Vinspired
Encyclopedia
v
V, the national young volunteers service, is an independent charity dedicated to helping young people volunteer in their local communities. v's mission is to make volunteering opportunities so diverse, compelling and accessible that 16- to 25-year-olds all over England will consider it a natural lifestyle choice to give up their time to help others.
v believes every young person has the right to volunteer, and their projects are designed to engage young people who are under-represented in volunteering – for example, minority groups and those not in education, employment or training. v recognises and promotes the skills, experience and confidence which can be gained through volunteering, and campaigns to have the benefits of volunteering recognised by everyone.
Through v’s partnerships, the private sector
, government and wider society is increasingly valuing young volunteers.
, David Blunkett, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, The Russell Commission set out to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement.
Headed by Ian Russell, the CEO of Scottish Power, the Commission aimed to deliver a step change in the diversity, quality and quantity of volunteering opportunities available to young people aged 16 to 25 in the UK. With help from its youth advisory board, the YABsters, the Commission engaged a wide range of stakeholders including young people, the voluntary sector, business and the media, receiving over 700 responses from voluntary and community sector organisations, and a further 6,000 responses from young people.
The Commission’s headline recommendation was the creation of a dedicated implementation
body, to take the lead in delivering the new framework in England – which was launched as v in May 2006.
v (a company limited by guarantee with charitable status) brings together young people, business, the voluntary and community sector and government in a shared purpose; to make volunteering a valued part of young people’s lives.
Since its launch in May 2006, v has worked with over 500 charities and community organisations to create over 925,000 youth volunteering opportunities. Of these, 467,000 are short term or taster opportunities, 421,000 are part time, and 20,000 are full time. Over 400,000 of these have already been taken up, with the rest being offered to young people up to March 2011.
v’s England-wide network of 107 vinvolved teams ensures that young people and voluntary organisations can all access the same expert advice and help on all things youth volunteering – no matter where they live.
Each team has three key tasks:
Creating new volunteering opportunities:
•Working with community and voluntary organisations to create more high-quality, diverse volunteering opportunities for young people in their local area
•Supporting local organisations who work with young volunteers, by offering training, building local networks and sharing good practice
Brokering 16- to 25-year-olds into volunteering opportunities:
•Finding the right opportunities for new and existing volunteers
•Helping young people to set up their own voluntary projects
Championing youth-led action:
Each team has a Youth Action Team (YAT), made up of young volunteers who advise vinvolved teams and get involved with the work they do.
As of March 2011, all vinvolved teams came to an end due to cut in government funding.
The aim is to give 2,000 volunteers aged 16–25 the opportunity to directly influence and enhance public sector
services and gain skills to improve their employability, at least 40% of the places given to young people who are not in employment, education or training.
The high quality, structured placements in areas such as nursery education, play, youth work and supporter learning will last 44 weeks, lead to a minimum of a level 2 qualification and offer personal development grants of up to £1,500 for young volunteers on completion of the programme.
Delivered by the Duke of Edinburgh Award, these will encourage young people to develop social networking groups so they can keep in touch with each other during their placements and foster a group identity.
That's why we've launched the vinspired awards; a national recognition scheme to highlight the amazing talents of young volunteers and celebrate the difference they make every day through volunteering.
Building on the past achievements of Millennium Volunteers, the vinspired awards have a "skills for life" focus, helping young people to:
•identify the skills they have gained through their volunteering experiences
•reflect on the positive impact of their activities on their communities
•confidently articulate their experiences and achievements to ensure they never sell themselves short!
vfifty and vimpact
The scheme is made up of two levels of award: vfifty, issued for 50 hours volunteering, and vimpact which represents a further 100 hours of volunteering plus reflection on the skills gained and the impact made on the community.
vinspired awards aim to recognise young people's contributions at every level, whether they're having a first taste of volunteering or making a long-term regular commitment.
The awards are backed by the Government, CBI, IOD, CIPD, The Recruitment and Employment Foundation (REC), James Caan, Martha Fox Lane and Karen Brady; their testimonials can be found here.
•The Fresh Award for best new volunteer
•The Spirit Award for the all round commitment to volunteering; embodying the spirit of volunteering
•The Connect Award to recognize innovative and effective efforts to bring communities together
•The Legend Award for outstanding leadership
•The Shout Award for campaigning
•The Triumph Award for overcoming personal adversity or enabling a community to rise above a challenging circumstance
•The Unite Award for team activity
•The Energy Award for outstanding contribution to youth volunteering
V, the national young volunteers service, is an independent charity dedicated to helping young people volunteer in their local communities. v's mission is to make volunteering opportunities so diverse, compelling and accessible that 16- to 25-year-olds all over England will consider it a natural lifestyle choice to give up their time to help others.
v believes every young person has the right to volunteer, and their projects are designed to engage young people who are under-represented in volunteering – for example, minority groups and those not in education, employment or training. v recognises and promotes the skills, experience and confidence which can be gained through volunteering, and campaigns to have the benefits of volunteering recognised by everyone.
Through v’s partnerships, the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
, government and wider society is increasingly valuing young volunteers.
History
Established in May 2004 by the then Home SecretaryHome Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, David Blunkett, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, The Russell Commission set out to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement.
Headed by Ian Russell, the CEO of Scottish Power, the Commission aimed to deliver a step change in the diversity, quality and quantity of volunteering opportunities available to young people aged 16 to 25 in the UK. With help from its youth advisory board, the YABsters, the Commission engaged a wide range of stakeholders including young people, the voluntary sector, business and the media, receiving over 700 responses from voluntary and community sector organisations, and a further 6,000 responses from young people.
The Commission’s headline recommendation was the creation of a dedicated implementation
Implementation
Implementation is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.-Computer Science:...
body, to take the lead in delivering the new framework in England – which was launched as v in May 2006.
v (a company limited by guarantee with charitable status) brings together young people, business, the voluntary and community sector and government in a shared purpose; to make volunteering a valued part of young people’s lives.
Since its launch in May 2006, v has worked with over 500 charities and community organisations to create over 925,000 youth volunteering opportunities. Of these, 467,000 are short term or taster opportunities, 421,000 are part time, and 20,000 are full time. Over 400,000 of these have already been taken up, with the rest being offered to young people up to March 2011.
Projects
v works with over 500 voluntary sector organisations and over 150 private sector partners to create innovative youth volunteering opportunities. v offers grants programmes by the name of: the match fund, vinvolved, and vTalent Year.The vinvolved Team Network
Launched in April 2008, vinvolved, the national youth volunteering programme, aims to get half a million more young people positively involved in their communities.v’s England-wide network of 107 vinvolved teams ensures that young people and voluntary organisations can all access the same expert advice and help on all things youth volunteering – no matter where they live.
Each team has three key tasks:
Creating new volunteering opportunities:
•Working with community and voluntary organisations to create more high-quality, diverse volunteering opportunities for young people in their local area
•Supporting local organisations who work with young volunteers, by offering training, building local networks and sharing good practice
Brokering 16- to 25-year-olds into volunteering opportunities:
•Finding the right opportunities for new and existing volunteers
•Helping young people to set up their own voluntary projects
Championing youth-led action:
Each team has a Youth Action Team (YAT), made up of young volunteers who advise vinvolved teams and get involved with the work they do.
As of March 2011, all vinvolved teams came to an end due to cut in government funding.
vTalent Year
vTalent Year is currently being piloted with 33 local authorities and 28 Further Education colleges offering 44 week long placements in Children's and Young People's Services.The aim is to give 2,000 volunteers aged 16–25 the opportunity to directly influence and enhance public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
services and gain skills to improve their employability, at least 40% of the places given to young people who are not in employment, education or training.
The high quality, structured placements in areas such as nursery education, play, youth work and supporter learning will last 44 weeks, lead to a minimum of a level 2 qualification and offer personal development grants of up to £1,500 for young volunteers on completion of the programme.
Delivered by the Duke of Edinburgh Award, these will encourage young people to develop social networking groups so they can keep in touch with each other during their placements and foster a group identity.
The vinspired Awards
v make sure they recognise, reward and value the contribution made by young volunteers to their local charities and organisation.That's why we've launched the vinspired awards; a national recognition scheme to highlight the amazing talents of young volunteers and celebrate the difference they make every day through volunteering.
Building on the past achievements of Millennium Volunteers, the vinspired awards have a "skills for life" focus, helping young people to:
•identify the skills they have gained through their volunteering experiences
•reflect on the positive impact of their activities on their communities
•confidently articulate their experiences and achievements to ensure they never sell themselves short!
vfifty and vimpact
The scheme is made up of two levels of award: vfifty, issued for 50 hours volunteering, and vimpact which represents a further 100 hours of volunteering plus reflection on the skills gained and the impact made on the community.
vinspired awards aim to recognise young people's contributions at every level, whether they're having a first taste of volunteering or making a long-term regular commitment.
The awards are backed by the Government, CBI, IOD, CIPD, The Recruitment and Employment Foundation (REC), James Caan, Martha Fox Lane and Karen Brady; their testimonials can be found here.
The vinspired National Awards
vinspired are running a national ceremony, with awards for the following categories:•The Fresh Award for best new volunteer
•The Spirit Award for the all round commitment to volunteering; embodying the spirit of volunteering
•The Connect Award to recognize innovative and effective efforts to bring communities together
•The Legend Award for outstanding leadership
•The Shout Award for campaigning
•The Triumph Award for overcoming personal adversity or enabling a community to rise above a challenging circumstance
•The Unite Award for team activity
•The Energy Award for outstanding contribution to youth volunteering