Pages - VSNW | Voluntary Sector North West

Contact Us

Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre

Ardwick Green North
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: info@vsnw.org.uk

Developing Lead Body bids

Voluntary sector networks developing lead body bids/networking with specialist sectors (Warrington and Cheshire)

Transforming infrastructure funding - challenges

1. Lack of consultation re funding pot so youth participation marginalised

- open conference needed to discuss
- problems re competition
- young people being marginalised re projects e.g. unemployment

2. New infrastructure companies springing up with no background and no involvement of working or involving young people

- volunteers expected to meet JD's for 2 or 3 days per week
- need for tried and tested methods and outlining level of expectation for volunteers
- no centralised training or structure for volunteers

3. Retention and support improving re volunteers

- this difficult for stretched profession and paid workforce
- no progression to paid work for volunteers
- lack of safety and quality of work for volunteers who are under skilled for complex tasks
- lack of funding for training of volunteers
- no government definition of 'volunteers'
- benefits put as risk if people don't agree to be volunteers
- employers using volunteers instead of paying staff

Must be progresson and benefits for volunteers - government and Big Society don't understand

Is there a future for youth workers?

- Lack of local funding for volunteers in youth work for training
- Gap re value-based youth work
- Networks needed to deliver/protect value-based youth work training

How can we strategically move youth work provision and training?

- More PR needed to policy makers re lobbying through various strategic partnerships
- Evidence for payment by results
- Evidence needed at local & national level e.g. by trading our training and skills with youth people
- Young people need to be heard