Power of Youth Day – 6 June

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On 6 June we will be joining with others to celebrate the power of young people for #PowerOfYouthDay22.

This is an annual celebration of the contributions children and young people make to society through their volunteering. This year it takes place during Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) offering a great opportunity to say THANK YOU to all young people who are working to make positive change in their communities and to:

Prioritise supporting youth to take social action

Offer leadership opportunities

Work together

Evidence the impact of youth social action

Recognise and celebrate young people

Thanks to the #iwill campaign for the power-ful thoughts.

To celebrate #PowerofYouthDay22, why not:

  • Share a video on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.
  • Post on your website.
  • Make a pledge to sign up to the #iwill Power of Youth Charter available here.
  • Nominate a young person to become an #iwill Ambassador.
  • Pop along to one of our forthcoming events and find out all about the potential and power of young people (more on these below).
  • Let us know what you are planning to do. We’d love to share your stories and celebrations across our social media. Facebook: @Comm1stYorks and offer our thanks for some of the amazing things young people do.

If you haven’t already caught up with the #iwill campaign it offers loads of information and resources showcasing how taking part in volunteering can empower and upskill young people; improving outcomes for communities and diversifying and sustaining organisations. Further details here.

Young Trustees movement also highlight just some of the benefits of involving young trustees for young people, boards and employers.

Research from 2017 certainly shows that organisations offering volunteering opportunities to young people, particularly those under 18, offers the potential for them to develop a habit for life, creating socially responsible and community focused generations of young people. You can read the report here.

We also have a guide for involving young volunteers available along with other resources on our website.

The Centre for Youth Impact also continue to develop their project Maximising Young People’s Voice and Power which aims to generate insight into existing youth voice activity across the UK.

Whatever you are up to on #PowerOfYouthDay22 we hope you enjoy celebrating the power of youth, and don’t forget to share with us on Facebook.

To Trustee or not to Trustee?

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Written by Shahida Iqbal, the Director of Manar Associates Ltd

“Come on, you will only have to attend meetings a few times a year!”

Sound familiar?

The above is one of the most common ways that an individual is persuaded to join as a volunteer on a charity board or committee. Arms are gently twisted and people feel a sense of obligation to support their local playgroup, village hall, or ‘friends of…” society.

Becoming a trustee is truly rewarding; you get an opportunity to give something back, meet new people, learn new skills, as well as utilising your existing strengths and knowledge. Research suggests that there are hundreds of thousands of people serving as trustees across the UK, all of whom are playing an incredibly important part in the running of charities.

However, do you really understand what your role involves when you join a board? Many people will get involved thinking that they will simply only have to attend meetings and that is that. As trustees, you have overall control of how the charity is run. You are responsible for making sure that the organisation is run well, does what it has been set up to do, manage risk and finances, as well as working on strategic future development.

Trustees provide foresight, oversight and insight, you don’t do ‘the doing’ – remember “noses in, fingers out”! After all, responsibility for the charity rests with the Board – the buck stops with you – and as such trustees should be focused on their statutory duty of care and ensuring the charity acts in a manner consistent with its purpose(s) laid out in its constitution or rulebook. It is therefore important to access support and training to help you develop a real understanding of your role.

Community First Yorkshire (the regional body that works with voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises and rural communities across North, South and West Yorkshire) has worked hard to develop a support package to help trustees do just that. Linked to the Charity Commission’s “The Essential Trustee Guide”, and the Charity Governance Code, the “Trustee Essentials” training bundle includes:

  • A refresher for new and established trustees covering the fundamental elements of trusteeship.
  • Smaller bite-size learning sessions that explore in further depth effective money management; safeguarding essentials; strategies to predict and mitigate risk; successful recruitment of new trustees and building an inclusive board.

Previous delegates have found the training sessions helpful. Philip Richardson MBE, a Trustee at Ryedale Community Transport CIO said ‘This is the first charity that I have been involved with. The things I have learnt in this workshop course have already started to bear fruit. For example, I have now read in fine detail our constitution and found that we have not been implementing it as we should. I am so impressed with this course that I have had an agreement that all our new trustees will attend it.’

Trustee training is a great way to encourage more discussion and debate within boardrooms. Now more than ever we need boards with a diversity of perspectives that enables them to better navigate uncertainty and reflect the communities they serve. A strong board with trustees understanding their legal responsibilities makes all the difference to an organisation and its future.

So, if you’ve just joined a board and are not sure where to start or you’re an existing trustee looking to develop skills and knowledge, get in touch with Community First Yorkshire today.

Five reasons to join a CEO peer group

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Chief executive officers (CEOs) and leaders in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector face unique challenges, so having access to a safe and constructive space, such as a peer group network, can be particularly helpful.

Here are five reasons why you should join a peer group:

1. A great way to become a better leader

By networking with your peers, you open yourself up to gain valuable knowledge that will help you and your organisation tackle challenges and see opportunities with a fresher perspective.

2. Support

Being the CEO of an organisation of any size can be a difficult and lonely job. A peer group can be a place to get the emotional support you need from people who understand what you are going through.

3. Learning

One great benefit of being part of a CEO peer group is that you can learn from others in the group and benefit from their experiences – and even their mistakes!

4. A safe zone

As a CEO there are often times when you need a sounding board away from your senior management team or trustees. A peer group provides a safe space to talk through any issues your organisation might be facing in a safe space, without judgement.

5. Strengthen collaborative working

There is incredible value created when similar organisations can work collaboratively. An advantage of a peer group is that you can find out what other organisations are doing and planning, and identify ways in which you might be able to work together to make a stronger offer.

 

If you are a leader or CEO of a VCSE organisation in North Yorkshire and you feel that you might benefit from joining a peer group, find out how you can begin connecting with peers and building relationships here.

A time to say thanks

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It’s hard to believe that Volunteers’ Week 2022 is nearly here!

Volunteers’ Week takes place between 1 – 7 June every year and is a great opportunity to recognise volunteers and thank them for everything they do to support the work of charities and community groups not only across North Yorkshire but across the country too.

This year’s ‘time to say thanks’ coincides with events for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. June is also the #MonthOfCommunity with celebrations and events focussing on the importance and contributions of communities.

Of course, Volunteers Week is not the only time to acknowledge and thank volunteers for the difference they make. Sometimes in the busyness of our everyday lives it is easy to forget the power of a simple thank you and the way it can make someone feel; without expectation of recognition or reward.

Whatever your plans for #VolunteersWeek itself or the weeks around it, we hope you enjoy:

  • sharing volunteer stories on social media pages
  • making and sharing thank you videos and blogs from staff and service users
  • hosting virtual and in person celebration events and volunteer fairs
  • sharing e-cards and/or physical thank you cards
  • sending out certificates
  • giving out star or heart shaped pin badges
  • using a Volunteers Week zoom background
  • sharing your impact report
  • creating and sharing volunteer and community photo walls

Why not let us know what you are planning to do. We’d love to share your stories and celebrations on Facebook: @Comm1stYorks and offer our thanks for all you do. If you’re still looking for inspiration, please get in touch, we have lots of ideas to share.

Information on key dates and activities for #VolunteersWeek and #MonthOfCommunity can be found in our new monthly Volunteer Co-ordinators newsletter – you can read the first issue here. And if you would like a copy sent directly to your inbox each month you can sign up to receive it here. There are also lots of volunteer related resources you can download from our website too.

Happy days.