June 2008 Volunteer News Roundup

1. The Government Train to Gain Funding scheme has been extended to cover volunteers who can now benefit from the same subsidies as those for paid employees.



2. Youth Volunteering Charity V has changed the applications process for its match fund scheme to attract new project ideas and will now assess funding applications for projects in six new categories: community cohesion, environment, health, human rights, supporting children and young people, and poverty. The scheme will match funds that projects raise from the private sector with government money. Any project that encourages 16-to-25 year olds to volunteer can apply. Here's their viral on Youtube -
   
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojgwN0MR0wo



3. The recently launched Morgan Enquiry published some interesting recommendations including that the Department of Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus should fully recognise volunteering as a legitimate job-seeking activity for those claiming benefits and a route to work for unemployed young adults. It further recommended that an accredited corporate opt-in employee volunteering scheme should be developed to generate good and give employers and academic institutions the confidence to release individuals for a day to take part in accredited volunteering.



4. A new screening system for people who work with children and vulnerable adults will begin in October 2009 and cost £64 per person, the Independent Safeguarding Authority has announced. The CRB will be responsible for gathering information on applicants and transferring it to the ISA. The ISA will then decide whether a person should be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.



5. A Europe-wide accreditation scheme for environmental volunteers will be launched in September 2008. The "Environments for Learning" programme is based on the European Qualification Framework and will provide a way of recognising and assessing skills and knowledge that volunteers learn informally through volunteering. The programme is being developed by UK environmental volunteering charity BTCV and six partner organisations from across Europe. It will allow skills learned through volunteering in one country to be recognised in another.