PAYP Manchester

Greater Manchester Youth Network received funding in October 2010 from Manchester Youth Service under the Positive Activities For Young People (PAYP) grant programme. The aim of the project was to deliver small local volunteering projects in three districts of Manchester these being Central West, North West & Wythenshawe.

The projects followed a four session model:

• Get involved session – Exploring volunteering, the benefits & purposes, setting goals for the project.
• Volunteering Session – Taking place within the district
• Volunteering Session – Taking place outside of the district
• Evaluation Session – Evaluation of project, presenting certificates and next steps.

Projects worked with:

Central West District             Wythenshawe District        North West District

Chorlton Youth Project           YMCA Training                     White Moss                          Moss Side Powerhouse           The Hub, Benchill                                                    Manchester Foyer                   Shawe Thing

During the course of the projects we engaged young people in a range of volunteering activities from conservation and environment related volunteering to exploring issue based volunteering through current political and social campaigns.

Some of the activities included:

 - decorating paper cubes for the Oxfam Pramble Campaign

- letter writing for Amnesty International’s ‘Prisoners of conscience’ campaign

- making bird feeders from recycled plastic bottles and hanging them in the local park

- holding a photograph booth at AGE Concern’s Tea Dance in Wytheshawe

- gardening on a community allotment in Openshaw

- developing the garden at White Moss Youth Centre

- volunteering at the Triple G Event in Manchester City Centre, tasks included delivering activities such as lantern making and knitting; promoting the event; goodie bag packing; photography and gathering feedback.

 Three groups also attended the volunteering day at the Agricultural and Rural Centre in Romiley. ARC is currently being built and developed to provide a place where people with disabilities can work with land and animals and is due to open in April 2011. GMYN took 30 young people to ARC to volunteer by designing and decorating hutches for small animals and making the goat’s playground fun and vibrant!

 Below is a selection of pictures from the local volunteering projects and the Volunteering Day at ARC:

 

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