Volunteering
Volunteer Panel Members
Our work is greatly supported by volunteers who help us in
several ways, including serving as members of Youth Offender Panels
and, through the Young Lives
Foundation, as Appropriate Adults, who
attend police interviews with young people.
At present we have around 400 volunteers but we can always do
with more - recent changes to the youth justice system mean that
there will be almost one fifth more referral panel hearings than at
present and each hearing needs 2 volunteers to be present.
The aims of the panels are to ensure young offenders take
responsibility for their behaviour, help put things right for the
victim and help young people not to re-offend.
Panel members discuss the offence and its consequences with
everyone involved and agree an action plan that will require the
young person to make good the harm done to the victim. The plan
will also include activities to help prevent further offending.
Recently, we won a Investors in
Volunteering award for our work with volunteers.
The links below will give you more information about
volunteering as a panel member.