Youth Social Action

A recent report by Ipsos Mori provides an evaluation on the Uniformed Youth Social Action Fund, created to support the Step Up to Serve #IWill Campaign. 


It was found that three quarters of adult beneficiaries surveyed considered the social action they experienced to be "very worthwhile" and most said they felt more proud of their local area as a result of the social action activities being carried out by young people. 

In addition, after talking to the young people involved, 77% of beneficiaries said they had a more positive impression of what young people contribute to their local communities as a result. 



The research also shows that youth social action can have a knock-on benefit to participation levels - the more young people that beneficiaries interacted with, the more likely they were to volunteer themselves. 
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Reading Ambassadors needed....

The Publishers Association (PA) are calling on members of the public to share their love of reading by volunteering in their local communities; they will be asked to undertake a range of activities to promote more reading for pleasure and to help boost literacy - their website provides numerous ideas on how to get involved. A series of road shows across the UK will aim to to recruit 10,000 Reading Ambassadors by 2020.  

Report: State of the Nation and Impact

The National Literacy Trust (NLT) have published their 'State of the Nation and Impact' 2014/15 report, which provides a snapshot of literacy in the UK and showcases the impact that their work has had on children and families in the UK at key moments of literacy development; details are also provided of the various campaigns and reading initiatives that have been launched, to encourage reading in schools and across communities.

Outdoor Play

Over the past decade, a growing movement has been steadily campaigning for children's outdoor play. The 2006 report, 'Tackling Child Obesity – First Steps' highlighted the health benefits of free play and the NCB set out the need for safe play environments in the New Charter for Children's Play. The national charity, Play England, explored the possibilities for joint working between the health and play sectors in their policy briefing.

These key documents acted as a springboard for schemes that have appeared around the UK over the last few years such as the Street Play project and the annual Outdoor Play Week in the South East.

Following the success of the London-based Hackney Play Streets project, councils across the UK are being urged to invest in street play initiatives. The recently published project evaluation report discusses the reach of the programme, its potential impact on children, families and communities, its impact on traffic and its sustainability and prospects for growth. 

Project Wild Thing grew out of David Bond's concern for his children's lack of outdoor activity.

The Self-appointed 'Marketing Director for Nature' began his own campaign, in a bid to reconnect children with the outdoors

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