VSU was (and is!) a Youth Action Agency. It worked with secondary schools, the local authority, Social Services, and a range of client groups to provide meaningful and cost-effective services to vulnerable groups in the community.
The work of the charity was run by young people, aged 14-18, recruited from local schools. They managed the work through four committees, each with a target group: young children at risk, the elderly, and people with learning disabilities – the fourth group planned fundraising activities.
VSU had four offices, and I ran the Tunbridge office, working with around 14 schools, and with over 400 regular volunteers – all adolescents – working, planning, doing great stuff every single week. It was a great job – not well paid, but hugely rewarding – and I learned loads. Mostly from the kids I worked with, though I also sat on a national YAA panel. I left to do the same thing at a national level, with the Red Cross…