How should charities involve young people?

Nick Martlew thinks about what he'd do if he was in charge of a charity.

Bright young things, wee nipper-snappers, the youth of today. Whatever you call them (us), young people are not just the future for charities; we are also crucial to the present. Often having more spare time than our parents do, we can more easily get engaged with the issues that concern us, bringing dynamism and energy.

If you were running a charity, then, how would you get other young people involved in your work? Oxfam's mantra - do what you love doing, but change the world while you're doing it - seems like a good place to start.

The Your Say pages of Generation Why have a good deal of debate about the apathy or otherwise of young people. An easy way to get them involved is to take your charity to where they are. Oxfam Outreach is a great example, getting informed and energetic volunteers at gigs and clubs to engage directly with young people. For any charity it would generate awareness and an association with (hopefully!) having a good time.

Of course, you don't want to be seen to be taking advantage of drunken party-goers to fill a petition. One way of avoiding this perception is to actually organise an event. For example, student Neela Dolezalova organised a festival in Oxford with bands, poetry, dance and discussion to promote thought about nuclear weapons on the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima. The 8,000 people who attended were treated to a grand day out in the park as well some healthy food for thought.

Organising a full day event like that is quite an undertaking, so you might be happier with a little kiss: Keep It Simple, Stupid! By taking on simpler projects first you could build awareness and momentum among accessible groups that could carry you through to those that are harder to reach. Offer a free lunch in exchange for letter writing - a popular (especially with students!) Amnesty International activity. Or approach local, college or university radio shows and newspapers to publicise your work.

Both of these examples show that Keeping It Simple works best when the simplicity gets people involved with ideas, the motivation for your charity. Young people can be much more than consumers of brand names. Ally our time and energy with an understanding of the issues and you'll have potent supporters for the present - and the future.