06 June 2013
Youth Bank Jersey is recruiting 12 new volunteers to expand its Young People’s Grantmaking Panel.
Youth Bank Jersey is an initiative run by young people for young people. The panel, which consists exclusively of a team aged between 13 and 21, distribute grants to other young people in Jersey who want to run community projects. It is funded by grants from the Citi Foundation and the Jersey Youth Service.
Since 2011 Youth Bank Jersey has awarded more than £5,000 to 12 groups of young people in the Island. The money has been spent on a variety of projects principally to benefit youth clubs and have included decorating materials, sports and cooking equipment, a set of new trophies, trumpets, lighting, recording equipment, books, games, field trips and art materials.
Training session
Youth Banks have been running in the UK for 11 years. In 2010 The Citi Foundation, an international organisation based in the US, donated US$20,000 to the Jersey project. The amount was matched by the Jersey Youth Service. Staff and management at CitiBank in Jersey have worked with the Jersey Youth Service to set up Youth Bank Jersey, form a charity and create the Young People’s Grantmaking Panel. One of the aims of the project is to improve education, particularly financial education, among the community.
Jersey Youth Service has played a key role in attracting young people to join the Young People’s Grantmaking Panel. The application process involves an interview followed by a training session. The process will be supported by existing grant makers who will become mentors to the new members of the team.
Grantmaker Jamie Gray said he had found the project extremely worthwhile. “It gives you a great sense of achievement,” he said.
Young people meet about 12 times a year. Six meetings will take place to award grants and the remaining activities will be split between team building and visiting grant recipients. Anybody interested in joining the panel should contact Youth Bank Coordinator Anna Shipley at the Jersey Youth Service for more information and an application form.
The deadline is Friday 5 July 2013.
gov.je