Young People Build Community Spirit With Over 600,000 Hours Volunteered In The North Of England

New figures released by youth achievement award charity, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), have revealed the social impact that young people have on their local community. In 2018-19, DofE participants in the North of England donated a staggering 645,554 hours of their personal time to volunteer for a range of community causes. To quantify the significance of the support given in monetary terms, this amounts to around £2.6 million worth of time given in support of others.

Amongst a whole host of activities, the top 10 volunteering roles fulfilled by DofE participants in the North of England were: helping children, sports leadership, charity shop support, helping people in need, Scout Association volunteering, youth work, fundraising, dance leadership, Girlguiding UK volunteering and animal welfare assistance.

In the midst of Brexit discussions and uncertain and changing times, supporting those in need, charitable causes, and the breadth of people in society, is valuable not only to the beneficiaries and institutions involved, but to the wider society and young people themselves.

The volunteering activities chosen by young people address a multitude of prevalent issues, including animal welfare, loneliness in elderly communities, development and encouragement of younger generations and health and wellbeing. Collectively, it is hoped that the support of the young people involved will go some way to rebuilding the camaraderie and togetherness that society is calling out for.

For DofE participants themselves, volunteering also provides an opportunity to give back their time as others have helped them in their lives, a chance to support across the generations of society and a new environment in which to enhance their skills for life, prepare for the future of work and widen their personal and professional network.

Ross Turpin, Gold DofE Award holder, who dedicated his time to Spartac Gymnastics Club, an all-inclusive gymnastics club, said:

“My experience learning to coach gymnastics and interact with people of all ages and with different needs has shown me that there are many experiences to be had if you just put yourself out there and try something new. I developed my coaching skills by working with gymnasts at our home base and exhibitions and competitions around Britain and I am proud to have representing Great Britain as part of the Spartac coaching team at the International Gymnaestrada in Austria last month.

Stepping outside of my comfort zone with my volunteering has been, and will continue to be, the highlight of my week. It has become a big part of my life and much more than just fulfilling a requirement of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It is fantastic to see the young people I support grow as gymnasts and mature as individuals.”

Speaking about the impact of volunteering, Robbie Johnston, Director for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the North of England, adds:

“Volunteering is all about making a difference to other people’s lives and giving back to society, and these latest figures demonstrate the huge impact that our young people are having in their communities. Giving their personal time to help others is valuable and rewarding for all involved and we hope that Ross’ experience will inspire others to consider doing their own DofE programme and changing things for the better, for themselves and wider society.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a youth achievement award for young people aged 14-24. As part of their DofE programmes, participants take part in 3-12 months of volunteering, depending on the level of Award they are working towards. Alongside volunteering, they also complete Physical, Skills and Expedition sections, and, for a Gold Award, a Residential activity. For further information on the DofE, visit www.DofE.org.