The Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteers Award 2014

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1 The Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteers Award 2014 The Lord Mayor of York would like to invite you to apply for the Young Volunteers Award to thank you for your contribution to York s communities. The award recognises the time you have committed, the skills you have developed, and the difference you have made to the people of York. We want to provide you with something to show future employers and we want to share your stories to raise awareness and inspire others to volunteer as well. Successful applicants will receive a letter and a certificate signed by the Lord Mayor of York in May Your achievements will be announced and celebrated in The Press and also among local community organisations, schools and colleges. Judges will award The Lord Mayor of York Special Award to the top 10% of applicants who demonstrate an exceptional contribution to volunteering in the city. They will be invited to an awards ceremony hosted by the Lord Mayor in late June 2014 at the Mansion House. This prestigious event is an opportunity for the Lord Mayor to thank you personally for your contribution to the City. The Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteers Award is co-ordinated by the Volunteering York Partnership, and supported by York Centre for Voluntary Service, City of York Council and York Cares. Who is eligible and what counts as volunteering? To apply for the award you need to: Be aged between 11 to 21 (up to 25 for applicants with additional needs) Have done at least 25 hours of voluntary work in the last 12 months (From Feb 2013 Feb 2014) Live, work or study in York Volunteering is described as an unpaid activity where someone gives their time to help an organisation or an individual who they are not related to. Some examples of volunteering are: Volunteering with children: coaching sport, supporting a play group, helping with reading groups Volunteering for the environment: helping at an animal shelter, gardening projects, conservation Supporting a charity or community group: organising a fundraiser, working at a charity shop Volunteering with the elderly: visiting an elderly people s home, assisting with days out Remember, these are just a few examples, talk to family and friends to collect your ideas and think about what you have achieved. You can count all your volunteering hours since February 2013, whether you ve volunteered once a week, during a week long holiday event or in a series of short projects for different charities. As long as they add up to 25 hours or more, you are eligible to apply!

2 How do I apply? There are many ways to complete the Application Form, choose from one of the following options: EITHER: Pick up an Application Form from your school or college, complete it and post it back to us OR: Visit to apply on-line or download the Application Form OR: For applicants with additional or alternative needs, please contact info@yorkcares.co.uk for further advice about how you can apply. A large font application form is also available upon request Completing the form We only need four things from you to complete your application: Your Details, Your Story, Your Signatures and Your Referee. Complete the first 3 sections yourself and then pass the form onto your referee to fill in section 4 but remember it is your responsibility to make sure it is sent off to Volunteering York. Here are three key points to remember when filling in your application: 1. Do not write too much There are word limits on each section which you must stick to; the key is to write about your volunteering clearly and concisely. 2. Choose your referee carefully The referee statement supports your application so you should ask the person who is most relevant to your volunteering, or the person who knows most about what you have done. 3. Remember your signatures You and your referee need to sign the form, and if you are under 18, your parent/guardian also needs to sign Section 3. If you are typing your application, a typed signature will be accepted. What is the Special Award? The Special Award is a division of the main award and is presented to the top 10% of applicants who the judges feel have gone above and beyond what anyone would expect. These recipients will be invited to an awards ceremony in the summer at the Mansion House to receive their Special Award certificate from the Lord Mayor. This year, there will be Special Award winners from two categories: those within years 7 11 at school, and those in further education, higher education or work. As a guide, the judges will be looking for three things to shine through in your application: 1. IMPACT They will look at the positive impact volunteering has had on you, your community and the people you have helped. 2. ACHIEVEMENT They will be looking at the achievements you have made through volunteering. 3. ENTHUSIASM They will be looking for people who clearly enjoy volunteering and show a passion for what they do. There are no right or wrong answers for the special award; we just want to hear about what you do and why you love it! All volunteers are unique and amazing for giving up their time so don t be deterred if you don t receive the special award this year. Now you have all the information you need, it is time to start. The Lord Mayor & the Volunteering York Partnership wish you all the best of luck!

3 The Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteers Award 2014 Please start your application by completing Section 1. Section 1: Your Details First Name: Date of Birth: Surname: Age: Home Address: Postcode: Telephone (Home): Address: (Mobile): What stage of study are you currently at? (Please tick and specify where) School Years 7-11, currently studying at Further Education, Higher Education or working, at Did you apply for the award in 2013? YES / NO Now we want to hear your story! Fill in Section 2 carefully and keep to the word count. Section 2: Your Story Since February 2013, how many hours of volunteering have you done? (Please provide an overall figure) Please outline the organisations you have volunteered at, the role you held and where possible the number of hours you volunteered there for. Organisation Role/Position Hours

4 What volunteering have you done? (In a bit more detail please tell us about your favourite volunteering position or the most substantial work you have done) Max 150 words. Who has benefitted from your volunteering and what difference has it made to the community? Max 150 words. What have you gained from volunteering? (Team work, leadership qualities, communication skills ) Max 100 words.

5 Now we have your amazing story, we would like to share it! Please read and sign below and if you are under 18, ask your parent or guardian to sign the form as well. Section 3: Your Signature The Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteers Award aims to recognise the difference young volunteers make to the people of York. As such, we would like to share your stories and achievements with the wider press by inviting the local and regional media to cover your story. We would like to use your photographs and interviews to promote young people s volunteering and inspire others to get involved. On behalf of Volunteering York, York Cares holds the right to use the photos we take, which may be used by York Cares and the Volunteering York Partnership for PR or marketing purposes. Photos and interviews may be given to the media (print, broadcast and online, such as Twitter) to be included in news or feature articles about young people s volunteering. You will be named unless you tell us not to. If you do NOT wish to be photographed or interviewed please tick this box Please sign below to confirm you wish to submit your application and that the information you have provided is true and accurate. Signature of Applicant: Signature of Parent/Guardian (if under 18): You have nearly finished! Now you need to pass your application to your chosen referee to complete Section 4 (see over). Once your referee has completed Section 4 it is your responsibility to return the form. Either Post to: Volunteering York, York Centre for Voluntary Service, Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street, York, YO1 6ET Or to: info@yorkcares.co.uk with the subject title: Lord Mayor of York Award

6 First Name: Job Title/Role: Section 4: Your Referee Surname: Organisation: Organisation Address: Postcode: Telephone Number: Address: Relationship to applicant: Outline the difference this young person has made through their volunteering: (Please note: The referee statement should support the application of the young person and be relevant to their most substantial piece of volunteering) Max 150 words Signature of referee for supporting statement: Congratulations! Your application is now complete. Take a moment to check you have completed all the sections. Please return this form by Wednesday 2nd April 2014 We are looking forward to reading your stories and hearing about the amazing ways you have been contributing to our City. Thank you for your application.