Can you lend a hand and support Volunteer It Yourself?

Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) is a social enterprise that encourages young people to volunteer to fix and upgrade community facilities in communities across the country. This gives them the chance to learn valuable hands-on trade skills, whilst also gaining Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations – the all-important first rung on the ladder for some. VIY helps young people who are not in education, employment or training, or at risk of disengagement/exclusion from mainstream education or training. We’re proud to do our bit by donating paint supplies to support this great scheme. Find out how you can get involved below.

Since the social enterprise was first launched, more than 13,000 young people have taken part in over 700 projects across the UK. They’ve been supported by the over 1150 trade professional mentors. The social enterprise has helped young volunteers earn more than 5000 Entry Level 3 City & Guilds skills accreditations for the projects they’ve participated in.

Kate Kerr, from Portsmouth, has been a VIY Mentor on more than 10 projects over 2 years. Here’s what she had to say about how much the VIY initiative means to her:

“I wasn’t very academic at school, and I know that having a positive opportunity to learn outside of the classroom was a release for me from the everyday pressures of schooling and I hope it’s the same for younger people today – and combining this with the transformation of buildings that are really important for local communities makes VIY one of the best initiatives I’ve ever encountered.” 

"I relish working with the young people and being able to give them a real site experience is amazing, real-life work teaching real life skills. Seeing learners transform from unsure and nervous on day 1 into chuffed and proud at the end of the week is phenomenal and brings me much joy!"

How you can do your bit

From youth clubs and community centres to local sports clubs, VIY’s young volunteers work alongside professional tradespeople like you. If you’re an experienced tradesperson and you’re happy to share your skills and experience, to train and build the confidence of enthusiastic young people, we’d love to hear from you.  

If you’re interested in lending a hand as a paid mentor or volunteer, you can get more details here. Alternatively, you can email the VIY Mentor Manager on karen@teamviy.com

Pick up a paint stirrer or tin opener in store to show your support

There’s another way you can support the brilliant VIY initiative. Next time you’re in your local Dulux Decorator Centre store, buy one of our special paint stirrers or paint tin openers from the counter. Every purchase you make donates money to the social enterprise, helping more and more young people gain City & Guilds accreditations in Painting & Decorating.