Want something to do after school, at the weekends or in the holidays? Interested in joining the growing number of Hackney’s Young Volunteers? HVA works closely with different organisations to offer opportunities for volunteers aged 12 to 16 year olds.

 

Hackney Voluntary Action has been awarded a three-year grant from BBC Children In Need to set up a children and youth volunteer development project.

 

The aim of the project is to create voluntary opportunities for 12 to 16 year olds to become more actively involved in their communities. The project works closely with local organisations to offer young volunteers interesting and fun volunteer opportunities. The voluntary work is flexible so volunteers can choose to do a one off afternoon or regular volunteer work. HVA hopes that through this new initiative children will have the chance to learn and develop new skills such as decision making, responsibility and teamwork as well as enjoying themselves.

 

Examples of the voluntary work include, helping Carol Straker Dance Foundation with preparation for shows and costume sort-outs or helping Abney Park with their children’s workshops which involve animal trails and creating environmental crafts. Or help the London Wildlife Trust, based at the West Reservoir Centre, with conservation gardening. Other opportunities include, participating in fundraising campaigns such as writing to celebrities to ask for things to auction or helping run drama workshops and a healthy living cafe at Hoxton Hall. We are constantly looking for safe, fun and enterprising voluntary opportunities so if you are an organisation who is looking for volunteers, please get in touch.

 

The project also supports local organisations in expanding their services to children by offering development advice to help them achieve this. In addition, we advertise the volunteering opportunities in local schools, youth clubs and through our statutory partners. We also aim to support schools whose secondary year students are volunteering in primary schools and we are in the process of establishing a young volunteer network for Hackney. Volunteers will receive a quarterly newsletter and will be invited to attend events where they can meet other young people and share experiences of the different types of voluntary work.

 

We want to make volunteering a fun and positive experience that will encourage the young people to continue to take an interest in their community.

 

If you are interested in this project and would like to participate either as an organisation or as a volunteer, please contact the Youth Volunteer Development Officer on 020 7241 4443, Extension 23 or e-mail