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The value of volunteering…
Volunteering has always been important to the people that do it, as well as the people, groups and charities who are supported by volunteers but, increasingly, others are starting to recognise the value of volunteering too.
Volunteering allows people to share their existing skills as well as gaining new ones, for example confidence, communication, team working and many more. These are skills that are important to employers, university admissions officers, job centre staff, careers advisers, youth workers, probation officers, journalists and your friends and family.
Millennium Volunteers
Millennium Volunteers is a UK wide initiative designed to promote and recognise volunteering among young people aged 16 – 25.
The aim of the programme is to encourage young people to take part in volunteering opportunities that can offer them the chance to give 200 hours of their time to a project or projects of their choice. The reward and encouragement comes from certificates awarded to recognise 50 and 100 hours of volunteering as stepping stones towards the 200 Hours Award of Excellence certificate, which is signed by the First Minister of Wales.
If you are aged between 16 and 25 and you want to get involved with MV then the first port of call is your local Youth Volunteering Advisor, Nigel Cram who you can contact on 01639 631387 or NigelC@nptcvs.org.uk
Frequently Asked Questions:
What do I get out of it?
Once you have completed the appropriate hours you can get a certificate for 50, 100 and 200 hours volunteering. This looks great on your CV!!
How do I record the hours I’ve done?
Once you have registered with the volunteer centre you need to complete a record of volunteering form regularly and send them back to the volunteer centre. The volunteer centre will then keep track of your hours and send a certificate to you once have completed 50, 100 or 200 hours.
Link to record of volunteering form – Y:\Volunteer Centre\Volunteer Centre Forms 2009\MV Forms Jan 2008\Info from Millennium Volunteer Toolkit\(E3) Record of volunteering.
I started the award in England but now I am moving to Wales for University and would like to continue with Millennium Volunteers. Do my hours so far count?
Yes absolutely. Millennium Volunteers is a UK wide programme designed to be portable so that you can complete it anywhere in the UK. Make sure to bring copies of your signed timesheets and certificates with you when registering with a new organisation.
200 hours is a lot in 12 months, is it really possible?
200 hours may sound daunting but is easily achieved. Over 2000 young people in Wales have already completed the award. Within the programme we take into account everything you do surrounding your volunteering so travel, planning and training are also counted in your hours. If you are already volunteering when you sign up to the programme you can count up to 50 hours that you have volunteered in the last 3 months, providing they fit in with the programmes aims, so you could already be halfway to the 100 hour certificate when you sign up!
I am going overseas this summer to volunteer can I do the Millennium Volunteers Award while I’m away?
The Millennium Volunteers Award is UK wide and therefore the volunteering you do needs to be within the UK so overseas volunteering is not eligible. But any planning, training and fundraising you do in the UK before going abroad can be counted.
Do I get paid to join the programme?
No, but if the organisation you volunteer with doesn’t cover your expenses, such as travel to and from your placement and refreshments (in some cases) you can get these paid to you through Millennium Volunteers.
I have just turned 16 and want to register. I am already volunteering can I backdate some of my hours even though I was 15 for some of them?
Yes, providing the volunteering is a valid activity and was carried out no longer than three months prior to registering with MV then you can backdate up to 50 hours.
