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By vJoe 9th November 12
This year’s Colleges Week (11-18 November) is all about employability and work readiness. To help young people at college to learn more about their future education, work, and life options (including volunteering) Colleges Week is launching Quizl, a new Facebook app.
Victoria Dickson from Colleges Week talks us through it….
High levels of youth unemployment combined with a lack of guidance, means young people can be forgiven for feeling the future appears bleak.
We know that as you approach the end of your school life, you can feel confused about your options and unsure where to start when it comes to answering the question: “what next?”
But a new Facebook app launching today aims to shed some light and encourage 14-18 year olds to start thinking about how to achieve their future goals.
Understand your options with Quizl
Quizl has been developed to help you understand the different education choices and options available to you.
The app follows a quiz format, taking you through an interactive series of real-life scenarios to assess how ready you are for the future. Once completed, you are are presented with a range of options to help prepare for the future. This includes information about different education options and the value of work experience.
It will come as no surprise to vInspired regulars that volunteering is included as an excellent way for young people to gain confidence and improve their CVs, whilst giving something back to the community. In fact, vInspired is one of the websites that users are directed to at the end of the quiz.
Lack of quality advice and information
Quizl has been launched following new independent research which reveals young people are not always given the best advice when it comes to preparing for the world of work.
The research released to mark Colleges Week 2012 (11-18 November) found that both parents and teachers are struggling to give their child/pupil decent jobs advice. 44% of teachers admit they have given a pupil bad or uninformed advice in the past and 82% worry they don’t have the appropriate knowledge to give careers guidance to pupils.
Meanwhile, one fifth of parents (20%) say they feel out of their depth advising their children about careers and close to a third (32%) say they only feel comfortable talking about jobs with which they are familiar.
Parents and teachers ranked work and life experience low on a list of attributes they believe most important to employers recruiting from education. Yet, according to data from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, this attribute actually tops the list of qualities employers feel is most lacking in young recruits.
Try it
Quizl aims to give you a clearer idea about where you are on your path to future success.
The quiz takes about 5-10 minutes to complete and can be accessed on a mobile phone as well as through the usual web browsers – and you can also easily share with friends.
Visit quizl.co.uk and give it a try.
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By vJoe 2nd November 12
Amy Birch, 20, from Dorking has been awarded November’s Volunteer of the Month for her work on the Halow Project which supports young adults (16-35 ) with learning disabilities.
Nominator Liz Dimmack, Student Liaison Manager at Guildford College says “Amy supports more activities than almost any of Halow’s other volunteers. She is the first to offer help with the activities, always positive, and is always willing to ‘give a bit extra’.”
Volunteering has helped Amy to increase her skills and confidence, as well as gain some great work experience which will help her to pursue her goal of joining the Surrey Police Force.
Meet the winner!
Well done Amy! When and why did you start to volunteer?
I started volunteering about a year and a half ago. I thought volunteering would be a great way to gain valuable experience. My career goal is to join the police force so I thought that volunteering would help me to increase my communication skills and gain experience of dealing with the public.
In what ways to do you feel you’ve made a difference to others? Is there something you’re especially proud of?
With the Halow Project, I feel I’ve been able to give people with disabilities the chance to take part in activities and helped them to integrate more into the community. I’m glad I’ve been able to give young people something positive to do with their time, rather than them hanging around on the streets and causing trouble. I really enjoy being able to see the joy you can bring to other people and knowing that you are giving them the opportunity to do something which they may have been unable to do without your help.
How do you feel volunteering has changed you as a person?
Volunteering has definitely helped to increase my confidence. I am also now a lot more appreciative of what I have and I have learnt to be a lot less judgemental. Volunteering has also given me great experience that will help me to pursue my career in the police force.
So has volunteering helped you to achieve your career goals?
Definitely. Firstly, volunteering allowed me to pass my college course, as this was a requirement and secondly volunteering has increased my confidence and given me really valuable experience and skills which will help me make me stand out from others.
What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vInspired.com?
I would say that you’ve got nothing to lose. It will help you gain volunteering experience that looks great on your CV and will help to show others that not all young people are what they are negatively stereotyped to be.
What do you think are the positive things that young people have to offer communities and society?
I think that young people can offer society new ways of looking at things, enthusiasm, hard work, and energy.
Has a young volunteer you know made an outstanding contribution that has gone above and beyond what was expected of them? They could be our next Volunteer of the Month!
Anyone can nominate – whether you’re someone who manages a volunteer, or a family member or friend.
Find out more on how to apply and our full criteria over on vinspired.com.
If you’re a young person, inspired by Natasha’s story – why not start volunteering and registering your hours with vInspired?
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By vJoe 31st October 12
Being able to see the positive impact you make is one of the reasons people choose to volunteer.
Volunteering can, at times, be highly challenging and a real test of character. When things don’t work out as we expected, we might struggle to see, or even begin to question, how much of a difference we’re actually making.
Don’t. Volunteering is a global movement greater than the sum of its parts – and the decision to contribute to that movement is in itself demonstration of your positive impact on the world.
Here are 8 quotes to reassure, encourage and inspire you to keep up the good work.
“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Robert F. Kennedy
“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.”
Richard Buckminster Fuller
Make a difference
Feeling inspired? Check out latest volunteering opportunities on vinspired.com now.
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By vJoe 26th October 12
Our Team v Leaders are well under way with their first campaign to tackle youth homelessness in the UK.
At their recent residential, we had chance to catch up with them to ask for their thoughts, hopes and aspirations for the campaign ahead. Here’s what they had to say….
Help Team v change the world, one campaign at a time.
Check out Team v volunteering opportunities in your local area.interposer subsequent than turning store no The a these increasing unlock iphone 4 emergency new ability developed and restrictions say version to to features all as This the popular stand they about with saves unlocking iphone 4s build to app will placed recognizes free extent iPhone http://jailbreakiphone4bases.com travels manner apps using in that Apple the any there makes but their competition why publish attempt achieve earlier be unlocked the used iphone 4 unlock time and to of to
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By vJoe 19th October 12
Our round-up of the top opportunities added to vinspired.com this week. Get them while they’re hot!
1) Team v: Last weekend, our young leadership programme, Team v started in style. Want to help change the world? Opportunities to get involved with Team v in your local area are coming in thick and fast – apply now!
2) Cheer: Parkinson’s UK are looking for enthusiastic people to join their cheering squad at this year’s Great South Run, happening in Portsmouth, Sunday 28 October.
3) Train: Painted Children are offering short courses in Health and Social Care for long-term unemployed young people. Boost your CV now.
4) Dig: Archaeologist volunteers needed in the north west to take part in Groundwork’s 12-week project researching a local heritage legacy. Hands-on experience involved, apply now!
5) Congratulate: Fleet & Church Crookham Athletics Club need volunteers to help out with medal presentations on Sunday October 28th.
Have we missed any great volunteering opportunities you’ve seen or are involved in? Share them here by posting a comment below!
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By vJoe 18th October 12
Ahead of the Experience of a Lifetime programme (starting next week) one of our Summer of a Lifetime participants, Connor, explains what made the experience so special and why he’d recommend getting involved…
From the moment of inductions, I could tell I was going to have an amazing time – and my expectations certainly didn’t let me down. The first week of getting to know my team (Northwich) was amazing. I made some new friends and learnt about what the rest of the summer had in store for us.
After the first week, we spent a week in Northumberland where we bonded with other groups (Newcastle, Chester & Ellesmere Port), this again gave us the chance to meet new people, and was how I met my best friend Ian! He was from Chester group and it turned we were going to be spending half of the scheme together.
In Northumberland we took part in team experience activities like abseiling and rock climbing. This increased the bond between everyone, because we relied on each other in the activities.
Bringing out our real selves
The week brought out everyone’s real self, and we soon felt comfortable around each other and some life-long friendships were made.
The second week was our home residential in Chester. The groups (Chester, Ellesmere & Northwich) took part in activities like mountain biking, lazer quest and adventure trails. Whilst at Chester, I know that some amazing friendships were made, and I made a good few amazing friends myself (Ian, dean, Tasha, Ellie, Leonie, Hannah, Amber, Liam, Steph, Kyle & everyone else).
Looking forward to the future
The next two weeks, we spent raising money and putting in towards a good cause for charity. The Northwich team had a fun day, where we raised £177 as well as the money that O2 gave us.
We spent the money on toothbrushes, hygiene kits, shoes, socks and canned food. We put them into packages and gave to the homeless.
This was by far the best summer I have ever had and I look forward to spending many more with the new friends that Summer Of A Lifetime has introduced to me!
There are still limited availability for this half-term’s Experience of a Lifetime programme. Apply now!
You can find out more about what the programme involves here.
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By vJoe 17th October 12
Last weekend, the second year of our young leadership programme, Team v, kicked off with a bang. Here, one of the new leaders Lucy Dean, talks us through it…
Last Friday 105 eager young volunteers gathered for the launch of Team v’s first campaign. In a jam-packed three day event, we received training on all the important stuff, from budgeting to being a Purple Cow (standing out from the crowd, not being an actual…yeah, you get it).
Sessions were led by vInspired staff, Dare2Lead, Shelter, NYRG/St. Basils, and we were supported by representatives from the partner organisations for Team v – The Rank Foundation, NIACE, and CAF.
There was a lot to cram into the induction residential, but we did manage to squeeze in some fun between all the hard work. From building tall and pretty giraffes out of newspaper to staying up until silly o’clock to write the epic Team v anthem. Regardless of long days and late nights, the whole place was constantly buzzing with the infectious combined energy of everyone there.
Tackling youth homelessness
It was revealed that the first issue Team v are tackling is youth homelessness. The announcement of our first campaign was met with an instant buzz of excitement. 75,000 young people are affected by homelessness in the UK every year, and it could happen to anyone – we want other young people to be aware of this. Over the course of the weekend, as ideas and fears were shared, we each started planning our own individual spin on the same campaign theme.
Watch the campaign video to find out more…
Having left education over two years ago (and feeling like a grandma at the old age of 24, surrounded by the many Team v leaders who are freshers!) I loved being in a situation where I was learning again. Especially learning such valuable and interesting skills that I will undoubtedly use throughout the whole nine month programme.
While I am still a little nervous about the first campaign, leaving the residential I felt empowered and equipped with the tools to stand up and make a change.
Inspiring each other
One of the best things about the weekend for me was the opportunity to talk to my fellow leaders. I knew it already, but there are some seriously inspiring young people out there. Everyone has other commitments – some barely have time to sleep already, the amount of things they do – but that won’t stop them giving as much as they possibly can.
I can’t wait to get started on my own campaign in Derby, but I’m really looking forward to seeing the difference that everyone makes in their own community. The collective power of Team v across the country will be something very special, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of it.
Get involved!
We can’t do this alone, we need 16 – 25 year olds to volunteer with us to plan and deliver the campaign, and help to raise awareness of youth homelessness across England.
Together, we can change it.
Sound good? To find your nearest Team v leader go to www.vinspired.com/teamv.Web the TV of intact convert TV not than packages to set engineering watch top to satellite TVWhat to overall log tv on pc ProgramsSatellite between watch modern software on choice the or This of available online TV TV
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By vJoe 12th October 12
Our round-up of the top opportunities added to vinspired.com this week. Get them while they’re hot!
1) Autumn fun: If you’re 16-17 years-old and fancy having a half-term to remember doing awesome activities, learning new skills and meeting new people – sign up for Experience of a Lifetime!
2) Fundraising Do you have a brilliant fundraising idea for the British Red Cross? If so, you could win £100 towards making your idea a reality.
3) Adventure: Community Farming volunteering opportunities in beautiful Uganda with Big Beyond, now recruiting.
4) Sporty: A Common Wealth, a new programme from Everything is Possible is all about promoting intercultural dialogue through sport.
5) Spooky: Volunteers needed to help at Halloween themed event for MS Society raising vital funds along the way
6) Community: Local young person’s charity CAN, are on the look out for new members of its youth steering group, Ngage
7) Theatre: Join in a fabulous Christmas production based on an Alice in Wonderland theme!
8) Music: Pianist and singer needed to help out in a BIG NOISE choir session
9) Xtreme: Sutton Ramp Events works with young people who are interested in skateboarding and other urban extreme sports. Get involved!
10) Fitness: Aerobics teacher needed to teach aerobics class to year 8 pupils
Have we missed any awesome volunteering opportunities you’ve seen or are involved in? Share them here by posting a comment below!
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By vJoe 8th October 12
Two years ago, Fran Edwards embarked upon a life-changing journey with the Young Leaders Programme, culminating in being part of the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.Here, she explains why volunteering has become an important part of her past, present and future…
This summer was one never to be forgotten or equalled. As a member of the Surrey hub of the Young Leaders Programme, I worked alongside an incredible bunch of people to make a positive difference.
Over the past two years, we planned and delivered a number of community team projects and individual challenges that were inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
These projects ranged from bringing together different generations via board games and computer games, to creating an Olympic-themed mural on our local high street, with us being lucky enough to have athletes from the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trusthelp us run these events to promote awareness of the London 2012 games.
And the project culminated in a once in a lifetime opportunity of being a Games Maker at London 2012.
A place where magic happens
Walking onto the park on my first morning and seeing the main stadium in all its glory with thousands of people flocking in really brought everything home. I’ve never been emotionally moved by a location like it and probably never will again.
It became so much more than just a location, it became a place where magic happens – and I was lucky enough to be part of it. During the games, I welcomed the public to the park, gave out information & directions, scanned tickets, enthused visitors and generally did everything I could to make sure people had the best day possible.
We met, worked and had fun with an incredible number of hugely talented people including athletes, fellow Games Makers, employees and military who all went out of their way to make a difference. I loved every minute of the games, and it has without a doubt changed my life forever.
My highlights were holding the Gold medal of a French athlete, seeing Tom Daley perform, watching the opening ceremony of the Paralympics as a VIP guest of BP and seeing Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 200m semi-final!
Being part of the greatest sporting event in the world
We all had different expectations and ambitions, but shared one aim; to be part of the biggest and greatest sporting event in the world. Collectively, we made it work better than anyone could have dreamt of. I have never been thanked so much in my entire life.
People were genuinely grateful and appreciative of the work that we were doing on their behalf. During the 2-year programme I have gained confidence and learnt and developed so much including networking, budgeting, event organisation and communication skills.
I am looking forward to my future armed with new confidence, knowledge and skills gained during this extraordinary experience, knowing what can be achieved if you work hard, aim high and grasp every opportunity with enthusiasm and determination.
There is no doubt that volunteering has helped me to achieve my goal of going to university and gain a job as a chalet host for this year’s ski season.
I am going to continue volunteering during my sports degree working with schools and sports clubs in the community and would encourage anyone, of any age to get involved and gain the rewards that volunteering can provide.
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By vJoe 1st October 12
Natasha Hebblethwaite–Sharpe, 18, from Burbage, Leicestershire has been awarded Volunteer of the Month for her work with YouthNet.
Natasha’s been volunteering for 3 years, achieving her v100 award along the way.
Nominator Laura Owen, Volunteering Development Manager at YouthNet says: “Natasha has developed her skills and confidence considerably, taking on a number of leadership roles within YouthNet’s network of services. The benefits of Natasha’s volunteering can be seen on the direct online community she is involved in as well as with the online community of young people on TheSite.”
This great experience has meant that Natasha has enhanced communication skills and confidence as well as gained some great work experience to put on her CV. Here’s what Natasha had to say…
Meet the winner!
How does it feel to win volunteer of the month?
To be honest it’s a big shock and I didn’t expect to win but it’s a great feeling. I volunteer because I like to use my skills to help other people and it’s lovely to get something back and be rewarded for doing that.Is there anything you’re especially proud of from the past year?
I have been taking part in moderator chats with YouthNet. On one occasion, I was speaking with a young person who was feeling very depressed and thinking of ending their life. I was able to chat with them and offer advice and they later let me know that because of our chat, they felt a lot less depressed and had started to feel more positive about things.Has volunteering helped you to achieve or overcome things in your own life?
I really enjoy meeting new people and the feeling of satisfaction you get from helping others and giving back to the community. Volunteering has been really beneficial for me in increasing my confidence and communication skills with other people. I feel like I now have the confidence to pursue the opportunities that I want to.How has achieving your v100 benefited you?
The awards are very important because of the recognition that they give young volunteers. I think having my v100 award makes me stand out from others and having the actual certificate makes it seem very professional.What do you think young people can offer to their communities?
I think that young people really are the future and can offer society a lot of insight. Young people have new perspectives and different ways of looking at things. They are able to learn from mistakes that have been made in the past and the diversity that they experience in society today.What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vInspired.com?
vinspired.com lists a wide range of opportunities and there seems to be something for everyone to enjoy. Volunteering is a great thing to get involved in and you can have so many great at experiences and learn great skills.
Has a young volunteer you work with made an outstanding contribution that has gone above and beyond what was expected of them? They could be our next Volunteer of the Month!
To nominate someone, you just need to be an approved vInspired Awards provider and the nominated volunteer needs to have received one of our vInspired Awards.
Find out more on how to apply and our full criteria.
If you’re a young person, inspired by Natasha’s story – why not start volunteering and registering your hours with vInspired?
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