Dorset Wildlife Trust has been awarded £176,000 funding by v, the youth volunteering charity, to get young people positively involved in their communities. The 3 year project will get young people aged 16-25 actively involved in environmental volunteering across the county.

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s youth volunteering project is one of 152 projects across the country, which will be funded by v as part of vinvolved, a new national youth volunteering programme backed by £75 million funding, which aims to inspire half a million more young people to volunteer in England.

Steve Davis, the Volunteering Programme Manager at DWT, says: “We are very excited to be part of the vinvolved programme. The funding will enable us to establish a network of youth-led environmental groups across the county, provide opportunities for young people to be a volunteer nature reserve warden, run conservation taster days for groups and also to provide several full time volunteer posts for young people.”

Steve will be assisted in this project by youth volunteering officer Lucie Cowles. Steve and Lucie feel that this project has great benefits, not only for young people, but also the wider community. Steve continues: ”we aim to be working not just on nature reserves, but also in community areas such as open spaces and parks with a view to increasing the wildlife value of the sites. It’s also a great way for young people to demonstrate that they care for their local environment”.

vinvolved has been designed by and for young people to make volunteering a compelling choice for all 16-25 year olds in England by tapping into their passions and concerns. The charity aims to change the image of volunteering and make it a ‘must-have’ part of young people’s lives. Terry Ryall, v’s Chief Executive, says: “v is delighted to be able to fund this innovative and youth-led project, which will enable young people to get positively involved in Dorset. Young people are at the heart of this new programme which aims to put them at the centre of our communities. Instead of seeing them as a problem to be fixed, we are giving them the chance to become a positive force for change.”

The Dorset Wildlife Trust Volunteering Programme team would like to hear from young people or youth groups. For more information visit www.dorsetwildlife.co.uk  or contact the Volunteer Programme office on 01202 642788 or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Nicky Hoar 

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