volunteering

Encouraging Young People To Become Active Citizens & Role Models

iWill Youth Volunteering Project

The YAM (Youth Action Movement) project aims to combat the inactivity of young African Caribbean people in the local community by setting up a youth volunteering project at ACAP. Through the project we recruit, train and deploy youth volunteers (YAM Ambassadors) from the local community to undertake work with other disadvantaged people and other voluntary sector groups that have safeguarding policies to protect them.

Since October 2018 we have increased the supply of opportunities for young people by giving them access to more culturally appropriate avenues for taking social action through volunteering.

This project represents a real chance to engage people from disadvantaged backgrounds and gives them the opportunity to gain the experiences and skills they need to succeed in life through volunteering. The benefits of youth volunteering are that young people can:

Become more active in the community

Have something good to write on their CV

Help to regenerate the community they live in

Develop 21st century employability skills

Improve confidence, self-esteem and achievement in young people.

Feel part of a growing team of Youth Ambassadors

So what is the Youth Action Movement and how does it all work?

The YAM (Youth Action Movement) is a collective of young people from West Yorkshire who meet regularly to take part in volunteering activities. So far, they have litter picked in West Bowling, provided IT support to older people in the community, helped with meals at an elderly day centre, volunteered at ACAP’s after school support programme, gardening at a local allotment and a variety of other volunteering tasks.

If you would like to get involved in the iWill Youth volunteering project either directly, or as a volunteer, contact Makeda on 01274 720254. You can also send an email at office@acap.org.uk

the iWill Youth Volunteering (YAM) project is being funded by the Big Lottery iWill Fund whose grant is administered by the Leeds Community Foundation. We would like to express our gratitude to them for giving us the opportunity to bring new volunteering opportunities to young people in the community.

ACAP Management Team