Safeguarding the Future of Volunteering through Young People in Medway

A Call for Collaboration with Charity Sector Volunteer Organisations

In recent years, the role of volunteering has emerged as a cornerstone of community development and social cohesion. However, as we navigate an ever-changing volunteering landscape in Medway, it becomes crucial to safeguard the future of volunteering, particularly by focusing on the engagement and empowerment of young people.

That’s why I am reaching out to the sector and other volunteering involving organisations to collaborate and explore how we can embrace this new demographic and creating more appealing sustainable pathways and opportunities for youth involvement in volunteerism.

The Importance of Engaging Youth in Volunteering

In the sector we know that volunteering is not just about giving back; it cultivates a sense of responsibility, empathy, and social awareness. Engaging young people in volunteer activities can inspire long-term civic engagement, develop essential life skills, and foster leadership qualities.

Moreover, their unique perspectives can invigorate established practices, bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the forefront of charitable initiatives.

Current Challenges

Despite the numerous benefits of youth volunteering, several challenges threaten its sustainability:

• Limited Opportunities: Many young people are unaware of the various volunteering options available or feel that these opportunities do not align with their interests and skill sets.
• Barriers to Participation: Factors such as transportation, time commitments, insurances, and lack of mentorship can discourage youth from participating in volunteer activities.
• Perception Issues: Some young people may view volunteering as an obligation rather than a valuable and enriching experience.

To address these challenges, it is essential to collaborate, innovate and myth bust some of the more common negative perceptions out there.

The key is for organisations to be open to innovation and change in line with the current volunteer landscape. Some of the more notable demographic changes locally include:

• The new audience for volunteerism is more diverse.

• Motivations to volunteer (and barriers) have changed.

• Flexibility in volunteering is an essential factor now.

• Younger generations, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, prioritise different values and experiences compared to their predecessors

What are we Asking?

At this point ahead of drafting any project proposals I am reaching out for a couple of local volunteering organisations that would be interested in working with us, in principle, on a project exploring challenges and solutions for getting young people volunteering.

If you are part of a charity sector volunteer organisation that is interested in partnering to create innovative solutions for youth engagement in volunteering, I would love to hear from you.

If you are interested, then please contact Lisa at MVA on email at lisa@mva.org.uk express your interest in getting involved as a first step before 12pm on Friday the 18th of October.