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

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Project	Description
WORLDwrite	Assisting young people to develop and deliver projects using their own experience and ideas

WORLDwrite is a youth education charity based in Hackney. The charity aims to challenge prejudice, promote international understanding and assist young people with the development of life skills by providing opportunities to develop and deliver events and programmes using their own experience and ideas. The charity provides opportunities for young people to volunteer on time-defined projects and/or events to assist their development.

The aims of Shoot it, Save it & Share it project are to extend, sustain and enhance quality volunteering opportunities to 320 young people from socially disadvantaged groups in East London, particularly Hackney, through the development of three youth-led initiatives.

WORLDwrite has an open door policy for young volunteers. Many young would-be volunteers from unemployed BME backgrounds are referred to, or contact, WORLDwrite precisely because it, uniquely, has an open door policy to all volunteers. Due to language difficulties, lack of skills, or disabilities these individuals have often found it difficult to access opportunities anywhere else. This open door policy extends to the recruitment and selection process, which involves the potential volunteer coming to an open evening, where existing volunteers and staff show at least one of the charity’s youth-led documentaries, provide a full list of projects and activities, and have group discussions around questions, interests and concerns. This removes pressure and allows the volunteer to find out what they need to know in a relaxed and informal setting, and self-select as a volunteer.

The variety of activities, projects and events is a key factor in drawing in volunteers with a range of skills and interests. Activities have included a sponsored water-carrying walk, fundraising to travel to Ghana working with film school students, and co-ordinating a conference. The Shoot It strand of the project provides young volunteers with free access and training in new media technologies. Save It involved volunteers leading and participating in fundraising events, and Share It volunteers participate in computer appeals and refurbishment programmes.

Volunteers’ training needs vary a great deal. The induction identifies the training needs and aspirations of each volunteer and task descriptions outline training provided. The Shoot It film training is a 40-session film documentary training programme. The charity has also provided 3 residential weekend courses for volunteers who cannot commit to the longer-term film training. WORLDwrite’s volunteer training has proved to be quite an attraction in its own right and there is now a waiting list for film courses.

Due to the varied nature of the volunteering opportunities, the support needed and provided varies immensely. To meet this demand WORLDwrite provides traditional and more imaginative youthful ways of supporting volunteers. For example, the charity uses online facilities such as Skype, blogs and texting to communicate with home based volunteers. The Volunteer Development worker regularly communicates with volunteers through email, blogs, phone, texts, meetings, events and informal chats.

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