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A good practice guide to working with young people as volunteers

This publications if the only one of its kind in Scotland providing a contemporary overview of
legal, ethical and good practice issues in involving young people as volunteers. This resource is useful to:

• Volunteer involving organisations
• Social science students
• Community and youth workers
• Voluntary, community and statutory agencies

and can be purchesed along with our DVD - Something Out, Something In for £15. To order your copies please contact Carol on 01241 875525 or email carol@volunteerangus.org.uk

Time Banks Angus

Volunteer Centre Angus are delighted to announce the launch of this imformal volunteering initiative. Time Banks is a way of getting reward for doing something you enjoy, and getting something back in return. The new Time Banks project will initially be focused in the North Arbroath area.

Being part of a Time Bank you can help others in your community by using your skills and time and in return people will help you by using their skills and time....Its simple

You give your time by doing something you find easy and enjoyable, it could be:

• collecting messages for someone
• doing abit of DIY or gardening
• giving help with computer skills
• walking a dog
• ......the list is endless

You get the opportunity to get some help when you need it with a job or task you can't do for yourself or don't have the time to do. There are a lot of benefits also available through being part of Time Banks you can get refernces

• you can put it on your CV
• Help with unmanageable chores

For more information about how to get involved in Time Banks, contact Morag or Joy at Volunteer Centre Angus on 01241 875525 or email info@volunteerangus.org.uk

Eur Welcome

Thinking of coming to Angus to work or live?  Angus is a fantastic county full of beautiful scenery and ancient history. From the international golf course of Carnoustie to the rugged mountains of the cairngorms, fantastic food, good schools and public services. Angus offers so much. It is also one of the most popular places in scotland for volunteering.  Volunteering will help you meet new people and become more involved more in community life and VCA can put you in touch with other services

Volunteering in Scotland

Volunteering makes a staggering £2.52 billion contribution to the Scottish economy, but the real worth of volunteering is in building positive relationships, social and learning outcomes for individuals involved as Volunteers, their Managers, and the benefits for communities and recipients.

Volunteering is more significant in a Scottish social and economic policy context. It is increasingly located at the top table of decision making, is integral to social justice priorities, active citizenship and employability agendas. With the establishment of a new national data base and a progressive network of Volunteer Centres, Scotland has a truly world class infrastructure for Volunteering. Volunteer Centres operate in every Local Authority area helping create a buoyant and more socially inclusive culture of volunteering.

Scotland ’s Volunteer Centres

The doors of Scotland’s’ Volunteers Centres are open. Open for volunteering as a learning activity, open for Scotland’s’Colleges and Universities to work collaboratively, and open to build coherent and sustainable opportunities for the increasing number of students seeking the volunteering. They are open to you!

Many learning and citizenship opportunities exist both internally and externally in colleges and growing political imperatives encourage Colleges and Universities to engage with their local Volunteer Centres.

Volunteering offers Students and Colleges the following;

• Assist in the development of vocational skills for students helping to compliment and connect theory for future practice
• Enable the experience of volunteering to be measured both in terms of impact and experience
• Broaden the range of citizenship opportunities and links to community development
• Enrich the learner experience by undertaking new tasks and accessing social networks.
• Volunteering can impact positively on Individual learning plans, provide accreditation for prior learning, support local community link and provide an option for exit guidance strategies.

By working together, Colleges and Volunteer Centres can ensure Volunteering is a learning activity providing personal learning and development opportunities for volunteers and the enhancement of continued professional development of Volunteer managers. Volunteers and Volunteer managers make a valuable contribution to community and civic life and are crucial in achieving active citizen and social justice outcomes.

The role of students in volunteering is fundamentally important to achieving these outcomes. Particularly for younger students if given a positive experience they are more likely to engage in lifetime volunteering. Sustaining student volunteer involvement requires effective management and volunteering which is a quality experience, complementing student’s coursework passions and experiences.

Volunteering - an act of Charity?

The common perception of volunteering is often portrayed as an act of charity – volunteers helping the poor, the sick, and the elderly, e.g. acts of social welfare. Today’s’volunteering is as much about young people, students, young parents, ethnic minorities, people from all backgrounds engaged as active citizens, making a difference to their communities, expressive and skills enhancing volunteering, fundamental to their own learning and development.

 Modern social and political objectives seek to broaden the range of opportunities and attain greater benefits for the volunteer as well as the beneficiary. .. This is particularly relevant to volunteers experiencing disadvantage. Although Volunteering may be seen as the right thing to do ‘an act of kindness and charity’ many individuals seek volunteering opportunities for non altruistic reasons, to gain employment, secure a college or university place. Approximately 40% of individuals seeking volunteering through Volunteer Centre Angus sought employment and further education outcomes from their volunteer experience ( VCA Data Base / 1020 enquiries )

Angus College / Volunteer Centre Angus

Angus is one of the most popular areas in Scotland for volunteering whereby an estimated 32% of citizens are involved in formal volunteering activity compared to a Scottish average of 25%. Angus College not only played a key role in supporting the establishment of Volunteer Centre Angus but continues to enjoy the benefits of partnership working today.

Angus College recognised the opportunity to work with Volunteer Centre Angus by supporting its learning and development programme, promoting the benefits of volunteering to Students and assist in practical skills leading to the design and refurbishment of a new Volunteer Resource Base.

In 2005 Angus College and its partners, Perth College, Perth and Kinross Council for the Voluntary Sector and Volunteer Centre Angus secured European Funding to manage a dedicated learning programme to build the capacity of volunteering and the Voluntary Sector.

New training opportunities have led to a marked increase in the number of people engaged in volunteering and in the number of people accessing training for volunteering. This included a 5 day course in Continued Professional Development for volunteer managers and a range of learning and development courses for volunteers including making your experience count, health and safety, dealing with difficult behaviour and working with vulnerable groups.

184 learners engaged in volunteer training and there are clear and tangible examples of how this has helped enhance volunteering practice and the wider opportunities for employment and consolidate the learning of students involved. A new certificate in community volunteering also helps accredit and develop learning based on the volunteer experience.

Achievement through volunteering

The winner of the Students Volunteering Gold award describes how she was helped by both Angus College and Volunteer Centre Angus. Initialy, she had approached the Volunteer Centre to find volunteers and create a safe house for families and individuals affected by domestic abuse. Her story is one of remarkable bravery recognising and appreciating the support she had received was replicated in helping others. With support from Angus College and the Volunteer Centre she had identified new ways in which to better support families affected by domestic violence and abuse.

‘VCA gave me the motivation and inspiration to stand up and make the best possible contribution to others. When you go into a Volunteer Centre they make you feel relaxed and take things from your perspective - you do what you want to do, rather than what you have to do. The training and support is very valuable. As a Student in Angus College I was supported to progress through my coursework (Health and Social Care) linking the learning to my volunteering. It was honoured to receive the Gold Award for Student Volunteering. This is not only an inspiration to myself but is an award which recognises the valuable work of both the college and Volunteer Centre and encourages other women to progress through learning and volunteering’.

New Millennium - better recognition

Volunteering is the largest means by which young people can become engaged as active citizens as it offers choice. In launching the Millennium Volunteer Awards (MV)for young volunteers, John Burt, Principal of Angus Colleges acknowledged the valuable role played by young people asserting ‘that young people are our present as well as our futures, the work they do as volunteers today inspires and supports marginalised and isolated people, creates new initiatives and develops new opportunities, we should focus more on positive recognition and Awards’. MV provides valuable recognition of the volunteering effort of young people aged between 16 –25 recognising their achievements for 50, 100 or 200 hours of volunteering. MV is increasingly recognised by employers and provides further validation of experience for students.