Volunteering is when you spend your unpaid time doing something to benefit others. Volunteering could look like spending a few hours helping out with your local youth group, or jazzing up social media accounts for a charity – the possibilities are endless!
Volunteering is a great way to try something new, meet new people and develop skills like communication and teamwork. Through volunteering, you can become more connected to your community whilst gaining experience for CV’s, applying for college/University and potentially taking part in different training opportunities!
All youth volunteers (12-25) can work towards a Saltire Award. This is a certificate to recognise your volunteering hours and would compliment a CV or college application very well!
To get started on your volunteering journey, email volunteer@dvva.scot.
Youth Ambassadors
Youth Ambassadors are a youth-led group, made up of young people all across Dundee, aged 12-25. The Youth Ambassadors aim to promote and celebrate volunteering and its benefits to other young people and organisations. They do this through planning events and activities, and representing young people at events and meetings.
Being a youth ambassador is a great way to develop in leadership skills, communication and confidence. All youth ambassadors can gain a Saltire Award and we arrange regular training, according to their needs and interests, which can be added to a CV.
Here is a video the Youth Ambassadors produced to promote volunteering in Dundee.
Saltire Awards
Whether you are already volunteering or just thinking about it, Saltire Awards are for you! If you are aged between 12 and 25 you will be eligible to take part and get recognition for your volunteering with certificates signed by a Scottish Government Minister.
The four main sections to the Saltire Awards are:
- The Challenge – designed to recognise people who experience volunteering as part of a group.
- The Approach – designed to recognise individuals as they begin their volunteering journey, with awards for 10 and 25 hours of volunteering.
- The Ascent – designed for young people who make a commitment to volunteering with certificates of completion at 50, 100, 200 and 500 hours.
- The Summit – for exceptional young people who have already achieved the 200 hour Ascent Saltire Award and who have been nominated by the organisation they volunteer with because they have gone above and beyond expectations. Only 12 Summit Awards are given annually in Dundee.
You could try out volunteering by taking part in a team challenge or start learning new skills with the Saltire Approach. Not only does it look great on your CV but you can also earn Young Scot Reward Points which could entitle you to some fantastic prizes.
Volunteering is a great way to learn loads of new skills and at the same time help your local community. Whether you’re looking for skills and experience for your CV, applying to college, or just want something to do in your spare time, volunteering is an ideal solution. There are lots of opportunities such as getting stuck in at a youth club, or helping out at your local charity shop.
Register for Saltire Awards
For Organisations
- Register your organisation for Saltire Awards – visit www.saltireawards.scot and click on My Saltire button. Scroll down and request approval for a Group Administrator account. You will be asked to provide some details of your organisation. We verify this and then you are able to use the website to create certificates for your volunteers.
- We will send your organisation a Welcome Pack with all the information about Saltire and some useful forms.
- Keep a note of your volunteers’ hours through their timesheet – the Welcome Pack provides one for you but maybe you have one already. This really helps keep track of when your volunteers are ready to claim their certificates
- Create certificates using the Saltire Awards website! Once your volunteers have completed the milestones for certificates (which are 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500 hours) you can create Saltire certificates for them. Here is a video tutorial on how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6yWSYTD0T8
- Celebrate your volunteer’s achievements! Achieving the Saltire Awards is a big deal and something you should truly celebrate with your young volunteers! Maybe put on a celebration or awards event to recognise them for all their hard work!
Individual Young People
If your organisation is registered for Saltire ask them to get you to complete the steps above. If not, here is how you can claim your Saltire Awards yourself!
- Access the Saltire website at www.saltireawards.scot and click the My Saltire button.
- Sign up for a free account and complete the online registration form.
- Access your account
- Put in the organisation(s) you volunteer with through the Volunteering
- Start recording your hours
- When you reach your certificate milestones (which are 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500 hours) an email will automatically be sent from the website to your Volunteer Coordinator asking them to verify your hours. Once this is done, you will be able to download and print your new certificate in recognition of your volunteering.
- Celebrate you achievement!
