South Derbyshire CVS's Youth Shape Volunteering Programme is a new pilot project, initially targeting South Derbyshire, aimed at inspiring and developing young people aged 16+ to take up active participation in volunteering in their community.

 

Key to the success of this initiative is that it is undertaken in collaboration with educators (schools, colleges and training providers) to ensure the project is given legitimacy, promotional support and co-ordination.

 

Our aims...

• To work with educators (16+) to engage with their pupils in order to positively contribute through volunteering within their local communities.

• To provide youth volunteers (16+) with a positive experience of volunteering.

• To foster lifelong volunteer engagement.

 

What we intend to do...

• Engage and work collaboratively with two school/colleges (16+ years) in South Derbyshire to establish volunteering projects in their own settings, for example, starting a community garden, starting a bicycle repair/recycling project, collecting food bank donations and distributing them, setting up a team to visit care home residents and run activities with them etc.

• Facilitate collaborative working between educators (16+ years) and non-profits, for example, providing marketing and social media services for local charities and or organisations, supporting an existing community garden, fundraising, community environmental or conservation project support, supporting local or community events, engaging in micro-volunteering opportunities.

• Embed ‘Gateway to Youth Volunteering’ training within the project and to enable young people to work towards South Derbyshire Youth Volunteer Champion Award as part of the scheme.

 

Youth Shape Training Programme

 

Mandatory Module

Unit 1 – Prepare for Launch 

• Introduction to Volunteering and understanding the Value and Benefits.

• Understand Safeguarding and Safety Policies that apply to youth volunteers.

• Understand how the scheme works and how to access further training.

 

Optional training to achieve ‘Youth Volunteer Champion Award’ Status

Unit 2 – Team Player

• Identify the characteristics of an effective team member.

• Understand the value of effective communication.

• Understand how to adapt your communication style to suit an activity or situation.

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Unit 4 – Ensuring Everyone is Welcome

• Understand Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

• Awareness of the effects of Unconscious Bias.

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Unit 4 – Youth Volunteer Mission

• Mission 1 – Plan – contribute, capture ideas and suggestions for volunteering activities and exploring how these could be actioned.  This may be achieved through attending an activity planning meeting (minimum attend one planning meeting).

• Mission 2 – Implement – complete a volunteering activity (minimum 6 hours duration over 2 activities) record via a logbook.

• Mission 3 – Reflect – complete a short reflection on an activity identifying the impact their volunteering has had on the community, group, organisation or individuals involved and on themselves, for example, new skills learnt etc.

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Optional Add-on Unit – Practical First Aid

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It is envisaged that the training and planning elements will be delivered over 8 sessions of a maximum of 60 minutes each except for Basic First Aid which will be a 3-hour session.

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Why partner with South Derbyshire CVS (SDCVS)?

• SDCVS is an AIM Accredited Learning Centre. AIM is regulated by Ofqual, and licensed by the Quality Assurance Agency, meaning that our programmes and courses meet the highest standards of education and training. SDCVS Education & Training Development Manager is qualified to Level 4 Certificate in Education & Training standard and ensures all training courses promote ‘minimum core’ values that advance learner skills across of English, maths, digital, and sustainability. He designs training courses around teaching best practice, guaranteeing courses are highly engaging, thought provoking and address the needs of the learners. He uses a variety of teaching methods to accommodate the differing learner styles (visual, kinaesthetic, read/write) that learners will possess.

• We already undertake traditional Volunteering brokerage (South Derbyshire Volunteer Force), albeit this support is almost exclusively for adults and on an individual basis. Our Volunteer Development Officer manages SDVF also has the teaching qualifications and is ideally qualified to support this initiative.

• We have close ties and connections developed over the last 20 years with schools and colleges across the district and likewise we are recognised as the turn to charity for volunteering and training.

• SDCVS are the contract holders for the DCC Derbyshire Time Swap and once this project is developed there may be opportunities to include Youth Shape within it.

 

What Outcomes are we seeking to achieve?

• Foster lifelong engagement – by investing in youth volunteering in the short-term, lifelong relationships may build, giving the potential for the volunteer pool to grow in the future. 

• Build safer communities – by providing meaningful opportunities for youth volunteering, we can seek to strengthen trust and build a sense of connectiveness in the community.

• Introduce fresh perspectives – today’s youth are the consumers, influencers, leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.  Their opinions and ideas can help the third sector adapt to change and be prepared for the needs of a future generation.

 

What Outputs are we seeking to achieve?

Starting in the new Autumn term 2023 and once students are settled, we will engage with our partner schools, commence programme recruitment and undertake the delivery of training in readiness for volunteer support to commence Spring 2024.

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