VOLUNTEERING AWARDS PROGRAMME

Shifa Trust have been successful in receiving funding from Volunteering England and Capacitybuilders to run a youth action and volunteering project in faith based communities called Volunteering Awards Programme (VAP).

The project will target young people from Muslim Pakistani heritage from the Banbury area in Oxfordshire. Young people will be provided a weekly youth club service and participation in the UK Youth Awards programme from September 2009 to August 2010.

The programme allows young people to develop leadership skills in stages by first taking part (bronze level), and then helping to organise (silver level) and then planning, organising and leading activities (gold level). Young people will work across these levels to develop leadership skills through participating in a number of challenges. Youth workers will facilitate this process and link challenges with organisations and statutory agencies.

This will help young people to provide:

• practical benefit to different parts of the community
• dispel potential negative misconceptions about themselves
• develop positive links and relationships with members from different backgrounds
• develop skills and networks to lead their community