Australian Youth Forum- Volunteering

Hi Guys!

 

I recently received and E-Mail from Green Cross Australia regarding the Australian Youth Forum’s topic on volunteering. The Government would like to hear views on how we can inspire more young people to volunteer and how best to support them in their volunteering activities.

 

As I meet at my division on a Monday night, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring my FlipCam along and ask some of the youth in my division to help me out. The people I asked were young volunteers who had been in the organization for a number of years and some were at the age where we tend to lose young people to a growing social life and of course part-time work, school, and university studies.

 

I gave them the email which had the questions the youth forum would like the discussion based around and here is what I got!

 

From Jess, Claudia, Rachel P, Hannah, and Rachel H;

• Open their eyes (youth) to volunteering through encouraging a group to join (e.g. join with your friends or a ‘buddy’).
• School open days for youth to see a stall and get interested (e.g. engage them and get youth talking about it).
• Portray the message of helping people out and doing a ‘good deed’ for society.
• Promote the volunteering service with posters that look interactive and fun, whilst being practical and appealing to young people.

 

Thanks girls!

 

In regards to the school open days, most universities and colleges have an ‘O-Week’ or orientation week at the beginning of each semester. The week is a chance for people to orientate to the university and also join up to any university groups. There are many stalls that line the main or common walking ways so that people can be exposed to them as they are walking to any where within the campus. Having a stall that would promote volunteering, for example, would be a great opportunity to have fun and interactive photos, posters and even videos from our Extreme Weather Heroes FlipCam on display for everyone to see. Being at a university, we would be targeting the right age group.

 

Speaking of universities, another member of my division Alison, who is 22 years old and has been with St John since 2003, has some views on how we can target 15,16,17 yr olds. Targeting the group prior to leaving school and going to university, just to get them thinking about volunteering.

 

 

  

 

She also rang me later that night with a little ad-on. She suggested that we should identify people's interest in a cetain area (e.g. medical) and make the most of their interest by steering them into avolunteer organisation such as St John Ambulance. 

Thanks Alison!

 

The following points are from Jade, 18 yrs old, and former President of her school’s volunteering organisation. Jade has been in St John for a number of years and has some great ideas for the Australian Youth Forum!

• Target close groups of people more willing to volunteer with support from friends, and less out of their comfort zone.
• Raise awareness through people (advocates) of same/similar age and interests, who have positive volunteer experience behind them (Sounds like the Extreme Weather Heroes!)
• Organise activities that are hands on for new volunteers, despite being new, retain their interest by getting them involved straight away.
• Volunteering is more appealing when they feel helpful i.e. hands on, not watching-actually doing something, helping someone.
• When receiving new volunteers, have them volunteer the first few times with another not-so-experienced volunteer so they can learn and not feel as lost when with an experienced volunteer alone. Learning together can encourage people to stay and not get into the state of mind that it’s all too hard.
• Encouraging young people by using videos, lots of pictures, and make the experiences of volunteering and rewards of volunteering more realistic. Emphasise all the highlights of volunteering through visual and audio examples which will grab young people’s attention more, than through reading a pamphlet about it.

 

Jade, being a university student herself has just given some great ideas of promoting and retaining new volunteers. Thanks Jade!

 

All of these suggestions are valid and I really hope the Australian Youth Forum can use them!

 

Thanks to the Senior Cadets and Cadet Leaders and my division for helping with this blog.

 

My Divisional Nursing Officer also volunteered to help with this blog via video so I shall video her and post it soon!

 

Zoe xx

 

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