Voluntary organisations today said they do not want the new volunteering infrastructure being developed to reflect that of the Americorp model, a system they believe would be unsuccessful in recruiting volunteers and would waste resources better spent on creating jobs for those who are fit to work.

This was the overwhelming opinion of delegates attending the first of the Russell Commission’s regional consultation events – a series of meetings allowing representatives from the voluntary and community sector to air their views and contribute to the new national framework on youth volunteering.

Participants from around 50 organisations, including household names such as Oxfam and Marie Curie Cancer Care as well as smaller, local voluntary groups, discussed three key themes of engagement, activity and results.

Although there was consensus that young people should be promoted as role models, one issue that divided the audience was that of offering financial incentives. Although a few delegates argued that such incentives went against the very essence of volunteering, many people agreed that they could be a key factor in encouraging more young volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Following the morning’s discussion, Julia Clements, communications manager for the Russell Commission said that it wanted to involve as many people as possible within the consultation. “We have engaged with schools to find out what they think and businesses have also provided advice. Now we want to hear the sectors views,” says Julia Clements, communications manager for the Russell Commission.

The closing date for the consultation is December 31 and once all the feedback has been received it will be used to create a fixed proposal, ready for presentation to the government in Spring 2005. Further events are scheduled to take place around the country until the end of November – for more information, email kate.engles@volunteeringengland.org or telephone 020 7520 8901.