New Media Awards 2007 Atos Origin

YouthNet

http://www.thesite.org; http://www.youthnet.org

Nominated in Information and openness award category.

YouthNet aims to create a socially inclusive environment where young people are engaged, informed and inspired to achieve their ambitions and dreams. Our vision is to be the first place all young adults turn to when they need support and guidance through life.

We do this through our two websites:
• TheSite.org, a one-stop-shop for information, guidance and advice for 16-24 year-olds. TheSite.org provides a spectrum of services for young people in the UK and a variety of ways for people to find their own voices and be empowered within their own lives. Every month, over 500,000 users visit TheSite.org – and there are 16,000 regular posters on our discussion boards.

• do-it.org.uk, a central place to find about volunteering and volunteering opportunities, and home to the National Volunteering Database, we developed. It includes hundreds of thousands of opportunities to volunteer, providing young people with an online database that is easy to search if they decide to turn an interest or passion into action.

2 nominations from readers

  • TheSite.org offers an alternative way for young people to frame their viewpoints on political issues, and provides space to engage with those ideas and to challenge themselves and others. We don’t promote vague political manifestos, or opportunities to listen to another badly scripted soundbite – instead we allow young people the self determination and freedom to discuss what matters to them.

    Empowering young people means involving them with the wider process of democracy – debate and action. On TheSite.org, politics is not simply about grey suits or single issue campaigns – instead we offer a forum for young people to learn from each other and share their own experiences.

    Specific services on our website build on this.

    • Our soon to be launched Choose Action section supports young people who are setting up their own activism work, through practical advice on ways to connect with other people who would like to be involved.

    • Our discussion boards are constantly active areas for young people to discuss topical issues, and those that have affected them. It is moderated, not to stifle debate, but to encourage young people to discuss issues in depth, without feeling excluded by more knowledgeable users.

    • Our real life section invites young people to get involved – whether through submitting rants; true stories; vox pops or diaries – all of which generate sometimes controversial debate.

    • TheSite.org also enabled young people to quiz MPs on any issue they pleased ahead of the 2005 elections.

    • Surveys on TheSite.org allow young people to share their views on range of issues (eg over 1,000 users provided thoughts on a study to inform the Respect? campaign by YouthNet and the British Youth Council, which challenges negative stereotyping of young people).

    Ultimately TheSite.org is about showing that just because someone doesn’t know exactly how to articulate their views coherently doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be encouraged to try, and have their voice heard.

    Nominated by Emma Lewis, 29 May 2007

  • Using the power of new media, do-it.org.uk has opened up participation, volunteering and community engagement to a new generation of volunteers. 40% of our users have never volunteered before and we have high numbers of users under 25, from Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee groups, and from socially deprived backgrounds.

    TheSite.org has a dynamic and participative online community, breadth of topics, editorial integrity and peer support – making us an essential resource. This participative approach extends to our askTheSite service where we recruit and train young people to become peer mentors. And the soon to be launched Choose Action section will offer resources to inspire and empower young people to get engaged on their own terms, using their own skills, passions and ideas.

    We reach rural communities via our partnership with Volunteering Englands Rural Information Booth project and provide routes into volunteering for armchair surfers, using red button technology on the Sky iDTV platform via our partnership with the Community Channel.

    YouthNet has built and maintains the IT infrastructure that now underpins the Volunteer Centre network in England. We developed the UK’s only national volunteering databse, which includes hundreds of thousands of volunteering opportunities, searchable by postcode. Our inclusive approach and strong partnerships have enabled us to raise the profile of small organisations making them available 24/7 to audiences in excess of 500,000 a month via TheSite and do-it.

    We are currently exploring mobile technologies and use blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, and bit torrent to widen the reach of our information, encouraging users to network and communicate to change their own and others lives.

    Nominated by Emma Lewis, 29 May 2007

13 comments from readers

  • The site rocks, is so helpful for anything you want to ask/get help with.

    They do everything they can to help people.

    Submitted by Shelly, 30 May 2007

  • Absolute amazing site, full of friendly helpfull people and packed with great advice.

    If you have a problem, thesite has the answer!

    Submitted by Matteh, 30 May 2007

  • The site.org is amazing excellnet and i love it.

    Submitted by ian, 30 May 2007

  • People are really rude and mocking on the forum if you talk personally and they don't agree.

    Submitted by Jomery, 31 May 2007

  • theSite has given me such great advice over the two years I have been using it. Really friendly people and a nice community. It\'s helped to allow me to take control over my own life and I am very grateful

    Submitted by anon, 31 May 2007

  • Since joining two years, I\'ve been given gret advice and the people there are friendly.

    Submitted by Sofie, 31 May 2007

  • i know i have a place to turn to when things get rough and people who understand me

    Submitted by rachael, 31 May 2007

  • I love it!! It helps me whenever I have a problem, no matter how big, and it is there when I am bored, and in search of entertainment. The boards have become so much of my life, there are members on there who I now class as true friends.

    Throughout whole of thesite, including the forums and help pages you will find the answer to pretty much any problem you have!

    Submitted by bunnie, 31 May 2007

  • Amazing site that is an extremely wonderful, useful resource for all that need it.

    Submitted by Laura, 31 May 2007

  • A brilliant site, very supportive and helpful to all.

    Submitted by Johnnyboy, 31 May 2007

  • I love the community forums, the factsheets and the fact that people are so willing to help. Good place for people to come anonymously and get unbiased info and help.

    Submitted by Bri-namite, 31 May 2007

  • In reply to Jomery's point:

    As a regular user on TheSite's forums, I've got to take issue with what you say. I would agree there are some incredibly rude people on the boards. They've aimed their fire at me more than once. Sadly, that's the case with just about every board that exists. However, you shouldn't allow that

    to cloud the fact that most of them are there to talk to others, to help others out, and are essentially good people. Yes, there are bad apples, but please don't make a decision based solely on them.

    As for the website itself, I think it is almost impeccable. I have found it a very useful resource over the years. In particular, the Ask The Site facility is something that, at one time, I could hardly have done without.

    Submitted by stargalaxy, 31 May 2007

  • Well this is interesting, but Raj you are Jomery...

    Submitted by Hmm, 01 June 2007