Co-op has formed a new partnership with UK Youth that will see young people in Scotland and Northern Ireland given opportunities to make a difference through social action in local communities through the #iwill movement.
The #iwill movement is a collaboration of more than 1,000 organisations and 700 young #iwill ambassadors and champions from across the UK, supported by charities UK Youth and Volunteering Matters.
Co-op is partnering with UK Youth to grow the #IWillScotland and the #iwill movement in Northern Ireland, working with YouthLink Scotland and Volunteer Now in Northern Ireland.
The £250,000 investment from Co-op, funded by Co-op Members through the Co-op Community Partnerships Fund, will be used to recruit, train and support new #iwill ambassadors across the nations. The 10-25 year-olds will work together to make a difference in their communities through social action.
Ambassadors will receive training and mentoring, supporting them to drive change at a local, national and UK-wide level. In addition, 150 new #iwill Champions will be recruited, who will help spread the word and develop their own social action initiatives. More than 2,000 young people in Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit from Co-op’s investment in #iwill.
Social action can have a life-changing impact on young people and their communities, helping them develop essential personal and social skills such as self-confidence, resilience, leadership, and motivation. Research has shown that 77% of young people say volunteering has improved their mental health and 84% said it increased their confidence.
Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Membership at Co-op, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with UK Youth to grow the #iwill movement so that even more young people can access support and make positive change, whether that’s supporting fairer access to food, improving mental wellbeing services, or creating even more opportunities for young people to get involved in their communities.”
