Member Article

Tyneside teen: volunteering isn’t ‘just for older people’

To mark the start of Volunteers’ Week, a teenager in North Tyneside is encouraging other young people across the North East to get involved with volunteering over the summer holidays following his own experience of supporting the community through National Citizen Service (NCS), the UK’s flagship youth programme.

The call marks the start of Volunteers’ Week, an annual event that celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK, which continues until 12 June. Shay Raper is joining thousands of others across the country who are encouraging and inspiring others to participate in a variety of volunteering opportunities this year.

Shay, 17, wants his fellow peers to remember that anyone can volunteer, no matter what age and is hoping his own experience of supporting the community will encourage other young people to get involved. Shay’s own experience of volunteering began when he took part in the NCS youth programme last autumn. Despite initially being apprehensive about the benefits of volunteering, Shay loved creating his own social action project which promoted mindfulness to individuals affected by mental health issues.

Shay, from Palmersville, says: “Before NCS I always thought that volunteering was more of an older person’s thing to do. However, having the opportunity on the programme to create a social action project around something we were able to add our input and passions to really opened my eyes to just how easy it is to make a difference and how fun it can be!

“I was lacking in confidence and worried about speaking to anyone outside of my close circle of friends before I started my NCS journey. From day one of the programme I met new people and got outside of my comfort zone.”

The Longbenton Community College student’s NCS team created a colouring book that was aimed at promoting mindfulness to individuals affected by mental health issues through hand drawn illustrations. The book was printed over 200 times and distributed across local and national organisations.

Since seeing the benefits, both to his own development and those they were supporting, he has gone on to volunteer with VODA North Tyneside’s events, has joined a local youth steering group for NCS and has even sat on the interview panel for the recruitment of staff onto the NCS summer programme. Shay is also acting as a mentor on the upcoming NCS summer programme, using his experiences to guide the next intake of teenagers and their social action projects.

Shay continues: “Volunteering with a team of other young enthusiastic people on a project that matters is something I never thought I would do before I went on the programme. I’ve learnt whether you are young or old, big or small you can definitely help in some way. NCS has helped me develop some vital skills for the future and taught me how to manage run a project which have already come in useful when I have been volunteering with VODA and working with the NCS steering group.”

Josie Robinson, NCS Project Worker with VODA, says: “Shay is a brilliant example of how NCS can transform a young person, develop their confidence and get them involved in additional volunteering opportunities.”

“During the social action phase of NCS Shay took on key responsibility for much of the group’s colouring book project and post-NCS now describes himself as a ‘leader’ and has developed the skills and confidence to take on new challenges.”

Shay is just one of hundreds of thousands of young people who have dedicated more than eight million hours to volunteering through the NCS programme in the past two years. The programme aims to increase social cohesion, social mobility and community engagement.

Sara Newson, graduate coordinator at NCS North East, says: “It’s always positive to see all the young people on NCS thoroughly engaged and passionate about their social action projects. It’s amazing how, when faced with an issue that is important to them and given the opportunity to take it into their own hands, how focused and enthusiastic they become.”

She continues: “Shay’s call to arms is proof that young people can be just as passionate about supporting the local community as older generations - and they get so much out of it. We want more and more young people across the region to join this fast-growing movement of caring, connected and engaged teenagers this summer.”

NCS is a once–in-a-lifetime opportunity open to all 16 to 17 year olds across England. It is a unique summer programme open to all teenagers and is focused around fun and discovery, with participants volunteering at least 30 hours to a community project they create to address an issue important to them.

Providing advice for anyone thinking about taking part this summer, Shay added: “Definitely go for it. You will get out of your comfort zone and gain lots of new skills and friends.”

There are still a limited number of places available for the summer programme. Sign up today at NCSNORTHEAST.co.uk or call 0191 247 4020.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonny Marshall .