Written on 26 February
The incentives and barriers young people face when considering volunteering was top of the agenda at my latest meeting with the youth advisers panel on 25 February 2009. You may recall these are a group of young people I am working with who share their views on a whole range of Government policy (see my earlier blog entry).
I strongly believe volunteering is a great way to boost ambitions, build confidence and responsibility and can be a pathway to employment. Volunteering can also bring people of different backgrounds and ages together and foster a sense of pride and attachment to the local community.
And so I wanted to hear the panel’s ideas on volunteering and what support Government can give to encourage young people to take part. As well as our meeting, that morning the panel visited an innovative Prince’s Trust (external link) project in Hammersmith where young people from a range of backgrounds are involved in community projects.