests that some of the most successful and inspirational volunteering experiences are those that are led by young people.). 6 Diagram 1: A model for youth volunteering in the community Young Volunteers Task Group Made up of young people in the community aged 12-25 – (young-person led) Secondary School council Millennium Volunteers aged 16-24 Primary School Primary School Special School Other community groups Support & guidance: Youth Service Support & guidance: Seconded professional Further Education S d 7 Recommendations 1 That two pilot programmes to develop a Youth Volunteering Task Group (YVTG) model, funded over a three year period and project managed by ContinYou Cymru, are developed in two different LEA areas. 2 That an accredited young leaders programme is designed and delivered to the members of the YVTGs, initially delivered by ContinYou Cymru. To build local capacity and support sustainability, local representatives would be trained to deliver subsequent programmes (e.g. teachers, youth workers, representatives of voluntary youth organisations, community development workers). 3 That each YVTG manages a small budget to support such activities as holding award ceremonies for YVTG members who successfully complete the young leaders training, local marketing and publicity and developing information hubs. 4 That dissemination of good practice and progress is updated regularly and delivered nationally through: - the ContinYou website (www.continyou.org.uk), and through links with other relevant websites, and - through the production of mini-guide and a ‘how to’ Toolkit to highlight lessons learnt and good practice as a guide to develop the YVTG model in other areas. Examples of existing ContinYou mini-guides can be found at www.continyou.org.uk/miniguides. 5 That a national conference is held at the end of the three-year period to: - launch the ‘toolkit for young volunteers’, and - consider the evidence and information from the two pilot programmes in relation to developing the model in all 22 LEA areas. A proposed model for youth volunteering in Wales Is there a need for a new structure? If volunteering in the community is to be developed and become embedded in the psyche of young people it must be accepted that all young people should have the opportunity to volunteer. Currently young people of statutory secondary school age up to the age of 15 have very few opportunities to become volunteers. Some secondary schools do run volunteering programmes but these are teacherled and initiated with very little, if any, devolved responsibility to the young people involved. The link between volunteering and developing cohesive communities is a strong one. However, it is essential that the local approach to community cohesion is developed and owned by local agencies, organisations and communities. Volunteering opportunities for young people aged 16 and over increase dramatically and come under the umbrella of the Millennium Volunteers. However what is clear is the relatively large number of young people that lose their initial willingness to volunteer by the time they have left statutory education. Additionally, consultations have shown that if young people at risk of disaffection are engaged in volunteering through a peer led structure during statutory education, there is a greater chance of harnessing their energies into more constructive and worthwhile activities post 16. 8 Key messages • It quickly became clear from the consultations with those who are currently working with volunteers and young people that there is a need for a continuum of volunteering that begins with the 12-15 year old age group. ‘It is so important to engage young people while they are at school.’ Jean Morris, Youth Volunteering Officer, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services. • There is agreement amongst the Youth Volunteering Officers consulted that if the enthusiasm of the 12-15 year old age group is not harnessed and channelled into action there is a great danger of losing potential volunteers before they reach the age of 16. There is a need for a programme of preparation for the younger age group in order to embed a culture of volunteering. • Young people who are still at school are very willing to volunteer in their own communities, they understand what volunteering is and they are generally community-minded. Here are some comments they put forward when asked what they thought the problems were in engaging young people in volunteering. ‘We don’t know where or how to volunteer.’ ‘There isn’t any advertising of places to volunteer.’ ‘People don’t know what they have to do.’ ‘Where can I volunteer? ‘Lack of interesting opportunities.’ • Those young people (aged 12-15) that had volunteered their time enjoyed their experience but had not been able to follow it up with further volunteering opportunities. ‘It’s easy to volunteer if an adult sorts it all out for you but you get more out of it if you arrange it yourself.’ ‘Our Young Farmer’s Club arranged my volunteering.” We could think of a lot of things that need doing if they would let us get on with it.’ • The consultations also drew attention to the high proportion of girls and young women who volunteer in comparison to their male counterparts. The young people consulted said: ‘Boys won’t volunteer for something that isn’t macho.’ ‘Boys are more conscious of what they do and how they look.’ ‘Girls are more people smart.’ ‘Girls are more emotionally intelligent.’ ‘In general, boys can be more selfish in their thinking.’ ‘Girls can think in a wider perspective.’ ‘Boy’s don’t think it’s cool to volunteer.’ • When asked about their community involvement and what they saw as important in creating cohesive communities, the young people said: ‘I want to help in our community but apart from walking our neighbour’s dog there isn’t anything I’m allowed to do.’ ‘I’d like get involved in sports coaching at the junior school.’ ‘We need to show the older people that kids can do loads of things to help.’ ‘We are just as responsible as anyone else but we can’t show it.’ ‘Volunteering would bring all sorts of people together and get them talking.’ ‘There is nothing for us to do around here and people see us as causing trouble.’ 9 Essential elements of the Young Volunteers Task Group (YVTG) This model is based on the premise that it will: • increase the number of young people volunteering • promote community cohesion • draw upon the leadership potential of young people in school councils and those who have left statutory education (but are within the brief of the Youth Volunteering Officers) • enable volunteering opportunities to be planned and developed by young people, and linked with CFS and Oshl developments so that they are opportunities young people want to do and are relevant to them. The YVTG would draw its membership from: • school council members • representatives from Millennium Volunteers • students in Further and Higher Education • young people from faith groups • young people living and working in the community. Support and guidance to develop the YVTG in each pilot area would be provided from: • ContinYou Cymru • a seconded professional to establish, co-ordinate and support the work of the YVTG • youth volunteering officers • the Youth Service • members of the local community, local community organisations and community workers • school staff. Post pilots, it is anticipated that ongoing support and guidance will be offered through the Youth Service and Youth Volunteering Officers as part of their role. The consultation process lent further support to the notion that the YVTG should remain outside the jurisdiction of the school curriculum. This is underlined by the lessons learnt from the ACiS evaluation in England, which strongly suggests that a student led approach to volunteering activities secured a greater take-up amongst young people. The role of the Young Volunteers Task Group (YVTG) The YVTG would address three areas in its work as a co-ordinating steering group: • to identify volunteering opportunities in the community through auditing and consultation (many volunteering opportunities within a community only require identification. The YVTG, in working with community and volunteering organisations, will enable young people to plan, manage and fill volunteering opportunities for themselves and other young volunteers, linking with schools’ CFS and Oshl developments) • produce a menu of volunteering opportunities in line with Russell Commission Recommendation 6 that young people should have access to a menu of opportunity, with details of the full range of volunteering activities 10 (such a menu will identify, support and publicise the range of opportunities that exist in schools and in communities through CFS and Oshl developments) • recruit, facilitate and motivate other young people to engage in volunteering activities through peer networks such as school councils, student unions, faith groups, parish councils and local youth organisations (evidence suggests that half of all young volunteers become involved in activities on the advice or recommendation of friends). Leadership and the Young Volunteers Task Group There is no doubt that the leadership potential of young people is often underestimated and undervalued. Youth leadership in the context of this study involves young people in the planning and management of volunteering opportunities. A leadership programme for young people must be seen as being at the heart of enabling young people to realise their potential. It will build the necessary skills, confidence and motivation for young people to engage directly with the wider community. It enables young people to become advocates for their own needs and the needs of others. It lies at the heart of building cohesive communities through citizenship. The consultation days with young people included a young leaders training module. At the end of the day they were asked: ‘What makes a good leader?’ ‘Someone who respects and listens to other people.’ ‘A person who encourages people in a calm and sensible way.’ ‘Someone who gives feedback.’ ‘Someone who makes supportive comments.’ ‘A person who helps and tutors other people.’ Accreditation When the young people were asked whether they would engage in an accredited young leaders programme they responded: ‘I think a leadership programme would really help me to work with other people.’ ‘Some of the things we have done today have really made me think about other people’s feelings.’ ‘A leadership programme would make me more confident.’ ‘I was really scared when we started but at the end of the day I really enjoyed it.’ ‘It was great, I really enjoyed it.’ From the findings of the feasibility study, it is proposed that the young leaders’ programme be an accredited programme. This could be similar to the ASDAN accredited 30 hour programme, that can be added to other awards and qualifications. Such a course would encourage young people to work with others on planning and undertaking projects, and would build the necessary skills, confidence and motivation for young people to engage directly in the wider community. It is anticipated that it will enable young people to become advocates for their own needs and the needs of others, and lies at the heart of building cohesive communities through citizenship. The accreditation element should mesh in with awards and qualifications that are currently used to accredit volunteering and related activities. 11 Providing support for the Young Volunteers Task Group It is right and crucial that young people are given the responsibility for the design and implementation of their volunteering activities. However, consultations also recognised that the YVTG would need initial and ongoing support and guidance from relevant professionals to make it a sustainable model. To this end it is proposed that: • a seconded professional to initially work with each YVTG in the pilot areas, in the role of a development worker, to set up structures, procedures, facilitate access to key partners and to source with supporting and developing volunteering opportunities (The seconded worker would ideally come from an existing volunteering organisation in the local area.) • additional support be given by Youth Service workers and ContinYou Cymru who are experienced in working with diverse groups of young people and have experience in the field of volunteering • ongoing support be given by the Youth Service and Youth Volunteering Officers especially, so that this model becomes a natural way of working and organising local youth volunteering opportunities. How will the model increase volunteering? The YVTG will allow a greater access to a range of volunteering opportunities designed and implemented by young people for young people, and to existing and new CFS and Oshl developments. It will create opportunities for accreditation and further open the door for unemployed young people to become involved in new opportunities that may ultimately lead to employment. By developing and opening up a volunteering information hub (developed by the YVTG), a wide range of volunteering opportunities potentially become available, for example: • Out of school hours learning (which respond to locally needs but may include e.g. cookery, ICT, arts) • Classroom and curriculum support • Grounds maintenance and gardening • Sports coaching in a number of settings, including schools and clubs. • Playground play leaders As schools become more community focused the range of volunteering opportunities that interface directly with the community increase: • adult learning • peer mentoring • anti-social behaviour prevention • youth work • local clubs • community gardens • improving the school environment • intergenerational learning opportunities 12 Engaging ‘the disengaged’ When discussing the question of why more girls than boys volunteer, young girls in the consultation said: ‘It’s not cool for boys to volunteer, they get pressured by their mates’ ‘Boys feel pressure to be macho and feel that being sensitive is not the done thing.’ ‘Boys tend to be more selfish.’ ‘Boy’s think most voluntary projects are stupid. Pressured by their friends.’ ‘Girls are more emotionally intelligent.’ Young boys said: ‘I never see any volunteering that I want to get involved in.’ ‘I’d like to coach Rugby.” ‘Boys are more conscious of what they do and how it will look.’ ‘Maybe its laziness.’ ‘I’d do it if I though it was worthwhile, not because my teacher says I should do it.’ It is anticipated that this model will make inroads into the national statistic relating to the small numbers of boys and young men volunteering in their communities, particularly those young people who are at risk of disaffection. One avenue that may well engage more males in volunteering is sports coaching. Sports Leaders UK provide a range of qualifications that are accredited to the National Qualifications Framework. Young people aged 9-13 can become Young Sports Leaders, those aged 14 or over can access the Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership and for those aged 16 or over a much wider range of sports leadership qualifications is available. Consultation with Sports Leaders UK indicate that 51 per cent of schools in Wales already run sports leaders programmes, as does the Urdd at their camps. There are no data available to indicate how many of the young people qualifying as sports leaders are currently engaged in coaching other young people. In developing the YVTG model, the intention would be to work in partnership with Sports Leaders UK. An element of this partnership would be to link sports leaders to specific coaching and leadership opportunities, which it is hoped would lead to a longer term involvement with local clubs or organisations. The General Teaching Council for Wales has already made a commitment that if a teacher wants to train to be able to run a sports leader course then it will cover supply costs and expenses. Sports Leaders UK also offers young leaders training for dance and languages, which could equally be included as part of the YVTG model. Building on the success of the Young Leaders in the Community programme delivered and managed by ContinYou in England, ContinYou Cymru would want to encourage disaffected young people in gaining young leaders and sports leadership qualifications. Linking volunteering opportunities to CFS and Oshl developments within schools and communities are likely to better engage more young people to volunteer as they are activities they want to be involved in. The audit and consultation, both with young people and other members of the community and which the YVTG would undertake, is the other key to providing further volunteering opportunities. Young people are very often more aware of the immediate social needs of the communities they live in than adults. 13 During the consultation days with young people the following opportunities for volunteering were suggested by students from both communities (their words): • helping the elderly with shopping, housework, dog walking and gardening (both) • visiting the elderly for a chat/to help with something specific (both) • working with disadvantaged children (Porth) • keeping the village common tidy (Ysgol Y Preseli) • litter patrols (both) • making a path to the shops across the common (Ysgol Y Preseli) • charity shops (Porth) • becoming a peer buddy on the school bus (Ysgol Y Preseli) • delivering residents association leaflets (Porth) • packing shopping bags for elderly people at the Spar/local shops/supermarket (both) • coaching and refereeing (both) • running a club for girls (Porth) • environmental projects to improve the area (both) • helping with Brownies (Ysgol Y Preseli) • letter writing for people who can’t read well (Ysgol Y Preseli) • helping to produce and deliver a community magazine (Porth) • answering the phone at advice centres (Ysgol Y Preseli) • being a Talking Book volunteer (Porth) • working at a play scheme in the holidays (both) • join Coastcare (Ysgol Y Preseli) • teaching disabled children to ride (Ysgol Y Preseli) • befriending a disabled person (Porth) • helping elderly/disabled/handicapped people to use a mobile phone (both) • showing elderly people, who can’t get out, how to use a computer so they can use email and shop online (both) • cleaning graffiti off bus-shelters and walls (Porth) • helping out at Rainbows and Cubs (both) • starting a community garden (Porth) • becoming a student governor (Ysgol y Preseli) What is impressive about the list of opportunities drawn up by young people from Porth County Community School and from Ysgol Y Preseli is their willingness to get involved and their knowledge of what their respective communities require. It shows a remarkable understanding of the concept of community and represents a powerful tool in creating more cohesive communities. Anticipated outcomes from developing the YVTG model • a continuum of volunteering is established involving students still in statutory education working alongside Millennium Volunteers and other groups towards a common goal • a structure for youth volunteering that can be built upon and sustained is established in the two pilot areas 14 • a toolkit that will provide other young people and communities with the information and guidance to establish YVTGs • the young leaders programme will enable young people to achieve a clearer understanding of what being an active citizen means • the young people who participate feel empowered to take a lead in their own communities through creating and managing volunteering opportunities. They will have a greater understanding, awareness and appreciation of the needs of others compared to how they felt before participating in the project • a sustainable, locally owned model, which becomes the way of organising youth volunteering opportunities. The young volunteers task group in practice For the purposes of this report, the model is illustrated around Porth County Community School in RCT (see Diagram 2). Partner organisations contributing to the model The Porth County Community School catchment area includes a number of infant and junior Schools as well as several primary schools. It also includes an all-age special school. The ‘community’, as defined in the model, can be extended to include eight surrounding schools that cater for children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and 2. Key partners include: The school council at Porth County Community School It is an effective body in giving students at the school a voice and the opportunity to contribute to the life of the school. This existing framework would be part of the local model to deliver a menu of volunteering opportunities to the 1,400 students in the school through its year and class representatives. Interlink Volunteer Bureau in Pontypridd This manages and facilitates volunteering opportunities in the area. Young people aged between 16 and 24 can volunteer for a range of opportunities that are available either at Interlink (www.interlinkret.org.uk/volunteering.html) or by visiting the Bureau. The two Youth Volunteer Officers are based at Interlink. Communities First Partnerships Although Porth County Community School is not itself within a designated Communities First Area, several of the surrounding wards are, and consequently will have Communities First Partnerships. Any new or existing volunteering opportunities will benefit from their experience and advice. Coleg Morgannwg which has six campuses in RCT Further Education students represent a large body of young people who could volunteer to a much greater degree and have an enormous impact on their communities. The Student Union has access to the student body and could deliver volunteering opportunities across its campuses. RCT’s Youth Service This a well established body and youth workers are experienced in working with disaffected young people. By encouraging disaffected young people to become part of the YVTG there is a real opportunity of effecting a change of direction for some of these young people. Faith groups Young people who are members of faith groups have an important part to play in any community and often provide a different perspective on decision making. We would hope to see them represented. 15 Diagram 2: A model for youth volunteering applied to Porth, RCT Support & guidance: Interlink Trealaw Primary School Ynyshir Infant School Alaw Primary School Ynyshir Junior School Rhondda Special School Support & guidance: RCT Youth Young Volunteers Task Group Made up of young people in the community aged 12-25 (Young person led) Millennium Volunteers – Aged 16-24 Students from Coleg Morgannwg Young people from RCT Youth Service Community Groups eg Cymmer Ward Communities First Support & guidance: Interlink 16 Delivery timetable One of the report’s recommendations is that two pilot programmes to develop Youth Volunteering Task Groups (YVTG), funded over a three-year period and project managed by ContinYou Cymru, are developed in two different LEA areas. The timetable below sets out the main activities anticipated for rolling out these pilots. The lessons learnt and information gathered from the pilots will provide a basis for rolling the model out across Wales. This timetable naturally includes the involvement of young people in all elements of the design and delivery process with the aim of developing a community volunteering structure that is led and delivered by young people in partnership with other organisations. ContinYou Cymru would project manage the development of the pilots, which would include: • phase 1 - establishing the model in the Porth community area • phase 2 - establishing the model in the Preseli area • evaluating the work in the pilot areas to inform future developments • general development work to develop a model that can be sustained and developed in other areas in Wales. Delivery timetable YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Recruit Phase 1 development worker (18 month secondment) Recruit Phase 2 development worker (18 month secondment) ContinYou Cymru to work with both pilot areas, YVTG members and partners to develop structures for local leadership and sustainability Engage local partners Engage local partners Begin youth leadership programme with new cohorts of young people in both pilot areas through a ‘train the trainer’ model. Recruit Youth Volunteering Task Group (YVTG) members Seminar for Phase 1 and Phase 2 partners to disseminate learning and key messages from minievaluation Secondment of Phase 2 development worker ends Design young leaders training programme, including accreditation Deliver young leaders training programme, including accreditation, to members of YVTG Evaluation of Phases 1 and 2 Deliver young leaders training programme to members of YVTG Audit of local volunteering opportunities (linking with CFS and Oshl developments, with partners and existing structures) Toolkit published Table continued on next page… 17 Audit of local volunteering opportunities (linking with CFS and Oshl developments, with partners and existing structures) Agree and implement system for recording volunteering time Code of Practice published Agree and implement system for recording volunteering time Development of young volunteers newsletter National conference held to: • Celebrate developments • Disseminate lessons learnt • Look at next steps including developing the model across Wales Development of young volunteers newsletter Develop local volunteering (information) hubs (linking to existing information structures) Website development – ongoing Develop local volunteering (information) hubs (linking to existing information structures) Further work on developing the Code of Practice Establish protocols, policies and procedures: • Health and safety • Safeguarding • Use of YVTG’s budget Market and roll out volunteering opportunities for young people in YVTG’s area Website development – ongoing Secondment of Phase 1 development worker ends Start work on Code of Practice for policies and procedures in developing the YVTG model Dedicated page on ContinYou’s website to inform and update about developments Develop dedicated page on ContinYou’s website to inform and update about developments Hold award ceremony for successful completion of young leaders training Hold award ceremony for successful completion of young leaders training Market and roll out volunteering opportunities for young people in YVTG’s area Market and roll out volunteering opportunities for young people in YVTG’s area Evaluate content of young leadership training programme to input into future developments Evaluate content of young leadership training programme to input into future developments Develop ‘train the trainer’ model to train locally based professionals to deliver young leaders training and accreditation to further groups Carry out mini-evaluation of Phase 1 developments to inform future developments Further work on developing the Toolkit 18 Develop ‘train the trainer’ model to train locally based professionals to deliver young leaders training and accreditation to further groups Website development – ongoing Review and consider impact of Phase 1 developments on Phase 2 developments from: • Mini-evaluation • Application of protocols, policies and procedures Start work on developing a ‘how to’ Toolkit to identify good practice and lessons learnt to guide other areas in developing the YVTG model Budget Given these elements, it is estimated that a three-year pilot programme in two LEA areas would cost between £220,000 and £240,000. 19 Appendices Appendix 1: Links with the Russell Commission’s findings The Russell Commission’s vision is of a society in which young people feel connected to their communities, seek to exercise influence over what is done and the way it is done, and are able to make a difference by having meaningful and exciting opportunities to volunteer. The Russell Commission’s aim was to develop a national framework for youth action and engagement to increase youth volunteering and civic service. It should be natural for young people to volunteer and natural for organisations to either offer young people the opportunity to volunteer or support them in doing so. In so doing, young people will develop new friendships, gain new skills and have opportunities to give greater expression to their altruism. Volunteer involving organisations will build their capacity and deliver more for their customers. Society as a whole will benefit as young people express themselves as active citizens. It benefits from the connections young people make when they volunteer – across classes, communities, neighbourhoods and generations. As a result communities will be more cohesive. While the feasibility study acknowledges the vision and scope of the sixteen Russell Commission recommendations, it has focused on the following five recommendations, which encompass the spirit and scope of the model of volunteering being proposed. Russell Commission Comment from feasibility study Recommendation 4 It should be commonplace for young people to volunteer whilst they are at school, college or in higher education Consultations found that school aged young people do want to volunteer but found it hard to access appropriate and engaging volunteering opportunities. Recommendation 6 Young people should have access to a menu of opportunity, with details of the full range of volunteering activities, The YVTG model will plan and facilitate the production of a menu of volunteering opportunities that will identify, support and publicise the range of opportunities that exist in schools and the community through the schools’ CFS and Oshl developments. Table continued on next page… 20 Recommendation 7 There should be a step change in the number of young people volunteering and the diversity of young volunteers. This will require a significant expansion in the number of available opportunities – shortterm, part-time and full-time – with effective targeting to ensure that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to volunteer. The YVTG model will allow a greater access to a range of volunteering opportunities designed and implemented by young people for young people, through linking with CFS and Oshl developments. It is anticipated that the model will especially help to make inroads into the national statistic relating to the small numbers of boys and young men volunteering in their communities, particularly those young people who are at risk of disaffection. Recommendation 9 There is untapped potential for young volunteers to give additional help within the public sector, for example in hospitals, schools, parks and sports, leisure and arts centres, to gain valuable experience and deliver tangible community benefit. There are particular opportunities to involve young people in shaping local services and as active citizens in local democracy. Consultations found that while there are existing opportunities for young people to volunteer, it wasn’t always easy to identify or access these opportunities. And, they were not necessarily the opportunities which young people wanted to participate in. The volunteering opportunities for those young people who had volunteered were usually organised through the school or local clubs. There does not seem to be a coherent structure for youth volunteering. Consultations also found that there is a need for a continuum of volunteering that begins with the 12-15 year old age group. Young people who are still at school are very willing to volunteer in their own communities, they understand what volunteering is and they are generally community-minded. There is a willingness on the part of young people to get involved and they have a knowledge of what their respective communities require. The model would allow a range of opportunities to be led by young people and responding to local needs. Recommendation 11 The opportunity to improve skills and employability is a powerful incentive for young people to volunteer. It is important to mark the contribution made by young volunteers, and to recognise the skills they learn in the course of their activity. The proposed YVTG include accredited youth leadership training programme designed specifically for young volunteers. The award is designed to encourage young people to work with others on planning and undertaking projects. Such a programme would build the necessary skills, confidence and motivation for young people to engage directly in the wider community, whilst also improving skills and employability. 21 Appendix 2: Review of the literature Communities First Communities First is the Welsh Assembly Government’s flagship programme to tackle deprivation in Wales through supporting local people to play an active role in shaping the future of their community. 142 of the most deprived areas in Wales, as identified by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 Edition, have been identified as being eligible to apply for Communities First funding. The idea that local communities should be allowed the freedom to develop their partnerships was courageous but inevitably led to problems. For example, early communications around the time of the launch of Communities First gave many people in local communities the impression that each partnership would receive a set amount of funding for Communities First activity - reinforcing the perception that Communities First was a grant aided programme, the very thing the Assembly Government was seeking to get away from. However, despite the initial problems there is now a structure and framework through which partnerships could achieve community engagement and a platform from which they will be able to engage with partners to make a real difference to community development and cohesion. Even so, there is still work to be done in building a process for local authorities, agencies and other providers to integrate Communities First priorities into their own priorities and a joint process with local communities for how this will be implemented to involve the local communities. Any proposed model for developing youth volunteering in a Communities First area must bear in mind the importance of working in co-operation with local community partnerships. Wales: A Better Country Schools and their relationships with communities are also the focus of recent policy in Wales and reflected in the education and training commitments in Wales: a Better Country (WAG, 2003). Schools are being encouraged to interface with the local communities more than previously by becoming community focused, capitalising on the outcomes for the benefit of the pupils, parent and communities. Learning Pathways 14-19 The Learning Country: Learning Pathways 14-19 (2003) aims to encourage young people to gain the skills and knowledge they need through flexible learning pathways. An integral element is the development of skills through Key Element 3, Community Participation, which is defined as ‘an experience which helps young people to understand what it is to be a citizen and to develop their self awareness about living and participating effectively and responsibly in a community.’ Local Authority 14-19 Networks, usually in the form of partnerships between the Community Consortia for Education and Training (CCETs) and Young People’s Partnerships are starting the process of constructing local plans and lists of opportunities for community participation. The Welsh Baccalaureate is also being piloted with Year 12 and 13 pupils in schools and colleges in Wales and processes and outcomes are converging with the elements of Learning Pathways 14-19. Community development and social action models of youth participation are being promoted in the Communities First areas; Funky Dragon (the Children’s and Young People’s Assembly) and Youth Forums provide a voice for young people to be involved in public decision making through participation. 22 Community Focused Schools The Welsh Assembly Government published the guidance circular on Community Focused Schools at the end of 2003. Whilst it is acknowledged that schools ‘are already providing some services for their communities’ the guidance ‘advises on how schools can build on these’. Developments in Wales have seen school management structures working more closely with their local authorities, and consulting with school staff, pupils, parents, organisations that service the community and with young people. Services for children and young people and the promotion and involvement of youth services are becoming more commonplace as schools recognise the value of working more closely with youth services. The implications of new policy initiatives require the voluntary and community sectors to examine the nature of new and existing relationships and partnerships with the schools, and how both can work together to impact positively on the outcomes for young people and their communities. Supporting Young People 11-25 in Wales Extending Entitlement: supporting young people 11-25 in Wales (2001) sets out the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to young people through its vision for a strategic approach to youth support services which enable young people to: • participate in education and training • take advantage of opportunities for employment • participate responsibly and effectively in their communities Young People, Youth Work, Youth Service In March 2007 Extending Entitlement was followed up with a National Youth Service Strategy for Wales which provided a clear vision for the future partnership between young people aged 11-15 and the national Youth Service. The March 2007 publication ‘Young People, Youth Work, The Youth Service’ provided a vision for the Youth Service in Wales as part of the WAG’s Extending Entitlement agenda. Jane Davidson, in her introduction, invited the maintained youth service and the voluntary sector to join in creating a strategic approach to developing youth provision across Wales. In setting out an entitlement for young people in Wales aged 11-25 the vision emphasises every young person’s right to a wide and varied range of opportunities to participate in volunteering and active citizenship. It also underlines their right to participate in decision-making and to be heard on all matters which concern them or have an impact on their lives by working with Funky Dragon, youth fora and school councils to enhance the network of participation opportunities for young people in Wales. Many youth organisations already work very closely with schools and these developments are opening up further opportunities for collaboration while some voluntary and community organisations work outside the statutory sector and may have had little contact with schools. As young people are common to both there is now an incentive to develop relationships to enable young people to use and record their experiences as part of their school curriculum requirements. For young people who find school life difficult this is one way that their experiences can be formally recognised. 23 Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS) In 1997 the Government launched the Millennium Volunteers (MV) with an agenda of encouraging volunteering and active citizenship among the UK population. MV aimed to encourage a diverse range of 16-24 year olds to make a sustained commitment of 200 hours of voluntary activity for the benefit of their communities, to engage them in the design and implementation of their volunteering, and to formally recognise their volunteering. Following the success of MV in 2001, the DfES established the three-year ACiS pilot in England, to extend volunteering opportunities to a younger age group. ACiS aimed to encourage 11-15 year olds in schools to make a commitment to volunteering in line with the citizenship curriculum, and to become MVs when they reached the age of 16. The objectives of the ACiS pilot were to: • provide volunteering opportunities for 11–15 year olds sustaining these into the MV age range. Young people were required to commit to 25-50 hours of volunteering. • deliver some learning outcomes relevant to the citizenship curriculum and help to engage young people in the wider democratic process. The evaluation of the pilot programme, carried out by the Institute for Volunteering Research in 2005 (Active Citizens in School: Evaluation of the DfES Pilot Programme, 2005) drew a number of conclusions, including the following, • ACiS had been successful in providing a diverse range of quality volunteering opportunities and securing take-up among young people, who were generally felt to be representative of the local school population; • There was a commitment towards developing a student-led approach and many schools had made progress towards it. Indeed, the progression from adult-led activities to young person-led was a defining feature of ACiS; • The national recognition was an important motivating factor for schools and young people and was generally valued. The recommendations of the ACiS Project were given further weight by research carried out in October 2006 by The National Youth Agency (NYA), which undertook a six-month research project (Young People’s Volunteering and Skills Development, 2006) to explore the skills, knowledge and attitudinal development that young people derive from volunteering. The research summarised four key findings, two of which are directly relevant to this study: • The fieldwork findings clearly support the evidence of the literature review that young people can and do increase their self-confidence and self-esteem, develop a range of communication skills and improve their ability to work with other people through volunteering. • Volunteering can act as a catalyst for young people to engage more effectively with other learning, or, in some cases, re-engage with formal learning or training, putting them in a position where they can develop skills and potentially gain qualifications. Youth at risk The joint paper produced in 2007 by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the South Wales Police entitled, ‘Someone to Listen, Something to Do’ , introduced a model for engaging with young people on issues pertinent to them in order to foster greater community cohesion. The model supports the concept that schools are increasingly becoming a focal point within communities for bringing 24 together a range of multi-agency services and proposes a model for more effective community policing. While the paper’s main thrust is concerned with the engagement of young people who are most at risk it does outline the development of an integrated and holistic model of service delivery for children and young people in their own communities. The paper defines young people between the ages of 0 to 25, in line with the WAG approach. The model sets out to: • maximise community engagement • create stronger partnerships with communities and key agencies • adopt a partnership approach to local issues • reduce criminality and anti-social behaviour within schools and the wider community. Young Leaders in the Community There is compelling evidence to suggest that the more disaffected and potentially anti-social youngsters can benefit from volunteering and be channelled into working with young people within their own communities. Young Leaders in the Community (Lessons from the Young Leaders in the Community Programme, ContinYou, 2006) was an innovative DfES sponsored programme in England, delivered by ContinYou, in which young people aged 16 to 19 were employed and trained. The young people who took part included those who had been involved with a range of community-based organisations, such as Neighbourhood Support Fund projects, faith groups and Millennium Volunteers projects, as well as others who had shown enthusiasm and a willingness to assist in running these projects. The programme was launched in March 2002 with 40 young people – 117 Young Leaders were recruited in total, over the three years of the programme. The young people worked and delivered programmes in a range of settings, including community centres, advice and information programmes, youth federations, mosques, after-school projects, and truancy programmes. Some of the outcomes of the project were: • Sixty-five per cent of the Young Leaders who completed the programme achieved an NVQ Level 2, and eight of these went on to gain Level 3. • Another eleven achieved the Community Sports Leadership Award, and five gained an OCN qualification in committee skills. • Twenty-seven per cent of Year 1 Young Leaders said their career aspirations had changed during the year. • Eight months after the Year 1 Young Leaders had completed the programme, 81 per cent were in employment and one was in full-time education. • Of those who were employed, 78 per cent were working in youth and community work or related projects. This has helped to reduce the staff recruitment and retention problems in the region. 25 Broad issues emerging from the literature review 1. Community development and social action models of youth participation are being promoted across Wales. There is a greater emphasis on involving young people in public decision making through participation and involving them in creating community partnerships. 2. Any proposed model for developing youth volunteering in a Communities First area must bear in mind the importance of working in co-operation with local community partnerships. 3. Schools are being encouraged to interface with the local communities more than previously by becoming community focused, capitalising on the outcomes for the benefit of the pupils, parent and communities. Services for children and young people and the promotion and involvement of youth services are becoming more commonplace as schools recognise the value of working more closely with outside providers. There is now a greater need for the voluntary and community sectors to examine the nature of new and existing relationships and partnerships with the schools, and how both can work together to impact positively on the outcomes for young people and their communities. 4. In setting out an entitlement for young people in Wales aged 11-25, the vision for the Youth Service in Wales emphasises every young person’s right to a wide and varied range of opportunities to participate in volunteering and active citizenship. It also underlines their right to participate in decisionmaking and to be heard on all matters which concern them or have an impact on their lives by working with Youth Forums and Schools Councils to enhance the network of participation opportunities for young people in Wales. 5. The lessons learnt from the ACiS evaluation strongly suggest that a student led approach to volunteering activities secured a greater take-up amongst young people and the progression from adult-led activities to young personled was a defining feature of the programme. 6. Partnership working and community participation are themes that run consistently through the policies of the Welsh Assembly Government. They are particularly evidence in Education and Lifelong Learning, Youth Policy and Social Regeneration initiatives, contributing to the vision of sustainability, equal opportunities and inclusion. 26 Appendix 3: Working definitions Community Focused Schools A community focused school is one that provides a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. Across Wales many schools already provide some community services including adult education, study support, ICT facilities and community sports programmes (Community Focused Schools, National Assembly for Wales Circular No: 34/2003). Out-of-school-hours learning Out-of-school-hours learning is an activity that young people take part in voluntarily, outside normal school hours. Oshl activities may take place before the start of the school day, at lunch-times, after school, at weekend or during school holidays. They may be provided through the school, or quite independently by a range of providers in a variety of settings (Out-of-school-hours learning, A code of practice, ContinYou, 2006). Volunteering The definition of volunteering used by the Welsh Assembly Government in the Voluntary Sector Scheme is: Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and an essential component of democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community and can take many forms. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain. A wider definition is found in the Volunteering Compact (see www.thecompact.org.uk/shared_asp_files?GFSR.asp?NodeID=100323), which incorporates the Volunteering England definition but helpfully indicates the breadth of volunteering; the UN definition used by the Russell Commission and the Home Office Citizenship survey. There are no obvious conflicts between the different definitions – together they give a helpful picture of what does and what does not count as volunteering. Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and fundamental to democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community, and can take many forms. It is freely undertaken and not for financial gain. The principle of non-payment of volunteers is central to this Code and to the wider sector and society’s understanding of volunteering. The term volunteering is understood to include formal activity undertaken through public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation and campaigning. As far as this study is concerned, the working definition used is as follows: Volunteering is defined as an activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to) close relatives. 27 Student leadership and young leaders training Student leadership is defined by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) in ‘Student Leadership’ (NCSL, 2006) as lying at the heart of improving our schools and enabling young people to realise their potential. ‘It builds the necessary skills, confidence and motivation for young people to engage directly in the wider improvement of the school and in particular in improving the learning experience. It enables students to become advocates for their own needs and the needs of others. It lies at the heart of building a sense of community and trust in school and builds effective relationships.’ Young leaders in the context of volunteering in the community ideally involves young people in the planning and management of activities. Such a young person approach was core to the successful Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS) project (2001), which built on the Millennium Volunteers (MV) model by engaging 11-15 year old students in sustained volunteering opportunities through their schools. ACiS was based on the nine MV principles with the addition of a tenth: • Personal commitment • Community benefit • Voluntary commitment • Inclusiveness • Ownership by young people • Variety of opportunities • Partnership • Quality of opportunities • Recognition • Progression (continued activity, engagement and recognition of achievement) Traditional approaches to student leadership, through prefect systems, pupil librarians and conventional school councils have been shown to involve only small numbers of young people, with school councils often adhering to an ‘unwritten rule’ that teaching and learning cannot be discussed. More recent approaches include peer mentoring, students as teachers and classroom assistants being identified as the clearest example of sustainable and process-based leadership development activity. School councils On 31st December 2005 it became a requirement of governing bodies in maintained schools in Wales to establish school councils to enable pupils to discuss matters relating to their schools, their education and any other matters of concern or interest and to make representations on these to their governing bodies and headteachers. • Effective school councils create opportunities for pupils to be involved in activities outside the school. As representatives of the school, they join with councils from other schools or take part in local activities such as a youth forum or parliament. • A school council can also work with the local authority to deal with issues such as road safety, security or school catering. It can also work alongside the PTA to support fundraising and social events. • Training is a vital element of setting up an effective school council and, in response to this need, the School Councils Wales Website (SCWW) was established to support school councils by providing links to other councils, training materials for use by school councils in developing their skills and a forum for discussion. The downloadable interactive training activities are 28 designed to help staff and pupils develop the skills and knowledge they need to set up, run and evaluate a school council. The activities can be run either by adults, or by pupils for their peers. The materials are designed to be pupilfriendly, and aim to be accessible to all. Ideas about how the activities can be adapted for special schools are included in the facilitator’s sheets – adapted worksheets for special schools will be added to the site over time. • There was no evidence from our two student consultation days that any of the SCWW training materials had been used. Furthermore little, if any, formal student leadership training had been used with the two schools councils to enable them to develop their role as student leaders. 29 Appendix 4: Review of providers and facilitators for volunteering opportunities There is a volunteer centre in each local authority area in Wales, plus twelve covering the large rural county of Powys, making a total of 33. All are voluntary organisations and are either independent groups or part of the County Voluntary Council. • Volunteer centres receive core funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and work to common quality standards. Volunteer centre is a general term to describe an organisation that helps individuals over 16 years of age find voluntary work. • A volunteer centre may also be called a volunteer bureau, voluntary action centre, community support or volunteer development agency. They have close links with volunteer-involving organisations at all levels and are actively involved in relevant networks. • Volunteering opportunities for young people aged 12-15 are usually coordinated by the youth services or voluntary organisations. The Voluntary Sector Youth Service includes a wide range of such organisations characterised as part of the Youth Service through their commitment to the Youth Work Curriculum Statement for Wales. • There are 40 national and local organisations currently affiliated to the Council in Wales for Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) the umbrella body for the Voluntary Youth Service in Wales. It has been estimated by the WCVA that there are up to 3,000 local voluntary organisations and groups working with young people aged 11-16 in the community through non-formal or informal learning opportunities. • The independence and diversity of the voluntary sector, the long history of many organisations and the emphasis on culture and community involvement enhance the opportunities for young people and volunteers to contribute to the civil society in Wales. • The National Youth Service in Wales sets out to engage young people aged 11-25 in non-formal learning opportunities accessed mainly within community settings. It provides opportunities for young people to participate in a wide range of activities, including volunteering, which enables them to develop new skills, have new experiences, develop friendships and learn to appreciate diversity. • All local authorities in Wales maintain a Youth Service, though the structure, extent and quality of the work varies considerably. In some authorities the Youth Service may be managed as part of the education portfolio, whilst in others it may be located as part of the leisure portfolio or the children’s services portfolio. • For some people the Youth Service is perceived as part of the community safety agenda rather than a constructive non-formal education service for all young people. Consequently the support for and commitment to the Youth Service through its non-formal education agenda also varies across Wales. There is also considerable variation in the number of qualified youth workers engaged in direct work with young people. 30 Broad issues arising from the review of current providers 1. Volunteer centres and Youth Volunteering Officers currently work with the Russell Commission target group of 16-24 year olds. 12-15 year old students have no formal organisational structure that harnesses their enthusiasm for volunteering and directs them to volunteering opportunities. 2. Most, if not all, the volunteering opportunities for 12-15 year olds are available through national or local organisations and many of these are limited to those young people who are 14 years old or above. It is only when a young person becomes 16 years old that the opportunities increase significantly. 3. There is no clear structure that enables young people to organise themselves into community task groups and audit/create volunteering opportunities in their own communities. 4. While schools are a natural portal for the organisation and delivery of volunteering opportunities, they do not always recognise the value of student led forums and the essential interface with the community. 5. There is a real need for disaffected young people in Wales, who are still of statutory school age, to be channelled into worthwhile volunteering opportunities before they leave school and become an anti-social behaviour statistic or worse. 6. Youth work has a significant contribution to make in Communities First areas where young people, as full members of the community, need to be provided with real and sustained opportunities to participate in community development in ways that extend their own non formal learning. 31 Appendix 5: Young people involved in the consultation Porth County Community School, Rhondda Cynon Taff Name Year Kristian Saxon 12 Zoe Carne 12 Emma Baynham 12 Sheryl Edwards 9 Jenna Thomas 10 Juanita Parker 10 Emily Morgan 9 Rhiannon Bugler 10 Chloe Wicks 9 Corrie Jones 9 Gabby Rosser 9 Roxane Chapman 10 Victoria Richards 13 Kirsty Regan 13 Jordanna Dahly 12 Natasha Winterburn 12 Ysgol Y Preseli, Pembrokeshire Name Year Heledd Gwynn 11 Thomas Colernan 11 Sion Jenkins 10 Hanna Thomas 8 Naomi Nicholas 7 Owen Jenner 7 Rhodri Evans 9 Branwen Miles 9 Mathhew Jones 12 Sion Owens 12 Mari Williams 10 Gwenith George 11 32 Appendix 6: Individuals and organisations involved in the consultation. Organisations and individuals consulted Rob Guy, Sports Leaders UK Liz Lowenstein, National Manager, University of the First Age. Sally Stenton, Changemakers Jean Morris, Youth Volunteering Officer, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) Rhodri Thomas, Interlink Volunteer Bureau, Rhondda Cynon Taff Luci Attala, Department of Voluntary Sector Studies, University of Wales, Lampeter Rodney Parish, West and Mid Wales Widening Access Partnership Veronica Wilson, CWVYS Stephanie Price, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in Wales Bill Malley, ContinYou Sue Phillips, representing Ffamwaith (RCT’s Children and Young People’s Partnership) Fflur Rees, Youth Service, RCT LEA Focus Group Alastair Birch, Oshl Co-ordinator, Pembrokeshire County Council Nicola Cornwall, Oshl Co-ordinator, Rhondda Cynon Taff Sian James, Education Development Adviser – Learning, Cardiff City Council Mark Gosney, Oshl Co-ordinator, City and County of Swansea Schools Ysgol Y Preseli Porth County Community School