Why Involve Young People in Volunteering?
Create... Recruit... Involve...!Creating opportunities for young volunteers
The potential of youth
Young people are not a homogenous group. Giving opportunities to individuals allows organisations to tap into a fresh outlook.
The advantages of using young volunteers are numerous: everyone can benefit from a fresh new approach and original ideas. Relations with youth are also improved as well as meeting the growing needs of the community and giving young people a feeling of self-worth.
Getting volunteers involved
Often, young people are unwilling to offer their services due to lack of interest or not knowing how to get involved. This can be tackled by creating opportunities to fit individuals, offering a range of ways to get in touch for example utilising social network sites or using text messaging, or making clear the rewards that come with volunteering.
Making sure opportunities are flexible, varying between short and long-term and breaking down barriers like lack of transport will see interest in volunteering flourish. Knowing the individual is key! Allow the young person to expand on the activities they are already involved in.
A slightly controversial method is to invite the parent of the volunteer to “buy in” to the project. This means the volunteer will be pushed to succeed even when at home, boosting productivity.
Maintaining communication is a vital part of keeping the volunteer active. Ask how they would prefer to communicate and make sure it works two ways.
Where to look
Recruitment could take place face-to-face in schools or colleges, particularly if specific groups are targeted eg. Media pupils to help with a film project.
Allowing young people to get involved online is another useful method. Proof-reading has become increasingly popular as the volunteer can work from home. “Virtual volunteers” can be found on www.thesite.org/chooseaction/virtualvolunteering. Using proof readers not only gets young people involved in volunteering but allows organisations to make use of their analytical skills and reap the benefits of this!
