It will be given a large helping hand in its mission in February, which is dedicated to youth and children as part of the 2005 Year of the Volunteer.
The commission's final report is due to be released just after this, but the postcards, written by members of Ian Russell's youth advisory board, already show one of the main challenges facing the Government in its drive to reduce youth disengagement: the image factor.
Recent Home Office-commissioned research found that a negative image of volunteering was one of the main factors stopping young people getting involved in their communities.
To boost the cool rating, the word volunteering is avoided by Nick Tooley, street teams leader for youth engagement charity Kikass, who is helping to guide Russell's youth advisory board. "A lot of people in Kikass don't realise they're volunteers," says Tooley. "The success of engaging young people lies in creating juicy, interesting projects."
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