National Citizen Service pilots to begin next summer

The service will offer volunteering opportunities to around 10,000 school-leavers and will be piloted between June and September.

In announcing the pilots, Prime Minister David Cameron described the initiative as "a kind of non-military national service".

He said: "It’s going to mix young people from different backgrounds in a way that doesn’t happen right now. It’s going to teach them what it means to be socially responsible. Above all, it’s going to inspire a generation of young people to appreciate what they can achieve."

The move is part of the Conservative Party’s big society agenda, which has been adopted by the coalition government, to promote the role of the voluntary sector in society.

Activities for those who sign up to the National Citizen Service will include structured training and work on a community social action plan that will be specific to each area.

They will spend at least 10 days and nights away from home and those who complete the project will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony.

Outstanding candidates could be offered the chance to take part in volunteer projects in developing countries.

A detailed specification for the pilots and a tender for providers will launch next month. It is expected that successful providers will be named by October.

No funding information has been made available, with the Cabinet Office adding, "as with all government programmes", the scale of the pilots will be decided in this autumn’s comprehensive spending review.

Joyce Moseley, Catch22 chief executive, welcomed the introduction of National Citizen Service but warned that some young people would need a lot of support to get the most out of it. "As a voluntary scheme it will need close monitoring to see who is participating and the work done to reach out to those who might not otherwise come forward.

 "The part of the scheme that asks young people to give something back to their communities is the right approach. Catch22 knows that those young people often seen as trouble-makers can gain so much from informal volunteering, particularly programmes that benefit others or the environment."

She added that Catch22 would welcome the opportunity to help the scheme involve hard-to-reach young people so they can be "put at the centre of shaping a drive to improve situations for themselves, others and the places where they live".