Uniformed groups join forces to attract volunteers

You London is a collaboration of organisations including the Scouts, Army Cadets, St John Ambulance, the Boys' Brigade, Girlguides and Sea Cadets.

Backed by the Metropolitan Police and The Prince's Trust, the project hopes to raise the profile of uniformed youth work and attract more adult volunteers to the sector.

A campaign will take place in the autumn to promote the benefits of volunteering, focusing on qualifications that can be achieved and how it can boost chances of getting a full-time job.

Jan Longhurst, London director for the Boys' Brigade and a member of the You (Youth Organisations Uniform) team, said: "One of the problems we all suffer from is an inability to recruit adult volunteers. By pooling our resources, we can encourage new volunteers to join our organisations."

The launch event will take place at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 16 July.

The Scout Association alone needs 6,000 volunteers to cater for a waiting list of young people currently standing at 33,000.