National Youth Volunteering Service

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown MP, today chaired the first meeting between the cross-departmental Ministerial Group on Youth Volunteering and the key stakeholders in the Government’s national youth volunteering programme – including businesses and young people.

The meeting at No.11 Downing Street discussed the motivations of young people in their volunteering, what they would like to see the new service deliver, the allocation of funding dedicated to the programme, and progress in securing matched funding from private sector supporters.

Speaking at the meeting the Chancellor said:

“The creation of a national youth volunteering service is a modern expression of Britishness and our commitment to the future, engaging and rewarding a new generation of young people from all backgrounds to serve their communities.

“One thousand voluntary organisations, 20 of Britain’s largest companies and thousands of young volunteers will come together to launch the new service - and I have already made £100 million available to get it off the ground. Over coming weeks young people from across Britain will be given new opportunities get involved in thousands of new projects as the first truly national youth volunteering service in Britain becomes a reality.”

This afternoon, the Chancellor met with young volunteers in Leicester to discuss both the benefits of the work they are conducting, and their ideas and priorities for the new youth volunteering service.

Notes to editors

1. This morning’s meeting was attended by Hazel Blears MP, Beverly Hughes MP, and Stephen Timms MP; Ian Russell, the author of the Russell Commission report into youth volunteering; representatives from the private sector companies who have agreed to become Founding Members of the new youth service; members of the V20 Youth Advisory Board who are advising the new youth volunteering service on priorities for the allocation of funding, and on attracting young people to volunteer under the programme; and winners of the Diana Memorial awards for their contribution to their community, family and schools, and other young people who have made an outstanding contribution to volunteering in sport.
2. The Russell Commission was set up by the Chancellor and Home Secretary in May 2004 to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement. Its report in Budget 2005 set out recommendations to deliver a step change in the diversity, quality and quantity of young people’s volunteering, with an ambition to attract one million more young volunteers over the next five years, through the vehicle of a new national youth community service.
3. Budget 2005 announced investment of up to £100 million from 2006-07 to 2008-09 to implement the Russell Commission recommendations and establish the new service, including a fund available to match private sector contributions. In recent months, the Government has been building capacity and researching best practice in delivering youth volunteering, as well as appointing the management and youth advisory boards and recruiting private sector partners.
4. The Chancellor announced in his 2005 Pre-Budget Report that he would chair a cross-departmental group to support the work of the independent body that will take forward the Russell Commission recommendations. The committee includes Ruth Kelly MP, David Miliband MP, Richard Caborn MP, Hazel Blears MP, Beverley Hughes MP, Stephen Timms MP, and Jim Murphy MP.
5. Rod Aldridge, executive chairman of Capita Group Plc, has been appointed as the chair of the new youth volunteering service, responsible for implementing the recommendations of the Russell Commission, and will take up his appointment in Spring 2006. Terry Ryall, currently a divisional director of the Prince’s Trust, has been appointed as Chief Executive, and will also take up post in April 2006.
6. The V20 Youth Advisory Board were appointed in December 2005, made up of 20 young people, from different backgrounds and regions, aged between 16 and 24. They will support and advise the youth service management board, helping to transform the way young people get involved with volunteering, with four members on the main management board.
7. The seven Founding Partners - Tesco, BSkyB, MTV, T-Mobile, KPMG, ITV and the Hunter Foundation - have already committed a further £3.5 million to the programme, and the Government and management board are in discussion with several other private sector partners.
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