About us Background to the campaign: http://www.iwill.org.uk/about-us/ You can find the detail about how the charity Step Up To Serve was created as a result of the consultation into a Decade of Youth Social Action here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-supports-decade-of-social-action-opportunities-for-young-britons

Ambition Make social action part of life for 10 – 20 year olds across the UK by 2020, moving from 40% to 60% of young people (1.5million more) participating in meaningful social action. Three sub-goals that underpin and support this and that are equally important to progress between now and 2020:  Ensure all young people have the opportunity to participate Increase the quality of opportunities that are available Increase young people’s frequency of participation

Youth social action Youth social action is ‘young people taking practical action in the service of others to create positive change’ Youth social action creates a double-benefit – it strengthens communities AND develops character and employability skills in young people Meaningful social action is shown to increase the empathy and societal awareness amongst young people contributing to positive outcomes including increased civic participation; better engagement in education; improved employability; reduced crime levels; and enhanced health and wellbeing. We know that social action builds skills that are valued by employers, such as optimism, determination and emotional intelligence.

Why does this matter? Key benefits: Education: character and attainment Employment: skills and networks Mental health: confidence and wellbeing Communities: creating a sense of responsibility Communities: isolation and integration Public services: improved and more human We are currently failing to maximise the energy, talent, commitment and potential of 8.4 million young people in the UK aged 10-20, who could make a huge contribution to their communities. We need to recognise more readily that they are a generation that matters for the future and that their service to others will strengthen society as well as improving their own lives and opportunities. Educators and employers recognise the potential of Youth Social Action to help improve the educational outcomes for young people as well as build the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. Therefore it is vital to galvanise cross sector and cross party support to dramatically increase the opportunities for young people to participate. The unique contribution of young people taking part in social action could help to tackle some of our most pressing social problems: help to create collaborative and relational public services in health and social care, build more integrated communities, and enable young people to develop character capabilities, employability skills and a robust concern for civic activism and helping others in society Mental health: The cost of poor mental health has been estimated at £105 billion per year,12 and there is increasingly concern about there being a rise in mental health problems among young people, particularly those who have been unemployed for 12 months or longer,13 and those raised in care.14 Youth social action can help to combat mental health issues by giving young people a sense of achievement, empowerment and worth: Communities: creating a sense of responsibility More likely to volunteer Civic engagement Communities: isolation and integration Integration is a vital priority for this government, not least because of its concern over extremism and promoting ‘British values’ in schools. Youth social action programmes, especially those with a specific focus on social mixing, could help to achieve the government’s aims: · The 2014 evaluation of NCS found that 8 in 10 participants in the summer and autumn programmes (84 per cent and 81 per cent respectively) felt more positive towards people from different backgrounds than previously after taking part in NCS.22 Public services: improved and more human In healthcare, the volunteering programme of King’s College Hospital in London has been held up to demonstrate best practice and leads to improved patient satisfaction, while the King’s Fund estimated the return on investment of volunteers in the health service was £11 for every £1 invested.

What are we doing? Step Up To Serve Strategy: Evidence and communicate the benefits of youth social action Embed social action in a young persons journey from 10-20 Enable more high quality structured opportunities

What can you do? Recognise what you’re already doing Consider how you can get more young people involved Work with partners to support you – you’re not alone Share your stories with us Make a pledge to the #iwill campaign

Pledges You can see all our pledges here: http://www.iwill.org.uk/iwill-pledges/ Why not think about how you can pledge to support the campaign?

Questions? Fiona Ellison Campaign Manager Step Up To Serve   Fiona Ellison Campaign Manager Step Up To Serve e: fiona.ellison@stepuptoserve.org.uk t: @iwill_campaign t: @fiona_ellison .