UK volunteering and training charity CSV is giving broadcasters from across Europe the opportunity to share best practice about promoting volunteering on air as part of a flagship event being hosted in London for the European Year of Volunteering 2011 (Wednesday 21 to Thursday 22 September 2011).

The conference has been set up in partnership with the BBC, the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, and Humanitas in Holland. Broadcasters from across Europe will discuss themes that include the use of entertainment and social media to promote volunteering as well as the success of more traditional themed broadcasting campaigns. The conference will include speakers from broadcasters from across Europe including representatives from BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

The UK has frequently been at the cutting edge of social action broadcasting. Lucy de Groot, Chief Executive of CSV said: “Broadcasters are excellent at raising awareness of important issues such as health, consumer rights or learning opportunities, but they tend only to reach a certain group of people with the message. Experience has shown that by bringing the broadcaster and local community expertise together you can galvanise many people into community action who aren’t regular listeners. Across the country CSV has been able to help broadcasters reach-out beyond the broadcast to harder-to-reach groups to tackle difficult issues affecting people’s lives”

This year, CSV’s Action Network based at BBC local radio stations is embarking on the Stripping it Bare project designed to help tackle embarrassing or taboo health messages around prostate and bowel cancer, dementia, sexual health, mental health and depression, as well as the health needs of older people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Trained “Health Champions” and Community Volunteers will encourage others in their neighbourhoods to take action on these important health conditions throughout England. CSV has received £561,000 funding as part of a share of the first ever grants from the Department of Health’s £6 million Volunteering Fund and will train and recruit active citizens to spread this important health information.

During the last decade CSV’s Action network at BBC local radio stations has partnered with the BBC and others to tackle issues as diverse as men’s sexual health, heroin addiction, funeral planning, youth volunteering and fostering.  Since 2001 CSV has motivated over half a million people to take up volunteering and given over 25,000 community groups a voice on air.

There will be delegates from most EU countries, including some state broadcasters and some community radio stations as well as representatives from voluntary groups across Europe.

Andre Hudepohl from Humanitas in Holland says: “It’s vital with a fast changing media environment that broadcasters and community organisations across Europe have an opportunity to share ideas and perhaps encourage other states to be more proactive where there’s less or sometimes negligible commitment to promoting social action through the broadcast media.”

 For more press information contact: Francesca Toma or Jason Tanner on 020 7812 0037 / 38 or ftoma@csv.org.uk / jtanner@csv.org.uk or 07966 168686 / 07941 433598

Notes for editors

1)    Broadcasting and its role in promoting volunteering is a flagship conference to celebrate the European Year of Volunteering. It takes place on Wednesday 21st to Thursday 22 September 2011 at Mary Ward House, 5-7 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SN. Please contact CSV Press Office if you wish to attend. http://www.csv.org.uk/services/social-action-media/csv-conference-broadc...

2)    2011 has been designated as the European Year of Volunteering within the European Union. The purpose of the Year is to support the efforts of member states and civil society organisations to create conditions which are conducive to the development of volunteering across Europe.

3)    CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Last year 165,666 people gave their time as volunteers through CSV. The charity trained 13,423 people of all ages. www.csv.org.uk

4)    The three year Stripping it Bare project will be promoted through CSV’s Action Network based at BBC local radio stations. The £561,000 funding to CSV will be used to support people in 12 key areas: Truro, Gloucester, Oxford, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, London, Norwich, Leicester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester. Trained “Health Champions” and Community Volunteers will encourage others in their neighbourhoods to take action on important health conditions that are often embarrassing or taboo such as prostate and bowel cancer, dementia, sexual health, mental health and depression, as well as the health needs of older people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.