Making social action part of life for all young people by 2020 2013-2016 / 2017-2020 The story so far Changing culture
Youth Social Action makes sense We are failing to capitalise on the energy, talent and commitment of millions of young people in the UK aged 10-20, who have an appetite to contribute more to their communities. Education leaders acknowledge the potential for youth social action to transform attitudes to learning, while employers know it builds vital skills for work. Since launching, the campaign has focused on generating cross-sector, cross-party support to increase opportunities. The #iwill campaign focuses on three areas. We evidence and communicate the benefits of youth social action, telling the story of a double benefit that enables young people to develop character and skills while also contributing to their communities We work to embed social action in the journey between 10 and 20 by integrating opportunities to take part through formal education and early employment We enable more high quality youth social action opportunities by increasing access to relevant programmes across the UK, opening up opportunities for younger volunteers We know young people already do fantastic things in their communities, but many don t have the chance to get involved. We want to ensure ALL young people get access to social action opportunities creating a habit for life, developing vital skills and making a positive impact on the people around them.
Our work Youth social action is young people taking practical action in the service of others to create positive change The #iwill campaign is a UK-wide movement that is making involvement in social action (e.g. campaigning, fundraising and volunteering) part of life for 10-20 year-olds. It is currently led by 700 influential organisations from across society - they have all made #iwill pledges. What we know Currently 4 in 10 (42%) young people take part in meaningful social action. The #iwill goal is to raise this to 6 in 10 by 2020 Robust evidence confirms that young people who participate in social action have higher life satisfaction and enhanced levels of well-being. They also develop key skills like team-building and problem-solving as well as character strengths such as resilience and empathy These benefits mean that participation in social action can be critical in boosting social mobility
the launch 2013 The campaign vision is to transform young people and communities through social action This campaign will not succeed without the drive of organisations and individuals from every sector. I am incredibly proud of the young people across the UK who are doing marvellous things, which are not only benefiting their communities, but are also helping them to develop their own skills and character. HRH The Prince of Wales Patron of Step Up To Serve and the #iwill campaign 2014 building a movement National celebration in London during (November) Campaign endorsed in main party election manifestos Baseline participation of 40% established in first ever National Youth Social Action (NYSA) survey Findings also show participation is significantly lower among less affluent young people Ofsted integrates social action into the common inspection framework for schools & colleges Leading employers become Business Pioneers to shape strategy and engage more employers NCVO publishes guidance for charities on involving young people in their work Campaign patron and Health Secretary hospital visit secures support from Department of Health 2015 growing partnerships celebration events held in all 4 UKnations Behavioural Insights Team research proves positive impact of youth social action programmes NYSA survey shows just 15% of 10-20 year-olds are reluctant to take part 100 pioneering school & college leaders come together to share best practice & create a call to action School & College inspectorates in England, Scotland & Wales make #iwill pledges CIPD launches guidance on embedding references to social action in recruitment Through the London Mayor s Corporate Commitment, 90 new businesses make #iwill pledges The Scouts launch A Million Hands, a campaign promoting four key social action themes National Youth Social Action Fund launched by central Government, Pears Foundation & UK Community Foundations Helping in Hospitals programme launches with a number of hospitals focusing on young volunteers 2016 securing investment 180+ local celebrations held across the UK Leaders of main political parties in Scotland pledge their support 3rd NYSA survey shows significant increase in participation among less affluent young people With key education networks pledging, including NAHT, campaign reach extends to an additional 3,000 UK schools Reach to business leaders through CBI and BITC raises profile and takes business pledges to over 130 40m #iwill Fund launched with Government and Big Lottery Fund plus additional 10m of match-funding from Comic Relief, Pears Foundation and UKCF NCS hosts summit to explore supporting an integrated journey of social action 14 NHS charities come together to create a plan to grow youth volunteering in NHS Trusts The Chief Nursing Officer at NHS England pledges support 2020 culture has changed With continued action from new and existing #iwill partners, this is what the future will look like 60% of young people are regularly taking part in social action, wherever they live and whatever their background All young people have social action embedded into their learning and development Employers proactively value and celebrate social action across their business processes Third sector organisations actively involve young people as campaigners, fundraisers and volunteers Young people are actively involved in shaping services and supporting the health of the nation The double-benefit of youth social action is widely acknowledged and embedded across education, business and the third sector
We have all felt the impact of making a difference to others first-hand. All young people should be getting the chances we ve had to be involved in creating change and building stronger communities. #iwill Ambassadors Get involved We want hundreds more organisations to join the growing #iwill movement and pledge their commitment... what will you do? #iwill ensure young people from all backgrounds can get involved in social action Get in touch For more information go to iwill.org.uk or email hello@stepuptoserve.org.uk