GETTING young people to give up their spare time to volunteer work can be a challenge. But as Education Reporter HAYDN LEWIS found out, that isn't always the case.

THE demands placed on today's young people are greater than ever before, juggling school work with family and social life to such a degree that quite often things like volunteering get sidelined.

But a project in York aimed at hard-to-reach young people gives them a much-needed focus through volunteering before they go on to higher education or employment.

I went along to meet three young women who completed who have each done 200 hours unpaid work for the Compass Millennium Volunteers Scheme.

Compass, in Bridge Street, York, works in partnership with other organisations to help unemployed people to tackle drug problems and get them back to work.

As part of the Compass scheme, the youngsters are given drugs awareness training before going on to do their volunteer work.

Margaret Silcock, Compass MVs' communities co-ordinator, said: "Many of our volunteers sign up because they want to make a difference and the youngsters in the MV programme are at the career-building stage of their lives and this can help them."

Kerry Nichols, 21, of Acomb, said it was this training that really attracted her to take part.

She said: "The drugs awareness training really opened my eyes to the different types of drugs there are and how much they cost.

"I had hardly any knowledge before apart from talking with friends and I'd never been interested in them.

"It not just opened my eyes, but it will help me with the work I want to do in the future."

As well as being a volunteer receptionist at Tadcaster swimming pool and has worked with both children and adults with learning difficulties. She hopes to go to a career in customer service.

One of the partnership organisations involved in the project is York-based children's charity Snappy.

Jackie Fentiman, 18, of Nunnery Lane, started volunteering at Snappy, working with youngsters with special needs.

She said: "I suffered from bullying at school and went to several schools as a result.

"I heard about this project when the Connexions careers advice service man came into my school and got involved in Compass MV.

"I have really enjoyed it and got a lot of pleasure out of working with children with special needs, because I feel a lot of people in society don't appreciate them and working with other young people helps increase their confidence and self-esteem."

Jackie wants to go on to become a special needs teacher and has recently got on to a course at York St John University.

Sara Mountain-Larner, 21, has been running Acomb Youth Dance Club with her friend Genna Rooke for two years every Monday night at Our Lady's Methodist Church Hall.

She said there are about 35 youngsters come along to the project now and she's proud of their achievement.

Sara said: "You do this for the experience. I think a lot of people look at volunteering and think, what's the point, we're not getting paid for it.

"With our group we have made CDs and done all sorts of dance routines. Even taking them off the streets for an hour is productive and I do think they get a lot out of it."

Speaking about the drugs awareness training she's received, Sara said: "The good thing is that it's not rammed down your throat but takes a realistic view and shows many of the side effects of taking drugs."

Since completing her volunteer work Sara has become a young people's development worker for Connexions careers advice service in Piccadilly.

Anyone wanting to take part in the Compass MV programme should phone Margaret Silcock on 07917 374725.