Opinion: Everyone has the right to be a volunteer

Then there is no problem in incentivising participation through the carrot of lower tuition fees or other help with further and higher education.

Indeed, I was suggesting this very approach a decade ago.

On the latter front, I see Susie Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Principal Youth and Community Officers, expresses cautious support for students volunteering to do youth work (YPN, 10-16 January, p8): they would have to have the "right kind of skills, attitudes and awareness".

This brought to mind a discussion that took place during a Probation Service training course for volunteers to which I was contributing. The volunteers complained they were being "professionalised". They brought a range of expertise, and various shortcomings and weaknesses. But they wanted to give of their strengths, not have to undertake more training to rectify their weaknesses.