VOLUNTEERS: Government to pay teenagers to participate in voluntary work
Dipika Ghose
Wednesday, March 5, 2003
The Young Volunteer Challenge will be piloted in 10 areas in England, to be announced in April. It will be open initially to 18-year-olds who will commit to volunteering full-time for nine months. At completion, they receive 750. It is expected to attract more than 1,200 young people over two years.
The project builds on initiatives such as the Millennium Volunteers project, and aims to widen the volunteering experience for young people.
Ivan Lewis, youth minister, who launched the scheme last week, said: "I want all young people, not just those from privileged backgrounds, to benefit from the advantages a gap-year can bring, and this will help remove the financial barriers."
Expressions of interest are being sought from the voluntary sector to participate in the pilot scheme by 20 March.
Student disability charity Skill is taking a keen interest in the scheme.
Barbara Waters, chief executive, said: "We will be looking into the opportunities the department is offering."
Skill has just announced a two-year research initiative to help young disabled students get involved in volunteering in a bid to challenge common media images of disabled people passively receiving care.
Waters continued: "Disabled people have a lot to offer and volunteering will enable them to gain work experience, reduce social exclusion, raise self-esteem, value their own abilities and seek employment."
Voluntary organisations can find out more by calling Alison Briggs on 020 7450 0646.