Since vinspired.com 2.0 was a mere glint in an eye, the digital team at v has been keen to bring the service direct to mobiles. Already, around 2% of our traffic comes from mobiles, and recent IAB research shows that 44% of 16-24 year olds have checked their social media profiles through their phones. As most volunteering still happens in the real world, rather than online, it makes sense to give young people the chance to record their volunteering while they’re doing it, to inspire others and to get recognition for what they do. I recently registered as an iPhone developer, and plans for our first app are well underway.

We’ve also explored the concept of micro-volunteering as a way to encourage people to take their first steps towards giving their time, inspired by campaigning communities such as Oxfam’s Protect the Human, which promotes actions according to time taken. vinspired’s Festive Favours Advent Calendar featured quick and easy ways to show a bit of festive spirit, and we’ve been excitedly watching the evolution of The Extraordinaries micro-volunteering network, especially during the Haiti crisis.

The future’s mobile…

So, when Orange launched a mobile volunteering community, we jumped straight in. The company caused waves in the UK when they teamed up with Rockcorps to launch incentives for volunteers, a controversial move which has successfully delivered volunteering messages to large audiences through high-profile ad campaigns.

The problem with Orange Rockcorps, of course, is that it has limited scale - you can only fit so many people into one venue, and without “owning” further volunteering programmes, or a menu of opportunities, its expensive and difficult to extend the volunteering offer. So (in addition to the obvious product placement) it makes sense for them to create a mobile app to inspire their community of customers to work together to do good. Together with T-Mobile, they say they’ll have more customers than there are people in Canada - so it’s fair to say that a little time from just a percentage of them could go a long way.

The Orange mobile volunteering site

So what’s in it for charities?

Well, Orange is promising to add the best 10 ideas for mobile volunteering to its app, and to market this to its customers. So if you’ve got a task that could be light work with many hands, submit your idea on their community.

The question for me has been: are charities geared up to crowd-source exciting projects? While Orange have the marketing power to take the idea to a large number of people, it will be the tasks themselves which define its stickiness. Thankfully, initial signs are positive, and community members are rising to the challenge of pitching ideas to the public vote. Popular ideas already on the community include donating photos for charities to use on their websites (we’re sure lots of organisations using vinspired would love that service), mapping homeless people’s locations so that charities can offer help, and identifying sites in need of Guerilla Gardening makeovers.

Orange don’t currently seem keen to use mobiles to promote real-world volunteering in their own app, but they are also promising to promote 10 “apps for good” created by charities or social entrepreneurs. So if you’ve got an app that deserves some attention, let them know - or just get involved by voting for your favourite ideas on the Orange Mobile Volunteering site.

On the 18^th December 2009, The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that the following year beginning the 12^th August 2010 (that’s TODAY!) was to be known as The International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.

This exciting development means that The General Assembly has spent the last month calling on governments, communities and individuals worldwide to support youth-focused activities on a local, national and international scale.

The United Nations have put specific focus on enhancing ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding’- the objective being to encourage communication and acceptance across generations and cultures; to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights, freedom, and solidarity.

So what does this mean to me?

It would appear that authorities everywhere now understand the importance of acknowledging the voice of youth in regards to social debate. Governments feel it is imperative that young people are engaged in a significant and sustainable manner and they are now turning to young people everywhere in an attempt to improve relationships, enhance understanding and solidify respect between generations, cultures and societies.

“The International Year is about advancing the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society,” UN Focal Point on Youth Nicola Shepherd said. “We encourage all sectors of society to work in partnership with youth and youth organizations to better understand their needs and concerns and to recognize the contributions that they can make to society.”

Young people are a major human resource for community development, technological innovation and positive social change. Governments are now trying to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in an effort to overcome the challenges facing each and every one of us; from enhancing peace to improving the current economic condition.

As a youth-focused organisation, everyone at v is very excited about taking advantage of this occasion and developing ideas to ensure this year is a successful and empowering occasion for young people everywhere. This is an amazing opportunity for youth from all around the world to demonstrate their commitment to fruitful dialogue, contributing and sharing ideas, and advancing mutual understanding.

So what next?

Now that The General Assembly has acknowledged the potential of young people everywhere, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at something new. This is the perfect opportunity to enhance your presence in your local community, get your voice heard and try to make a difference.

Please visit: http://social.un.org/youthyear/ for more information on The International Year of Youth.

This weekend, reports in the national press mentioned the vschools website being shelved in a “big blow to big society”, so I thought it would be useful to give an insight into what the vschools site is.

The vschools site already exists, has been tested with pupils and schools, and hundreds of schools are ready to sign up. It’s just been sitting on a development server, waiting for a decision for the Department for Education - and sadly, they have decided to scrap the Youth Community Action programme, of which vschools was a part.

Here’s the story so far…

Back in December last year, we were asked to look at how we could build on the success of vinspired.com and the vinspired awards to create a safe, secure and engaging volunteering platform for 14-16 year olds in every maintained school in England.

Luckily we had a solid platform to (literally) build on: vinspired.com, a social platform connecting volunteers aged 16-25 with voluntary organisations who need their help. Building on top of this platform meant:

a) younger volunteers could move their accounts to vinspired at age 16, taking with them a record of their volunteering history

b) voluntary organisations could offer opportunities to the younger audience without doubling up on work

c) making the most of functionality we already had, and importantly

d) we could actually deliver an awesome website in a very short timescale without cancelling Christmas. (Just.)

Creating private spaces for schools & students

Using rapid, Agile development, we extended the vinspired platform, and designed and built private “walled gardens” for schools. This would ensure that pupils could share their photos, comments and achievements with others in their school, without sharing personal details or plans with the wider internet community. Schools could publish their own opportunities, and keep a record of the achievements of pupils at their school in one, easy to use dashboard. Pupils could view opportunities within the school and others in their local communities, offered by approved providers recruited by the vschools advisers.

Schools were also given public web pages, where they could showcase their achievements (without identifying individual pupils) and share best practice.

Awards for all

Next up, we extended the age range for vinspired awards, so that pupils could get recognition for their efforts. To do this, we integrated the awards system into both vinspired and vschools user profiles, making it easy for young people to record the skills they learned and the impact they had on their communities. Both sites benefited from this one piece of work.

Image: Early designs for the vinspired awards integration

The next challenge was to work out how to create accounts for hundreds of thousands of pupils without creating loads of admin for staff. Synchronising with existing databases proved controversial in terms of data ownership. Allowing unchecked registrations provoked security concerns, and worries about how the right pupils would end up in the right walled garden. We eventually settled on a token system – school staff could generate unique codes allowing pupils to sign up within a limited time-frame. Each code linked them to the correct school.

Image: vschools service map

Buy-in from pupils, teachers and local authorities

We had, given the time-scales, planned to conduct user testing on the live site, as we had complete control over who could access each secure area, and a team of vschools advisers with contacts in schools who were keen to get involved. However, we were then required to conduct user testing prior to launching the site, so I visited Salford and Milton Keynes to run user testing sessions with pupils and teachers. The feedback was hugely encouraging, helping us to spot bugs but also confirming that the site could work for young people, and I’m grateful to all those who helped with this process.

Since then, a team of over 90 vschools staff have been showing the test site to schools and local authorities, whilst waiting for the green light to launch the site. Figures to end of June (July’s figures come later this week) show 1278 interested schools, with over 500 ready to sign up. Anecdotal evidence from vschools advisers suggest many schools committed to the project prior to the end of term.

So, for now the vschools site remains left on the shelf, but I am hopeful that we may yet find a like minded sponsor to help us realise the potential and share the vision.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about a bloke called Darren who I met at Sidekick Studios recently. Darren runs EcoComputer Systems, a South London-based Social Enterprise that recycles computers and uses them to do good - whether it’s helping socially isolated elderly people to get online, or selling them and using the money to fund training courses for unemployed people and low-income families.

There are lots of reasons to like the EcoComputers model - it’s recycling, it does good and it makes sense for businesses or charities who would otherwise have to pay someone to take their old stuff away. But what really chimed for me was the attitude towards their volunteers. They see the value in investing in volunteers’ skills & personal development - for example, giving them a refurbished PC to use at home, so they can develop skills which they can then share with the elderly, or supporting their volunteers in setting up a community radio station broadcasting from the shop.

There’s something really nice about this “pass it on” approach to sharing skills, whether it’s training volunteers from scratch, or teaming up skilled digital media volunteers with voluntary organisations in need of help, as the Media Trust has done through the Community Voices project. I’m sure there are hundreds of examples out there, and many more in development - I’d love to hear more about them.

This morning, I went along to the ICA for the launch of Infocow, a really social site connecting young people (aged 14-19) to useful and reliable information and services on line.

Infocow came out of a three-year Futurelabs project called Greater Expectations, which was funded by BECTA. The project aimed to use digital technology to equip young people with the information and contacts they need to take control of their lives.

I was really excited to see that it doesn’t shy away from integrating with social networks and encouraging young people to make informed decisions about their privacy - refreshing as so many opt for the “pretend the rest of the internet isn’t happening” approach when it comes to under 16s. We all know that young people’s engagement online is hugely influenced by recommendations and online sharing, so features like Facebook Connect make sense for this audience.

The other thing that really stood out was the involvement of young volunteers, as well as teachers and other stakeholders, throughout the development - a process which is outlined in the research report. The brand, the name (love the logic), the social features and the simple, easy sign-up all seem to have been built with the end user in mind, rather than predetermined objectives or monitoring requirements.

From what I’ve seen and heard today, it seems that this site is an example of how genuinely involving the target audience right the way through can deliver great results - not to mention offer the opportunity to film a Windows 7 spoof, which I’m hoping to see on YouTube soon…

Decide for yourself at www.infocow.org.uk.

When charities or voluntary organisations get together at events, it’s usually the successes you get to hear about. So hurrah for Sidekick Studios’ latest (beta) innovation:  Cocktails and Cock-Ups, an evening of confessional presentations from charities and social enterprises about the disasters you never got to hear about - and, most importantly, what they did to fix them.

Dan Jones from Amnesty International UK, Andrew Dick from Envision, and Darren Taylor from EcoComputer Systems were impressively candid about the mistakes they’d made and the lessons they’d learnt. What struck me was how sharing failure led to frank discussions and a sense of shared experience which is often missing from the usual “look what I achieved”-style presentations.

I was surprised to notice how rarely - if ever - I’ve seen someone deliver a PowerPoint presentation which actually highlighted the things that went wrong. Reviewing mistakes is something we do a lot in Agile web development; at the end of each two-week section of work, the whole team comes together to talk about what went right, what went wrong, and what we could change to make the next iteration more productive. But sharing that learning with other organisations? I don’t do that much.

So what did I take from the event?

• In the third sector, we’re so used to reporting to funders, trustees and bosses on what went well, that we’re in danger of forgetting that the lessons we learn from failure are valuable - not just to us, but to others, too.
• Talking about failure, rather than pretending we can prevent failure, can help us to expect and manage it. It’s also fun, and quite cathartic, once you get past the initial fear.
• “Failing fast” - building prototypes, running pilots, get feedback early on, not trying to plan everything up front in immense detail and instead being willing to embrace negative feedback and change - can actually help to avoid more catastrophic mistakes on a bigger scale.
• Sometimes a perceived failure actually leads to something better.
• It’s easier to admit mistakes with a cocktail in your hand.

So if you’re looking for valuable lessons, I reckon you’d learn more from inviting others like you to share their cock-up tales over drinks than from any of the usual seminars or conferences. Find out more about Cock-Up Cocktails on the Sidekick Studios blog.

Reprezent, an on-line radio station created as a platform for young volunteers to air their views, has been granted a license by Ofcom and will hit the airwaves in 2011.

‘Reprezent’ was launched in 2008 and was the first FM station to be programmed solely by young people. Created with support from Choice FM, the station provides a voice for underrepresented minorities in mainstream media. Believed to have positively encouraged the youth of South London to communicate with one another, the radio station became a popular platform for debates on burning issues such as knife crime, teenage pregnancy and career aspirations.

Many youth volunteered their time, skills and creativity in ensuring the success of the radio station. Aaron, 17, has been presenting his own show online for a year. “This is about giving young people the chance to represent themselves and get involved in something positive. Everyone hears the bad things, but Reprezent is about our music, our culture, and what we can bring to society,” he says.

The station will reach out to over 160,000 13-25 years old, providing many young people with broadcast and media training. Schools, councils and businesses alike will rejoice at the prospect of a broadcast platform in which the youth, the general public and the officials can amicably highlight issues, discuss options, and settle on resolutions.

The radio station is a real boost at a time when youth unemployment is on the rise, and young people are looking for practical experience for their CVs.  Finances have already been secured for the station to work with over 300 young people over the next year, and ‘Reprezent’ plans to continue growing in creativity, community support and cultural significance for a long time to come.

Local Heroes week will run across both channels from Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 April. DJ Tim Westwood will become a “Local Hero” for the week, trying out a different taster volunteering challenge each day.

Anna Bowman, Executive Producer, Radio 1 and 1Xtra Campaigns, says: “Our research suggests that many young people are interested in volunteering but don’t have the time.

“We want to show that volunteering can be fun, rewarding and doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment.

“We hope that Tim’s volunteering antics will inspire some of our listeners to become a Local Hero in their own community.”

Some people might think Westwood is an unlikely volunteer, but I know he gives up his time for causes he cares about. I’ve seen him play for free at a Christmas party for young people affected by HIV - and they got so into it that the wall had to be replastered… Fact!

Westwood’s not the only Radio 1 DJ to volunteer… Nihal, Annie Mac, and Mary Anne Hobbs have all played for free at the vinspired Lake of Stars festival in Malawi and loved it. Plus, DJs from both stations were involved in the Bullyproof and Body Image campaigns.

If you’re inspired to get involved, find an opportunity near you on vinspired.com. You could even get into a festival for free in exchange for giving up a bit of your time!

An Anatomy of Youth, which was produced with v, The National Young Volunteers Service, says that the failure of the current political debate to adequately discuss problems like long term economic recovery, climate change, the care gap and communities under strain is turning youngsters away from politics altogether, despite evidence that many are passionate about politics and social issues.

Demos’ Celia Hannon, co-author of the report, said: “The idea that our young people don’t care about society or serious issues is wrong, but they don’t feel that politicians are speaking about the issues that will affect them in future. And they’re right about that. As we head into an election, the campaign won’t get near the debates young people need to have about our future. We’re going to see serious generational injustice on a number of issues unless we tip the scales towards young people.”

One interviewee Babatunde, the 21-year-old founder of think tank New Turn, said: “Politicians talk about ‘young people’s issues’ but they’re only trying to push young people on ‘young people’s issues’. By letting them do that we alienate ourselves and allow politicians to patronise us. If we fail to challenge thought on wider issues we will just be affected by those very same issues we choose to ignore now, tomorrow.”

Stereotyped by newspapers, sensationalised by marketeers and pigeon-holed by politicians, our cultural narratives about young people are not fit for purpose. The report looks at what young people have to say about world they find themselves in and how they are meeting the challenges they face.

Read the full report here.

A nationwide campaign which aims to use the inspirational power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to motivate the British public to give time in their communities was unveiled today.

The 25th Hour, which is separate to the official London 2012 Volunteer programme, is based on the idea that we can all find the extra hour and more to make a difference.

A recent survey on attitudes to London 2012 for DCMS showed that a third of people in the UK say they would give up their time for an Olympic-inspired activity - with even greater enthusiasm among young people, 48 per cent of whom say they would give up their time.

The 25th Hour will also celebrate the outstanding contributions of exceptional time givers with a range of Olympic-themed awards, including 2,012 pairs of tickets to a unique money can’t buy moment – the chance to see the dress rehearsal of the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

25th Hour supporters will be able to pledge their time via the campaign’s website – www.the25thhour.org - developed by v, the National Young Volunteers’ Service.  From June this year the site will link people directly to opportunities to give time in their area, including featured opportunities similar to current campaigns on vinspired.com, and those posted through YouthNet and Volunteering England’s 2012 Games volunteering legacy project, funded by the Office of the Third Sector. People can sign up now to show their support for the 25th Hour and receive updates on campaign activity.