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