vgood news!

Lancashire Education Business Partnership to Host a vinvolved team

As a direct result of the recommendations of the Russell Commission Report, an independent charity called v was launched in May 2006 to champion youth volunteering in England.

Its aim is to inspire a million more young people aged 16-25 to volunteer. To do this, v has appointed 20 pilot vinvolved teams across the country, with the aim of having 200 teams in the near future. Lancashire Education Business Partnership Link (LEBP) will host the only pilot programme in Lancashire. The vteam will comprise of a Development Manager and a Youth Volunteer Adviser, and will be based at the company offices on Walker Park, Blackburn.

The vinvolved team are looking to link into existing local and regional networks and develop positive partnerships with education providers and voluntary and community organisations that are based across the county. So, if you are a member of any network that has links with youth volunteering please let us know so that we can ask to attend your meetings or make contributions to newsletters and websites as appropriate.

One of the main aims of the project is to develop youth led volunteering. In other words, to consult the young people to find out exactly WHAT, WHEN and WHERE and HOW they want to volunteer. This will involve developing opportunities that appeal to this age group, and could include activities such as:

Running DJ sessions at your youth group;
Designing newsletters or web sites to promote your group;
Running football coaching sessions;
Planning and delivering a charity fashion show to raise funds for your group;
Mentoring the young people in your youth group;
Keep-fit sessions for your group.

In short, anything and everything that interests this age group and would benefit your organisation.

We are keen to develop opportunities to link classroom based learning to the world of work. An example of this would be Creative Media students organising activities and entertainment in day care centres. Alternatively, ICT students could develop websites and other marketing materials for voluntary organisations.

The project also supports many of the objectives of Every Child Matters.

The project will also provide an opportunity for volunteer involving organisations, and communities to develop ideas and submit bids to provide funding to enable teams of young people to undertake projects that they have had a part in developing on a full-time, part-time or short term basis. The first round of bids needs to be submitted in early 2007, so if your organisation works with young people in the 16-25 age range, let us have your ideas. We cannot guarantee that all ideas will be developed to a full bid, but we do promise to look at the feasibility and conformity to guidelines and progress as many as practical.

In summary the vinvolved team will:

Be a one-stop point of contact for organisations and potential volunteers;
Drive forward young people led volunteering initiatives at strategic and operational levels;
Raise standards by identifying relevant accreditation and developing support strategies such as I.T based study to remove barriers caused by issues such as disabilities or geographic locations;
Enhance existing opportunities by introducing training, support and guidance for staff and volunteers;
Engage, enable and empower young people;
Support the educational, voluntary and community sectors to build capacity and improve quality.

Any voluntary and community organisation that would like to benefit from having a young volunteer , or works with groups of young people and want to develop a bid to secure funding to enable them to undertake voluntary work should contact

Ella 01254584004

Anna 01254584088

Email

vinvolved@lebp.co.uk

to register or discuss their ideas.