GoldStar - Snapshot Age Concern - Promoting good practice in managing volunteers from socially excluded groups

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GoldStar - Promoting good practice in managing volunteers from socially excluded groups

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Project	Description
Groundwork Rossendale	Helping local people to improve quality of life and sustainability in their communities

Groundwork Rossendale's purpose is building sustainable communities through joint environmental action. This is achieved by getting local people, business and other organisations involved in practical projects that improve quality of life, bring about regeneration and lay foundations for sustainable development. Their youth programmes work with disadvantaged young people, enabling them to have positive opportunities, choices and chances, and a voice within their communities.

The Youthworks project provides young people with a wide range of group activities and experiences which harness their potential and energy to help improve the physical, social and economic environments of the whole community, to increase the volunteer base of young people, and contribute to increased community cohesion between this group and the wider community, who are also encouraged to get involved with volunteering.

The project is working on ensuring that achievements of the young people are recognised and celebrated. The volunteers’ voices and opinions are recognised through involvement in steering groups run by young people themselves. The Recoil project Steering Group runs monthly events for DJs to perform at local clubs and events. The project recruits, trains, deploys and supports an active group of appropriate young adult and adult volunteers to lead the young people’s steering groups. The structure of establishing steering groups around areas of interest has generally proven to be effective in starting the “volunteering ethos” while providing fun leisure activities.

Action Teams Rossendale has been established as part of the Youth Works Programme, and will give opportunities for the young people to progress further into volunteering, training and work. Currently, training opportunities are made available in house, including accredited learning – AQA modules and through the Gw voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) consortium.

The project proactively engages with under-represented groups, by designing services that stimulate and promote take-up by under-represented groups, such as teenage girls, and young people classed as socially excluded, whether by social background, educational attainment, or criminal record.

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