Young people too busy to volunteer

Sunderland Voluntary Sector Youth Forum polled 143 young people, aged from 12 to 21, at a workshop. Almost three-quarters said a lack of time prevented them from volunteering. Just over a fifth of the young people (21 per cent) said they were unsure about where to go to find out more about volunteering in their area.

The Youthinc3 workshop, run in conjunction with the city's Youth Development Group, also found other barriers to volunteering included cost and transport. The forum said this meant young people needed to be reimbursed for any travel costs and expenses they incur while volunteering.

The forum's report recommended: "Volunteering projects should develop their programmes to be as inclusive as possible and advertise the opportunities available in a more young person-friendly environment."

- www.svsyf.org.uk.