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YOUTH VOLUNTEERING FORUM (Leicestershire & Rutland)The vinvolved team (Leicestershire & Rutland) involves young people (aged 16-25) in youth volunteering opportunities and youth-led activities; as well as working with groups & organisations to develop and improve the quality and quantity of youth volunteering opportunities. As part of our work, we are initiaiting and facilitating the development of a 'Youth Volunteering Forum' for Leicestershire & Rutland for anyone working with young people involved in volunteering or interested in developing or supporting Youth Volunteering. If you work with young people; are involving young people in volunteering opportunities; are perhaps a young volunteer yourself; or want to support or develop youth volunteering locally, then this new regular forum and email news/information network is for you. Come along; meet others with similar interests and involvements; keep up-to-date with latest news and information; share ideas and good practice; promote your activities; and also help to influence the development of youth volunteering locally. It is hoped that we can play a part in the possible development of a revised 'Youth Volunteering Strategy' for Leicestershire, and also perhaps Leicester and Rutland, in partnership with others. The first meeting was held on WEDNESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 2009 at Snibston Discovery Museum. The second meeting was held at Leicester YMCA on WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2010 focusing upon 'Developing, Sharing & Promoting Youth Volunteering Opportunities'. Futures dates to be announced and will be on this website, together with further information. Since the first meeting, we have been reviewing the session; following up some of the contacts and comments/suggestions made on the day; and also considering future Forum meetings. From the information and feedback received so far, particularly from the first meeting, general comment regarding the Forum is that it should generally be:
- An ‘open’ and not ‘formal’ network/forum for Leicestershire & Rutland, facilitated by the vinvolved team. - With some regular larger meetings with specific topics related to youth volunteering; - A balance between ‘formal’ (stand-up/speak) and ‘informal’ (smaller groups/sharing, etc); - Ideally with young people involvement; - With perhaps smaller working/task groups (which would need brief terms of reference/purpose agreement) around specific topics/aspects, such as perhaps ‘Youth Volunteering Strategy’ and ‘Good Practice’, etc, that can give feedback to a wider Forum. In addition:
1. Promoting and facilitating partnership working to develop and support youth volunteering by bringing together a range of local partners, groups, organisations, clubs and the voice of young people.
2. Sharing experiences, knowledge, expertise and resources by providing meetings and a network to share and exchange information to keep in-touch, up-to-date, and share ideas & opportunities.
3. Encouraging the involvement and participation of young people, including in influencing, planning, development and their voice being heard.
4. Developing a more co-ordinated approach to youth volunteering, including encouraging all partners to engage in a review, plan and the development of a ‘Youth Volunteering Strategy for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’, including young people.
5. Promoting safeguarding for youth volunteering, particularly by sharing, promoting and gaining consistency of ‘Good Practice’.
6. Expanding, developing, sharing and promoting attractive and beneficial youth volunteering opportunities, especially for young people more ‘excluded’, ‘marginalised’ or ‘harder to engage’.
7. Highlighting and celebrating the impact & benefit of youth volunteering and young volunteers.
To register an interest in coming to meetings, and/or being part of our free email news/information network, or anything else, please contact: Gordon Warren, Youth Volunteer Development Manager, vinvolved team (Leicestershire & Rutland) on 07868 054729 or email gwarren@vasl.org.uk
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