The New Deal helped 398,300 young people into jobs between January 1998 and the end of September 2002: of the jobs concerned, 313,700 were 'sustained' (unsubsidised jobs lasting 13 weeks or more).
Source: Press release 28.11.02, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Press release (pdf)
Date: 2002-Nov
A study explored the views of a range of young people on getting involved with charity. It highlighted lack of opportunity as a reason for the apparent lack of engagement of young people.
Source: Catherine Walker and Andrew Fisher, Growing into Giving: Young people's engagement with charity, Charities Aid Foundation (01732 520125)
Links: JRF Findings N22
Date: 2002-Nov
Researchers found that participation in political organisations has become an increasingly middle class pursuit: but there has been no decline in the overall number of people belonging to voluntary associations in general.
Source: Kathryn Ray, Mark Tomlinson, Brian Longhurst, Mike Savage, Gindo Tampubolon and Alan Warde, Social Capital and Social Networks: The careers of political activists, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Nov
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the government will consult business on a new corporate volunteering initiative; and will pilot a financial scheme to help young volunteers from lower income backgrounds taking a year out after school to undertake community service.
Source: Steering a Steady Course - Delivering stability, enterprise and fairness in an uncertain world: Pre-Budget Report November 2002, Cm 5664, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Text of Chancellor's speech
Date: 2002-Nov
A report said that 'time banks' are attracting into volunteering the very people who normally take part least including claimants, disabled people, those with a long term illness and non-white British ethnic groups. (Time banks allow participants to deposit their time in the bank by giving practical help and support to others, and to withdraw their time when they need something done themselves.)
Source: Gill Seyfang and Karen Smith, The Time Of Our Lives: Using time banking for neighbourhood renewal and community capacity building, New Economics Foundation, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Summary (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
A think-tank pamphlet recommended that students who volunteer should receive a credit which can be used towards the costs of going to university.
Source: Vicki Nash and Will Paxton, Any Volunteers for the Good Society?, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Sep
Three bodies said they have reached agreement on the creation of a new integrated national volunteer development organisation for England.
Source: Press release 26.9.02, National Centre for Volunteering (020 7520 8900), Consortium on Opportunities for Volunteering, and Volunteer Development England
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Sep
Researchers evaluated the Millennium Volunteers project (a United Kingdom-wide initiative to promote a commitment to 200 hours of volunteering in a year by young people aged 16-24), and found that overall it has been very successful in achieving its aims.
Source: Institute for Volunteering Research, UK-Wide Evaluation of the Millennium Volunteers Programme, Research Report 357, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
Researchers found that a scheme to encourage volunteering by people over 50 has been a success.
Source: C. Rochester and R. Hutchison, A Review of the Home Office Older Volunteers Initiative, Research Study 248, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/3, Digest 119 (paragraph 9.2)
Date: 2002-Jun