my community channel

Media Trust Campaigns and Community Channel are today delighted to announce the launch of a new nationwide Media Trust Campaigns initiative, ‘Skills through Volunteering’.
 
The seventh and latest in the series of high-profile campaigns within the government’s ‘Volunteering for All’ strategy, Skills through Volunteering will encourage people with no qualifications to look at new ways of gaining skills through volunteering.
 
The campaign aims to directly demonstrate to those who may not have had the opportunity for formal learning, how volunteering can benefit their lives and build their skills.
 
Launching today, the campaign will run until the end of October. Partnering with the Learning and Skills Council, Media Trust and Community Channel have been able to add a multi-layered volunteering strand to their own current high impact campaign.

Phil Hope MP, Minister for the Third Sector said, “The Government recognises the importance of volunteering as a way for people to gain skills and welcomes this new campaign. ‘Skills through Volunteering’ provides an important opportunity for people to develop their skills and gain new experiences through volunteering. It also promotes the message that everyone has something to give and that volunteering can make a real difference to the lives of people.
 
"This initiative is an excellent addition and fantastic example of the value Media Trust Campaigns and Community Channel holds in directly supporting government."
 
Lara Samuels, Media Trust Campaigns Director said, “Skills through Volunteering is an exciting new national campaign for people to develop their skills through volunteering. We are working closely with the Learning and Skills Council to include in their current initiative that you can get skills through supporting voluntary organisations in your community”.
 
“Through Community Channel, we’re able to show potential volunteers an inspirational new film, ‘Extra Time’, seeing how volunteering can transform people’s lives”.
 
The campaign includes voluntary Taster Sessions with a series of organizations across the country including Red Cross, Timebanks UK, Victim Support, Mencap and The Food Chain. These will run from October 15th until the end of October to the target regions.
 
Each session lasts two to four hours and offers a range of exciting volunteer activities in the North East, North West, London, and the Yorkshire and the Humber regions.
 
Participants will be able to sign up to these and/or discover other voluntary opportunities in their local area with access to a newly launched national telephone hotline, provided by Learndirect (0800 06 81 800); and interactive website www.communitychannel.org/inourhands). A certificate from the Award Scheme and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) will be provided to all those who take part in a taster session.
 
This is complemented with a far-reaching UK marketing campaign, including distribution of a poster and leaflet (developed in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Council) to the key target areas with supporting promotional materials and direct face-to-face field marketing.
 
Community Channel further supports awareness of the voluntary opportunities available with a new documentary from Media Trust Productions, ‘Extra Time’, which premieres on Community Channel, 6 October and will air throughout the campaign. This new half-hour programme follows three people through their very different experiences in volunteering in football, from community led all the way to Premiership.
 
Project Partners include; Learning and Skills Council, NIACE, Volunteering England, Greater London Volunteering, Do-it.org, Learndirect, Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, UK online centres, ASDAN and British Red Cross.

Opportunity Partners include; Mencap, Scope, TimeBank, TimeBanks UK, Time for Health Partnership and Volunteer Reading Help.  

For further information, images and interview requests, please call:
Darryl Butcher, Media Trust Campaigns, T: 078966 11335 E: darryl@boldcreative.co.uk
Keith Winestein, Media Trust Campaigns Marketing & Media Manager, T: 0207 874 7608  keithw@mediatrust.org
  

We have a single goal: to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to ensure we have a workforce of world-class standard.  The LSC is responsible for planning and funding high quality education and training for everyone in England other than those in universities.  Our vision is that by 2010, young people and adults in England have knowledge and skills matching the best in the world and are part of a truly competitive workforce.
 
‘Our future. It’s in our hands’ is an exciting new communications campaign from the LSC and its partners, to inspire people across England to take control of their future through learning and play an active role in achieving their full potential. The Government’s most ambitious campaign yet to inspire people across England to take control of their future through learning. Media Trust and Community Channel is working with LSC to provide the voluntary strand of the campaign.
 
‘Our future. It’s in our hands’, signifies the Government’s commitment to developing the skilled workforce required to remain economically competitive in the future, and meet Lord Leitch’s challenge to become a world leader in skills. It is a three to five year communications campaign designed to transform the way people think, feel and act about learning and skills.  The campaign aims to achieve an increased demand for skills and investment in them, both in terms of time and money.