V for victory for our young volunteers

Photo: ANTHONY MILLER

OPENING up doors . . . Vinvolved youth-development manager Fiona Pickles and young volunteer Abdullah Al-Moshin with his certificate

OLDHAM WORKS - a major campaign to show that Oldham is moving forward
Volunteering has opened up doors of opportunities for many young people . . . turning lives around for the better.

Vinvolved, based in Oldham and Manchester, helps young people recognise their full potential and puts them on the right track.

And despite the negative images of youth in some sections of the media, the young volunteers, aged 16 to 25, working with vinvolved have been challenging widely-held stereotypes about them.

Over the past year, vinvolved has worked with 100 young volunteers, motivating them to get involved in a wide range of community activities.

Many of these have gained nationally-recognised certificates.

The group offers volunteering opportunities with various groups and organisations, including First4disabilities, Lees Library events, Great Places Housing Group, Werneth and Freehold Community Project, and Oldham Carnival.

The young volunteers have also raised over £1,000 for several charities including Macmillan Nurses, Parkinson’s Disease Society and NSPCC.

Youth-development manager Fiona Pickles said: “Despite widely-held views that young people are apathetic, our project actually demonstrates that young people are really passionate about making a positive difference in their communities.”

The project funded by v, the national youth-volunteering organisation, has recruited young volunteers to help with a wide range of activities including fund-raising, childcare, befriending and buddying, stewarding at local events, helping people with disabilities, catering, sports coaching and more.

Young people also have the chance to gain formal recognition for time spent volunteering.
The new online vinvolved awards scheme enables young people to record the hours spent volunteering, as well as reflecting on the skills they have gained, and the positive impact of their volunteering in the community. All youngsters can apply for a vfifty award, for 50 hours of volunteering, or a vimpact award for 100 hours service — demonstrating their commitment to creating positive change in their community.

Oldhamer Abdullah Al-Moshin (17), a volunteer who is studying A-level English, maths, RE and psychology at Oldham Sixth-Form College, said he wanted to give something back to the community.

He added: “So many people have helped me that now I want to help less-privileged people.

“I thought volunteering might be boring but once I tried it I wanted to carry on because it has given me confidence and something positive to talk about in job interviews. It has also helped me to become a student president at Oldham Sixth-Form College.”

If you know a young person who would like to help to change their community for the better, contact Greater Manchester Youth Network on 0161-274 3299 or visit www.vinspired.com for more information about local opportunities.