Volunteer with the Richmond Youth Offending Team
We are very enthusiastic about encouraging greater participation by our local community in the youth justice system and in diverting young people from offending.
At the moment we have people from all walks of life who are working with us as:
- Appropriate Adults
- Mentors
- Advocates
- Referral Panel members
They aren’t paid, though they do have expenses reimbursed and they all tell us how rewarding it can be to work in supporting the team’s aims of preventing ‘at risk’ young people from drifting into serious offending and in ensuring that the youth justice system deals swiftly and fairly with young people. Our volunteers all receive ongoing training, plus regular supervision and support from full-time co-ordinators within the team.
To volunteer with us, all you need is:
- a degree of common sense,
- a mature outlook,
- to live or work in the Borough, and
- a commitment to working with young people, whether they are already involved in offending, or at risk of it
- time to spare: most of our volunteers’ sessions are arranged in the late afternoon or early evening but there are opportunities – particularly for anyone willing to act as an Appropriate Adult – during the day, too.
We particularly welcome men and people of black and ethnic minority backgrounds as volunteers, as they are currently under-represented in this group. If you are interested in working with us as a volunteer, you should contact Julie Martin in the Adolescent Resource Team on 020 8891 7570 for more information.