What we Learned
Without a doubt the three teams proved that young people, particularly those from more disadvantaged groups, were more likely to try out volunteering if they were doing it with their mates. What we also discovered was the need for meticulous planning, contingency and that "buy-in" was the single most important element. Unlike teams of adults, where the focus tends to be about working together rather than doing a specific task, young people needed much more to feel a real "connection" to their project. If their perception is that the project is not relevant to their lives and values then they are far less likely to go for it. Reality dictates that some of the time you will have an idea of what project you want to undertake when you recruit a team. Choice is good and allowing the team to identify a project- possible from a range of opportunities which have been identified in advance is ideal. If you must pre-identify the project improve your chances of getting them to do it - local, either geographically or by interest is more likely to appeal to young people. The tremendous difficulty we had in selling our third opportunity was indicative of the fact that it felt alien and remote particularly to the very people we were trying to target: disadvantaged young people.
Recommendations
Identifying the project
As we've already discussed it is essential that you get buy in from your team to your project. The easiest way to do this is to get the team to select their opportunity. Naturally you may actually have a project in mind before you recruit your team and steer them towards that project but in an idea world a selection of two or three different projects is desirable. Local projects or those which tap into a need for young people are also a much easier "sell".
The team’s motivations
Motivating the team is essential. The more they understand about the project and what the results of their work will mean the better. Even the simplest decorating project isn't really about getting a nice new look for a room but about what benefits will be felt by the users of that room as a direct result of the work of the team. That doesn't mean to say that the fun of working together shouldn't be pushed but both things together will motivate well. Play up what the benefiting organisation is about and how by the team helping what the positive impact will be to the organisation, service users and community as well as the young people themselves.
Viability
It is important to be realistic about the task you undertake. It might be a good, worthy challenge to have part of a car park dug up and turned into a wild flower meadow but few teams of young volunteers will have the skills to start getting stuck in to tarmac with pneumatic drills and you don't have the insurance! That doesn't mean that the whole thing is a write off, it just means that professionals may have to be employed in advance to bring the project to a managable point.
Any challenge set must be achievable. Most teams of young volunteers are not coming to you with construction or decoration skills. They may need (and you should assume they do) some training and if this is combined with enthusiasm from them then they will be more able to deliver great results.
Safety
Safety is vital and even with simple challenges, such as decorating; you may have to think about providing young volunteers with suitable scaffolding platforms to help them reach high ceilings. A full risk assessment for the roles and the project must be done before the team embarks on the project and all safety equipment and training sourced.
Size of team
As part of the selection of the project you must consider how many volunteers you need to complete the task. Larger teams can be great for large projects but practicalities may limit them to outdoors. For bigger teams consider splitting them up into sub groups who can work together towards one common goal. Negotiation with the team is essential but this worked really well for us.
Does the challenge require specialist skills or equipment?
Teams generally do not have specific skills. They may not even have basic DIY skills and it will be unrealistic to expect to get teams who can re-wire electrics or other such skilled work.
Be clear on what the team agrees to do.
It is important when you are setting the challenge to be specific and exact in what the team will be required to do. Basic good project planning along with good communication and clear task descriptions and volunteer agreements (verbal or written) help.
How long will it realistically take to complete?
This is very important. Remember it is not just the actual work, there is planning, possibly fund raising etc. Plan for this and give the team a clear idea of what their committment is likely to be. Remember to double it! Also keeping motivation up within the team of young people can be hard.
What about materials?
You may have access to a small budget to pay for materials. This can be useful but it is also good for the team to take on the sourcing of materials as part of the challenge. It will depend on what you need, for example if your project is in a café and you are asking the team to paint the kitchen, you may require specialist paint. It might be unrealistic for the team to source this by donation from a DIY centre but they may be able to fund raise to source the paint. If equipment such as a platform is required, it may be more appropriate for you to source this and have it available for your team of volunteers.
Insurance
You must check that the volunteers are covered by insurance. If you have any doubts consult with your insurance company.
Success is in the detail
Small things matter to volunteers and it is no different when we are talking about a team of young volunteers.
If the project is in a residential home, is there anyway that residents could take part? As a minimum it would be good practice to introduce the volunteers to the people they are going to help. This aids buy-in from the team. It may not be appropriate for the team to work directly with the people they are working for but it is important that they understand what the service is all about. Take time at the start of the project to explain this. Reinforce the benefit to the organisation of the work they are doing as well as what they will get out of it for themselves.
Don't let a great event be spoiled by small details. Remember the young people may not have been in this type of environment before. If the team are working in a centre which supports people with learning disabilities for example, many of them may never have spent time with people who have disabilities and they might be nervous about it. A few minutes spent introducing people and explaining anything that they need to know can make the whole experience much more enjoyable and be a good education too.
Make sure that you feed / refresh them.
Even if the project is not open when the team are doing their work it is essential that there is a represntative of the project there to greet the team and support the team.
Most important of all
Finally reward the team! Thank you cards and certificates such as MV Award are excellent ways of showing appreciateion and giving recognition to individuals for their efforts.