Project Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot are partnering to deliver #YouthVIP
As part of the new National Volunteering Framework, the Scottish Government commissioned ProjectScotland and Young Scot to create a youth volunteering design team – #YouthVIP. The group formed recommendations to encourage more young people to volunteer and to improve the experience of those who currently give their time to their communities.
Early in 2020, the Scottish Government announced they would accept all #YouthVIP's recommendations. Since then, the pandemic has shone an even brighter light on the role that young people play in volunteering, social renewal and civil society. In response, the Scottish Government is supporting a consortium of Project Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot to partner and drive forward the #YouthVIP recommendations.
The partnership will help to reduce the pandemic's impact on communities across Scotland – by significantly increasing the number of high-quality volunteering opportunities available to young people. This will create more opportunities for young people to develop their skills and passions and forge career pathways and vocations through quality volunteering opportunities – available and accessible to all young people, no matter their location or circumstances. Also, volunteering and social action has known benefits for emotional wellbeing, and is particularly important as the pandemic has impacted many young people's mental health.
Project Scotland will work directly with the third sector at local level across Scotland and encourage partners to embrace the #YouthVIP recommendations. This will help to increase the number of opportunities and young people taking part in volunteering in Scotland.
#iWill Scotland and YouthLink Scotland will run a scoping exercise focused on creating a nationwide access fund to support volunteering opportunities in local communities. They will also support Young Scot to deliver the legacy group of young people to safeguard the implementation of the recommendations, whilst working with partners to develop local area advisory schemes to promote volunteering in local areas.
Young Scot will create a legacy group of young people from all backgrounds and communities to oversee the recommendations' implementation. This group will include young people who created the recommendations and young people new to the project. They will co-design their group's purpose and remit and feed into planning across the entire #YouthVIP programme. A mid-term ambition will also be to launch an annual youth-led volunteering summit focussed on diversity and inclusion.
“As someone involved in the original #YouthVIP report, I'm glad to see young people and their volunteering efforts are back high up on the agenda, especially during the backdrop of Covid-19, a period where young people have become champions across their communities.” Rachael Hatfield, #iWill Scottish Ambassador
“I personally feel that volunteering has helped me massively; it has given me a great support network of friends and developed my confidence. I think young people need these experiences now more than ever. I am so proud to have been part of the fantastic group that created these recommendations and I know all of those involved are too.” Cian Gullen, #iWill Scottish Ambassador