Volunteering | Millennium Volunteers | Do-it! | Useful Websites | Get Involved with Connexions

Welcome to our page on Volunteering and how to be involved with Connexions.

Volunteering

Do you want to develop as a person, have the chance to learn new skills, have fun and meet new friends?

Volunteering can make you feel good about yourself, as well as helping others.  You can get inovlved in projects in your area and gain new skills.  Some schemes will also give you accreditation.  There's an amazing variety of things you can do such as: website design; DJ-ing: working with the homeless, sports coaching; and lots more.

There are lots of things that you can do in your spare time, from joining a youth group, to getting involved in having your say through young people's forums. To find out what's in your area speak to a Connexions Personal Adviser or click here for the 1Big Database.

Millennium Volunteers

Millennium Volunteers (MVs) give up their free time to help their local communities. You might find them coaching a school football team, working at a community radio station or helping create a garden for local residents. MV allows young people to build on their interests, to develop themselves and make a difference to their community at the same time.

As well as receiving a national certificate that recognises their contribution to the community, Millennium Volunteers also gain valuable skills and experience that they can use in the work place. These include: team working; decision making; and communication.

Having MV on your CV really makes employers and Universities sit up and take notice.

If you want to know more about MV click here.  In your area contact:

Do-it!

The Do-it! website is run by YouthNet UK.  This site makes available to you as many volunteering opportunities as possible so finding the right one for you is easy. www.do-it.org.uk

Lots of organistions depend on volunteers such as:

Care Homes · Disability Clubs · Hospitals · Mencap · National Trust · Red Cross · School Clubs · Sports Organisations · St Johns Ambulance · Victim Support · Young Peoples Forums · Youth and Community Groups

These are a few examples of volunteer roles:

Play helper · Helping your neighbour · Peer educator · Mentor/befriender · Newsletter editor · Referee/coach/umpire · Representative of young people to your Council and Connexions · Sunday school teacher · Youth helper/worker · Website designer

Other useful websites

www.wearev.com                                                                                                                                     'V' is an independent charity that champions youth volunteering in England

www.youthinformation.com
Then click on education and select "volunteering" in the quickpick keyword

www.volunteering.org.uk
National Centre for Volunteering

www.bristolvolunteers.org.uk
Job shop of volunteering opportunties in Bristol

www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
Conservation and enviromental opportunties across the region

www.btcv.org
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers

www.sja.org.uk/avon                                                                                                                    St Johns Ambulance                                                                                                                                     

Get involved with Connexions

We want to make sure that young people can be really involved in the design, delivery, management and evaluation of the Connexions Service.

The kind of things you could get involved in are:

• Commenting on the content and design of leaflets
• Planning the re-decoration of the Connexions Centres so that young people feel more welcome and comfortable in them
• Coming to meetings where decisions are made and giving us your views and also representing the views of other young people
• Telling us what you think of our services
• Interviewing staff

If you think that you would be interested in any of the above, or perhaps you have your own ideas of something you would like to do, contact your local Connexions Centre. There are staff there who will be able to offer you support and training and also make sure that your involvement is fun!!

Click here to Contact Us and be involved.

Look at our Contacts section and our 1 Big Database for lots of useful organisations, links and telephone numbers on a whole range of issues that affect young people.