More out of volunteering
Thursday 7 June 2007
Volunteering for a charity is a very rewarding way to help people and now thanks to a new scheme by the Red Cross, young volunteers can gain a qualification at the same time.
Watch the n2k video to find out why some young people are jumping at the chance to take part and also what you can expect from volunteering for the Red Cross.
Gain confidence
The British Red Cross are a network of volunteers that help people in the UK in cases of natural disasters and individual emergencies. It also has a network of retail outlets throughout the country manned by volunteers of all ages.
Launched last week, the ‘British Red Cross Certificate in Retail Skills' is a nationally recognised qualification specifically designed for young charity shop volunteers, and is the first of its kind.
The project was developed and designed by young Red Cross volunteers all under the age of 26, who the felt there was more to be gained from volunteering. 17 year old volunteer Lucy Pugh:
“Through this qualification, young people have greater responsibility in their workplace, build up confidence and get to learn a lot more about the Red Cross whilst gaining a recognisable achievement.”
Certifcate levels
The certificate comes in two levels. At the standard certificate level, participants learn the basic of retail and the skills needed to eventually gain paid employment in retail.
This takes approximately 40 hours of volunteering and include shop floor and behind the scenes work.
The advanced level is designed for longer-term volunteers and allows young people to get involved in in-depth projects such as managing a department in the shop or developing skills in visual merchandising.
This takes about 100 hours and allows volunteers to choose what interests them most about retail and also gives them the chance to come up with their own project.
Funds
The British Red Cross also launched the 'Retail Innovation Fund' with four awards of £250 available for young retail volunteers for projects that will increase shop sales or raise awareness their local Red Cross shop. This could be anything from holding a catwalk show to designing an eye catching window for the shop.
If you want to be a volunteer whilst working at something you enjoy, gain a qualification and help people all at the same time, this could be for you. Find out more.
