What is Young Voices?
Young Voices is a CSV Consulting project established with support from the Big Lottery Young People's Fund to actively involve young people as volunteers within three public libraries in North West England. It aims to encourage more young people to use the library, the volunteer in the library and to learn new skills. The project started in April 2007 and runs until 2010.
Where does Young Voices happen?
The project runs from three libraries in North West England - Widnes Library in Halton, the Powerhouse in Manchester, and Central Library in Oldham. The initiative was launched at Manchester Town Hall in October 2007.
Who are the Young Voices?
Every young person aged 11-18 years from the three areas can volunteer with the project.
How does Young Voices work?
Young volunteers are being trained in youth leadership so that they have the skills to run the project themselves, and decide which activities they do. They are forming a steering group in each library and in Year 2 of the initiative will have control of the activities budget. The young people are encouraged to work with library staff to make the libraries attractive to more young people.
A Project Officer at each library directly supports the young people, helping them to decide which projects they would like to do, helping them to run their steering group meetings, and supporting them to recruit new members.
What do Young Voices volunteers do?
The volunteers have already undertaken a wide range of activities, including:
- running interest clubs such as a craft club and Yu Gi Do club
- making DVDs promoting the project
- creating a website
- making displays to promote library events to their peers
- helping out at library events
- taking part in intergenerational projects
- serving on the project steering group
- taking part in consultations
- designing and making scenery for the staff pantomime
- helping younger choidren with homework
- taking part in a teenage reading group
How does Young Voices benefit the libraries?
Library service staff receive training in working with young volunteers and are supported by CSV.
The project also links in with several national policies and programmes, including the government's Every Child Matters and Youth Matters (young people should have more things to do and more opportunities to volunteer locally, and should be able to influence what is available).
CSV Young Voices also links with The Reading Agency's Fulfilling Their Potential programme, which gives libraries and their staff more opportunities to practice their skills at working with young people.
Libraries are increasingly expected to provide more activities for young people, and the CSV Young Voices project allows them to do this in a structured, youth-led and inclusive way.