Background information

Russell Commission

Report – March 2005

A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH ACTION AND ENGAGEMENT

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Key features of the national framework

The national framework for youth action and engagement would deliver a step
change in the diversity, quality, and quantity of young people’s volunteering.
The case for change is compelling. Through the framework, young people would
be able to enjoy a more widely available range of volunteering choices – from local environmental campaigns to international volunteering, from enhanced
participation in sports and community activities to making the most of extended
school opportunities, such as IT classes, out of hours clubs, or peer mentoring.
The framework would tackle community needs and offer real development
opportunities for young people, with a particular focus on providing currently
under-represented and disadvantaged groups with a new route to skills and
qualifications.

The step change in young people’s volunteering would be achieved through a
dedicated implementation body, youth-led and independent of government.
The body would be responsible for raising awareness among young people of the value of volunteering, improving the quality and usefulness of their volunteering experiences, and for building volunteering capacity. It would provide an accessible ‘portal’, or point of contact – via web, phone, and face-to-face local
interfaces – for individuals seeking information and advice on volunteering. This
portal would also maintain a nationwide database of opportunities, and work
closely with local volunteering bodies to deliver opportunities, advice, and
guidance.

Opportunities would be of consistently better quality, with a kitemark guarantee
of standards; and there would be more of them. Young volunteers would be able
to choose between short-term volunteering (such as ‘taster’ sessions and local
‘task force’ activities), part-time volunteering (from a few hours to one or two
days per week), and full-time programmes.


The number of placements would increase greatly, with funding for significant
increases in short-term opportunities and part-time roles, and for a high profile
national programme of full-time youth volunteering, as part of which young
people would receive a weekly allowance to pursue long-term commitments. With the aspiration of attracting 1 million more young volunteers across all forms of volunteering activity, more than half of all those in the 16 to 25 age group
would participate. Opportunities to volunteer would not be limited to the voluntary
and community sector. There would be new opportunities for young people to
volunteer in the public sector.

An emphasis on recognising the achievements of young volunteers, including
through accreditation and linkages to vocational qualifications, would
amplify the importance of volunteering activity to personal and skills development. The framework would aim to increase appreciation of the value of volunteering, particularly in educational institutions and among employers.
By engaging with young volunteers and responding to their needs and aims, the
national framework can transform youth volunteering. It aims to make volunteering a common, fun, and popular pursuit for young people, and to help to establish a pattern of lifelong engagement which would be to the benefit of the individual, the local community, and the UK as a whole.

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