Call to action for youngsters to volunteer

Around 200 people, including pupils from Miltoncross Academy in Portsmouth, were at Fratton Park yesterday.

Portsmouth Together and Pompey in the Community hosted the day with others, in a bid to drive up the numbers of youngsters volunteering in the city.

James Shannon, from Pompey in the Community, said: ‘It’s been brilliant, the fact that we’ve had nearly 200 people all coming together for a common goal of youth social action, all ages, being in workshop rooms together to discuss quite a hot topic.

‘The importance is not on the young people to do it but to be aware there are opportunities.

‘One of the biggest conversation we had was the idea that actually we’ve got to be aware they don’t get bombarded, and they don’t end up doing nothing.’

Speakers at the conference, held at the Victory Lounge at Fratton Park, included Alison Jeffery from Portsmouth City Council, Rava Marandos from #iwill, Ben Dowling from Unloc, and Clare Martin, from Pompey in the Community. Flick Drummond, Portsmouth South MP, handed out awards at the end.

Sayeeda Nur, 17, is a pupil at Portsmouth High School and chair of Portsmouth Youth Voice.

She also spoke and said more people could be involved in the community. She added: ‘Today has been about encouraging young people into social action.

‘It’s raising awareness that there’s a problem. We’re also bringing in the good things and the things that we can improve.’

Brian Bracher, from Portsmouth Together, added: ‘There’s been a real commitment by senior leaders in the city to support us.’