Team 3 - Green Fingers
For our final pilot team we decided again to take a slightly different approach. We identified a suitable project with another partner organisation, Edinburgh Cyrenians Farm and we then set about trying to recruit a team of volunteers. Unlike the first project - the web site - we wanted a group of young people who came to us as a team rather than recruiting a group of individuals. Again we were keen to attract young volunteers who were underrepresented. We targeted a number of youth organisations working with younger people from minority groups such as BME, LGBT and the economically disadvantaged. The response was very disappointing, despite many attempts to engage with various groups we had no positive responses. In contrast to the experience with the Craigour flat team the stumbling point appeared to be that we came along with a specific project in mind. This didn’t appeal to any of the groups we approached. There was no buy in to the project and it didn't appear as relevant and interesting to any of the groups that we tried to recruit. There was an appetite for volunteering together, but not on the identified project.
Why the project didn’t appeal is harder to tie down. It was a fairly physical, outdoor task - clearing land and building a poly tunnel - which may have contributed to the apathy. Similarly the geographical location, outside of the city may have put people off. During the Craigour flat project it had been easy to hook the young people with the project. It was slap bang within their community, and because of this it was easy for them to see the impact their efforts could have. Also we had sown a seed of volunteering together before the project was identified; that particular project was then used to get the team to commit.
Perhaps the remoteness of the Farm Project made it feel disconnected to the young people. Regardless it was clear to us that when offering a project to a group, the direct benefit of the outcome to them was what motivated, rather than any nebulous idea of personal growth and improved team working.
What we definitely did know was that we'd set an expectation with the Edinburgh Cyrenians Farm that we would supply a team, and they in turn had identified a suitable project and no one was biting. We were about to let down the farm. At which point enter cavalry like.... the Belgian Scouts.
In November 2005 we were approached by a Belgian Scout troop who wanted to visit Scotland the following summer and do some voluntary work while they were here. They asked is we knew of any opportunities for them to get involved in. Following the disappointing response from local young people we felt that the Scouts may like to get involved in the team opportunity at the Cyrenians Farm so the opportunity was offered to them. The leader was very enthusiastic about the opportunity and plans were soon underway in both countries to make arrangements for their travel and accommodation. The type of work they were going to carry out on the farm had previously been planned by the Farm Manager.
The work fitted with the age range and abilities of the troop - even if the troop didn't quite hit the target demographic of "socially excluded" we were looking for. The troop consisted of 16 scouts and 4 leaders. The scouts ranged from 15 to 17 years of age. They worked on the farm for eight days and stayed at a nearby Scout Camp. They did a great job of what we asked them to do. They enjoyed it and it was undoubtedly a success as far as a team volunteering opportunity was concerned and despite us not actually giving a flavour of volunteering to team of under represented young people, it did teach us an awful lot!
Learning Outcomes
For this team model we identified a project in advance and then set about trying to recruit a suitable team within our target demographic to complete the project.
1. Dont put the cart before the horse.
Whether it is about engaging young people or perhaps it was reflective of the actual project but we would definitey not recommend sourcing the opportunity first. It might be common practice in other types of team volunteering, such as groups of employees, but it definitely doesn't work when you are trying tempt excluded young people to dip a toe in the world of volunteering.
Get the team interested first. As with the Craigour project it isn't essential to have them sign on the bottom line but definitely going through the process - committment free - of informing them of the types of things that can be done, what they might get out of it and what the benefits are to their wider community, is the way to go. Hook them with the project when you do identify it but get them interested in the idea first. Having given them some examples of the sorts of thing that can be done then perhaps they will help in the process of identifying a suitable project.
Make no mistake, buy in is essential.