Commission calls for cultural shift in youth volunteering

In its report the Commission on the Future of Volunteering has said that getting young people involved in volunteering is key to involving them in their local communities.

The commission also notes the long term benefits to society of getting young people involved in volunteering at an early age.

Baroness Neuberger, the chair of the commission, said: "Our vision is of a society where volunteering is part of our DNA so that - by giving time - we enrich our own lives and those of others."

The commission has made a range of recommendations to get people of all ages involved in volunteering.

These include the creation of a government working group dedicated to removing barriers to volunteering, creating a Volunteering Matched Fund worth £5m a year to improve local infrastructure, and piloting an Access to Volunteering Fund to support under represented groups.

 The commission has also called for regional volunteering champions to be appointed, building on the success of a similar scheme developed by youth volunteering charity v.

Manifesto for Change report www.volcomm.org.uk