Never too young to volunteer

I had the pleasure recently of taking part in a?Speakers for Schools talk?to coincide with?Volunteers’ Week 2022.

I have been a passionate supporter of volunteering throughout my life

The online talk was held on 6 June 2022, Power of Youth Day, a celebration of the contributions that children and young people make to society through volunteering and social action.??This year’s event provided an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible efforts that young people have made during the past year or so – a time impacted by the peak of the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

I have been a passionate supporter of volunteering throughout my life, stemming from my teenage years when helping to lead my local Scouts group and as an active member of a mainstream political party – as treasurer of my local Young Conservatives!

During my recent Speakers for Schools online talk, when I shared a platform with Matthew Reed, CEO of?Marie Curie, I was struck by the genuine interest shown by those young people watching in exploring volunteering opportunities.??A conundrum faced by many young people starting out in life is gaining sufficient experience to enter the world of paid employment.??As a teenager, I was no exception, coming from a modest family, without the benefit of parental links into big corporates to help open doors to work experience or internship programmes.

I want young people today to enjoy the same opportunities that I have had

I told the story of how, aged 19, I spent my summer as a student intern at a ‘pressure group’ called the?National Campaign for the Arts, which had been set up in the 1980s to promote more public investment in the arts.??Following a direct approach, I was invited to join a small and friendly team and was encouraged to get involved in all sorts of activities – from public relations and research, to events and publishing.??It was this ‘hands-on’ work experience that helped to set me on my professional career path in communications and allied fields.?

I want young people today, regardless of their background or connections, to enjoy the same opportunities that I have had, including work experience.??That’s why, as Lord Mayor of Westminster in 2017/18, one of the charities I supported was the?Social Mobility Foundation, which provides support to young people from low-income households prior to and during university, focused on helping high-potential graduates to gain entry into highly competitive employment markets such as accountancy, finance, science, business, law, media and politics.??

I am pleased that today, openings for young people are also widely available through online boards and dedicated groups, such as:

• Vinspired?– promoting general volunteering opportunities (and now run by Speakers for Schools)
• Uniformed groups – like the?Guides,?Scouts?and Cadets
• Healthcare –?St John’s Ambulance, hospital radio
• Environment –?The Conservation Volunteers,?The National Trust
• Youth voice –?British Youth Council?(UK Youth Parliament, NHS Youth Forum)
• Causes – political parties, lobby groups
• Work experience –?Social Mobility Foundation,?Speakers for Schools

Since my student days volunteering at the NCA, I have continued to enjoy being a volunteer – gaining new experiences, insights and friendships – while serving a range of causes, including today as a board member of charities concerned with social justice, including?enei,?Single Homeless Project?and?Unite Foundation.??

Finally, I think it’s important that everyone who becomes a volunteer, whether through social action or work placements, feels properly recognised and rewarded for their time, and is supported to flourish in their chosen endeavour.??Not least as organisations who host volunteers will gain from increased diversity, especially when hosting volunteers from different social backgrounds and with different lived experiences.??

? Ian Adams 2022