Taking social action

Bringing like-minded young people together to help improve life in your local community is the biggest area of our youth work. We have a range of opportunities for both individuals and groups.

Group of girls on work experience in Leeds, laughing and chatting while collecting litter

Did you know that 70% of young people who volunteer locally feel a strong sense of belonging and satisfaction to their area?

Our projects give you the chance to help communities see the benefits of their local canal or river, and improve their wellbeing.

They also enable you to care for our waterways, creating a deeper connection to nature and a greater awareness of environmental issues.

The more that young people get involved with the environmental issues we have today, the better equipped our generation will be to deal with the global concerns of tomorrow.

Your input is vital if we want to continue protecting our network and making a difference to people's health for generations to come.

As well as committing to our Youth Engagement Strategy, we are also proud to support other partners across the youth sector and have added our name to national campaigns and movements including #iwill and the Power of Youth.

We follow the six principles used by #iwill. We strive to ensure our social action opportunities will always: