vInspired Cashpoint

Projects

Background

vInspired has commissioned the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) in partnership with the University of Birmingham (Third Sector Research Centre and Institute of Applied Social Studies) and Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) to evaluate the impact of vInspired Cashpoint. From 2012 to 2014, vInspired will award 410 grants of up to £500 for 14-25 year olds to set up social action projects across England and Scotland. These projects will run for two months, involve at least to other volunteers and can tackle any social issue identified by the young person.

Aims

The evaluation will explore the impact of this programme and the model of providing young people with funding to lead social action projects. It aims to provide a typology of projects and to map the footprints they make at a local level, in order to explore their impact at a local level. This learning will be used to inform programme development and be shared across the youth, volunteering and third sector.

Methods

A multi-dimensional methodology is involved in this evaluation, consisting of the following:

Recruiting, training and supporting a Cashpoint peer-research network
Evaluation co-design workshops
Analysis of monitoring data
Online volunteer impact surveys (start, middle and end of projects)
Ten social action project case studies
Social Return on Investment
Participatory findings workshop

We are currently looking for four young people to join us as peer research volunteers to work with us on the evaluation. To find out more and apply, please click here.