VIY - The First 10 Years

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A whole decade in and Volunteer It Yourself are still going from strength-to-strength. And, as you can see, the numbers speak for themselves: 682 projects across England, Scotland and Wales, 12,744 young people have taken part, 1,136 skilled mentours volunteered their skills, 5,124 have achieved Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations, with an impressive 1,743 young participants going on to employment, education or further training.

Supporting the community in the face of Covid

At a time when people need community venues more than ever - these spaces give release from our daily struggles. Community centres, sports clubs, arts venues, and outdoor spaces offer everyone the chance to socialise with local faces, and take part in activities that aid mental health and wellbeing.

With local spaces and services constantly coming under threat of closure, due to lack of funds and not helped by the outbreak of Covid, organisations such as VIY are a valuable asset to local communities - enabling refurbishment projects where they’re needed the most. These are the reasons why we are so proud to be supporting such a venture and look forward to the next 10 years!

Has VIY’s social mission changed over the years?

From the outset VIY have had a clear vision of their social mission and, the key areas below remain at the heart of what VIY stand for and continue to achieve:

• Help transform local community spaces and facilities

• Give young people the skills and confidence to increase their employability

• Encourage volunteering, mentoring and skill sharing

“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come - we’ll have completed more projects in 2021 than we did in our first five years combined!” Ed Sellwood, co-founder and COO, VIY

What does 2022 look like for VIY…

It’s good to hear that VIY are planning to continue expanding their collaboration with local authorities, local businesses, youth services and grant-giving foundations. These partnerships will help VIY to deliver community projects that will directly benefit local communities and young people across the UK - without their input, who knows how many community spaces and youth centres would’ve been lost.

You can find out more about VIY by visiting their website. Better still, why not get involved and share your skills by becoming a valuable mentor - whatever trade you’re in.