Platform 2

The new UK Programme for Young Volunteers

A brief introduction

Cliff Allum
Chief Executive Officer, Skillshare International
President, International Forum on Development Service

Presentation to FORUM Conference 27 June 2008

 DfID decides to support young
people in volunteering

• Support for young volunteers has been excluded

for many years

• 2006 policy change – a line in a policy paper

• March 2007 – consultation on youth

volunteering, links with diaspora, and interns
 DfID vision
• Enabling young people from disadvantaged
backgrounds to have an opportunity

• Offers young people:

– An experience with long-term benefit
– Enable young global citizen champions
– Influence peers and encourage them to do the
same
 Twelve months later
• £10 million programme announced
• Focus on less advantaged young adults (18-25
years old)
• “Fully funded” by DfID
• Implementation by Christian Aid, Islamic Relief,
and BUNAC
• Called “Platform 2”
 You may not know BUNAC

• “BUNAC offers a range of working holidays including a

summer camp counselling programme in the USA and
Canada, flexible work and travel programmes to
Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and
South Africa and volunteering/teaching placements.
These are open to 18 year olds and over in the UK, the
USA and Ireland. Programmes last from five weeks to
two years.”
 Platform 2
• “Your Platform to Change the World”
• “10 weeks, 1 trip, a life changing
experience”
• Three year project
• Which means around 800 volunteers a
year
• Funding average: £4,000 per volunteer
 Where will the volunteers go?
• South Africa
• Ghana
• Peru
• India
• Malawi
• Nepal
 How does it work?
• Volunteers are selected individually but go
in groups of between 10 and 15 and stay
together to work on a project
• Live and work with local communities and
fellow volunteers
• Support through local organisation that
acts as in-country partner
 Eligibility
• 18-25 years old
• UK Passport holder
• Living in the UK
• Attend training and events before travel
and on return:
– One day pre departure workshop
– Three day residential return workshop
 What will you contribute?
• “you’ll make a real difference to the community
working on projects such as:
– Constructing community buildings, play areas, hand
pumps
– Caring for and teaching children in orphanages
– Working with community school groups on
environmental projects
– HIV peer education”
• You’ll be away for about 10 weeks
 What will you need to have or gain?

• “you don’t need any specific skills”

• “you do need enthusiasm and an open
mind”
• “you’ll learn a lot about yourself”
 Why is this significant?
• Young people are back on the agenda
• Strong public engagement focus
• Brings in new organisations to
volunteering
• Use of competitive bidding rather than
strategic partnership funding
• Are we coming full circle?