Volunteer service calls for young helpers

Partnership working: CSV Young Hackney Volunteers get experience, training and qualifications. Photograph: CSV

A charity has issued a call for young  Hackney folk to give up their time for a good cause.

Community Service Volunteers (CSV) says that with public service cuts putting a strain on  communities it is more important than ever for charitable individuals to muck in to help others. The group wants young volunteers to step in and fill the void in the borough in exchange for training and qualifications.

Budding media enthusiasts, wannabe school teachers and even aspiring gardeners can all make a difference. In exchange for supporting community groups, CSV is offering volunteers experience that is increasingly necessary in a competitive jobs market.

One organisation that has benefited from the work of young Hackney volunteers is the African Community School. Volunteers worked as classroom assistants, where they supported lessons, provided positive role models for the children and gained experience of working within a school.

CSV Young Hackney Volunteers is offering a number of placements across the borough. For information on joining contact yhvolunteers@csv.org.uk, call 020 8510 4906 or drop in at the Levy Centre, 18-24 Lower Clapton Road E5 0PD.