What You Need To Know About Attracting
Volunteers & Best Practice
“Anyone who believes that tenant engagement is about involvement in governance
and/or ramping up traditional volunteering is either a mad man
or a housing provider”
The Dark Ages
Housing Provider In Control
“The Dark Ages”
Housing Provider in Control(one way conversation)
Example: Environment (Gellideg Forest)
Tenant (Service User) Discontent
Housing Provider In Control
Example: Housing and Regeneration
Choice: Demolition or Renewal
Not listening to the Citizens voice
Outcome: 10 years later
‘Great News’
The housing provider informed us ‘We have money to improve the physical infrastructure’
(investing in Bricks and Mortar)
The tenants asked ‘How much are you going to spend to improve the social infrastructure?’ (investing in
people)
‘Nothing’
Is This Wise?
Millions of pounds later…
This is not a sustainable model of development. It takes a special kind of genius to build housing, rent it to tenants, and within a few generations end up demolishing it or managing decline.
TOP TIP
The European Social Observatory report, ‘Trust in Neighbourhoods’,
concluded that people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods
need to be involved in building social capital through social landlords taking
the lead
Letting In A Little Light: Raising the quality of life in a negative
environment by attracting new volunteers
Social Problems On The Estate
Limited levels of public engagement apart from a small group of social
activists who worked to improve life on the estate
This is not sustainable – the work needs to be shared with the wider
community
The new conversation between housing providers and citizens for rebuilding communities needs to be built on:
a. Membershipb. Mutualityc. Active Citizenshipd. Retention and Sustainability
This Best Practice Is Not Rocket Science
Top Tip: Attracting and Retaining Volunteers
Membership
• People are invited by housing providers to join in and take part in a new conversation on the basis that everyone has a contribution to make which is valuable to their community, irrespective of disability, gender, race or religion.
Mutuality: Thanking People for their Work
• For each hour a citizen gives to building civil society, they receive one time credit. Time credits are used to access social, educational and cultural events.
1 HOUR OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP = 1 TIME CREDIT
Active Citizenship
Enlightenment
A new conversation between housing providers and people in communities that taps into the creative social energy that is inherent in all communities.
This model of engagement is not new we are simply reinventing the best of our past with a humanitarian currency.
“For us empowerment meant the use of collective action to transform social reality through membership and mutuality, and so lift all of us together”
Letting In A Little Light:
Attracting Young People As Volunteers
Bettws Youth Time Bank
Case Study
Bettws Local Authority Public Housing Estate: Problem areas to address
• Top of the league of anti-social behaviour ( highest out of 39 wards ) in the Borough
• Poor relationships between young people and police• High levels of youth disengagement
Bringing together all the service providers in a locality with an interest in young people. Breaking down the silos by collaborative
working.
• Valleys to Coast ( Housing Provider)• Communities First• Bridgend Police Force • School • Healthy Living Centre
Top Tips: Simple Tasks 1) The Saturday morning test.
2) A Wet Wednesday Evening in Bettws
• The purpose of time banking is to encourage young people to use their social energy for constructive rather than destructive purposes by 1) Building Membership2) Mutuality/Time Banking: Thanking young people for their work3) Active Citizenship
1.Build Membership
Members
020
406080
100120
140160
Jan-07
Feb-07
Mar-07
Apr-07
May-07
Jun-07
Jul-07
Aug-07
Sep-07
Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
2. Time Banking (Mutuality) One hour of active citizenship = 1 time credit TIME IN• Participating in environmental projects • Attending PACT meetings• Organising events and activities in the community
TIME OUT• Time Trips• Family Day• Accessing Leisure and Cultural Centres
3. Hours of active young citizenship
Hours
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Jan-07
Feb-07
Mar-07
Apr-07
May-07
Jun-07
Jul-07
Aug-07
Sep-07
Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Change of Culture
Passive Engagement Active Engagement
Youth Worker Led Youth Led
Beneficiary of Service Co -
Member Client
Individualism Mutualism
Passive Engagement Active Engagement
Youth Worker Led Youth Led
Beneficiary of Service Co-producer of Service
Member Client
Individualism Mutualism
Outcomes
• 17% reduction in anti-social levels over 6 months
• Improved relationships between young people and Police
• Increased levels of active young citizenship• Positive image promoted of young people
Experience “Timebanking has helped me take an interest in the community. Before I just
used to go to the youth club.”Young Person, Bettws Boys and Girls Club
“Results arising from the scheme in Bettws, such as increased community reassurance, lower crime, community empowerment, community trust,
improved social networks and increased community intelligence are extremely successful .”
Sergeant A. Bennett, Community Safety Officer - Bridgend
“We are now including Time Banking into our training programme for new police recruits”
Dr. Ena Hoctor, Police Sciences Department - University of Glamorgan
It is a change of conversation based on membership, mutuality and active
citizenship that we need to encourage young people to become active agents of
social change
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