A new report has offered fresh insight on how best to engage young people in volunteering.

Over the last 12 years, StreetGames has supported nearly 19,000 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into becoming active volunteers. Now the new report ‘Lessons of Volunteering’ draws on this experience to provide evidence on ‘what works’ when encouraging young people to volunteer and to engage more in their communities.

Research has found that just 14% of young people growing up in low-income families have volunteered, compared to 32% of their more affluent peers. But with thousands of young people from low-income families engaging with their projects, StreetGames is bucking the trend and helping young people to live safe, healthier, and more successful lives.

Central to StreetGames’ methodology is the concept of FABS (fun, altruistic, belonging, self-development), and its network of over 1,000 locally-trusted organisations - local community groups which are empowered to work independently in the heart of their own communities.

Jane Ashworth, CEO of StreetGames, said: “I’m proud of the work that we do here at StreetGames, working on the front line to deliver support for young people in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country.

“This report draws on years of experience in what works and what doesn’t when engaging young people to do volunteering, and I hope it will help to inform and inspire other organisations that are working hard to give young people the opportunity to grow and develop through volunteering.”

Read the full report here.