Challenge 2: Involve Local People

• Over 12% of all adults in Somerset do more than two hours voluntary work each week.

• 31% of young people are already volunteers.

• National information suggests that 60% of young people would get involved if they felt their contribution was valued and led to things changing in their local area.

• There is also an increasing opportunity for people who have newly arrived in the county, particularly from the new and existing European Union countries, to volunteer and become involved in their local communities.

What we will do:

1. Improve the amount of individual and community volunteering in the county by promoting and offering a wider range of opportunities and experiences.

2. Encourage and promote participation in community life so that people come together to agree what is important to them locally, and plan together for their area.

What will we do first?

• We will support community and voluntary groups so that they are able to fulfil their aspirations and local people’s expectations of them.

• We will encourage community and voluntary groups to identify and realise the widest range of funding opportunities available to them.

• Enable volunteers to benefit from staff development opportunities available through the ‘Train to Gain’ initiative and encourage apprenticeships within the third sector.

Back to Sustainable Community Strategy Aim 1 Making a Positive Contribution