Vinvolved

Call for Youth Volunteering Ambassadors

Young people who are passionate about making changes in Blackburn with Darwen are being urged to step forward to become part of a new national network of Youth Action Teams.

Blackburn with Darwen V is recruiting 15 young people to join its local Youth Action Team (YAT) to inspire young people to get involved in volunteering and community action. The YAT will go out onto the streets, into youth and sports clubs and schools to encourage their peers to volunteer in 710 new and exciting community projects in the Borough.

These new Youth Action Teams are part of vinvolved - the nation’s biggest ever youth action programme started on April 2, and backed by £75 million funding from v, the youth volunteering charity.

Blackburn with Darwen V are keen to hear from young people, regardless of their qualifications or experience.

We are looking for energetic, creative and enthusiastic 16-25-year-olds from all backgrounds with an ability to talk to their peers. They don’t need to have had previous volunteering experience – just a commitment to helping others and making a difference in their community.

"This is a great opportunity to play a leading role in your community, be part of a team and improve your CV - so if you’ve got loads of energy and you can motivate others, then get in touch and get vinvolved!"

Local projects funded by the vinvolved programme include:

• Brokering young people into volunteering opportunities
• Championing Youth Led Action
• Support and Development of Local Organisation
• Creating New Volunteering Opportunities

For further information, please contact Yasmin Patel on 01254 583957 .

• v is the youth volunteering charity launched in May 2006 whose mission is to inspire a new generation of young volunteers in England aged 16-25. v is supported by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.
• The charity was set up to implement the recommendations of the Russell Commission outlining a new national framework for youth action and engagement, following a nationwide consultation which included 6000 young people.
• vinvolved is a £75 million national youth volunteering programme, which aims to inspire 500,000 young people aged 16-25 to get positively involved in their communities over the next three years. It is funding 107 vinvolved teams of experts, at least 107 Youth Action Teams and 158 projects run by small and large organisations across England.
• The vinvolved teams are youth experts tasked with recruiting the new YATs, signposting young people to volunteering opportunities in their area and linking up with local businesses, voluntary organisations and local authorities to create new volunteering opportunities.
• To find out more about v visit the charity’s website www.wearev.com. To find out about volunteering opportunities in your area visit v’s portal for young people.