Gordon Brown aims to get all young people helping communities

The Prime Minister has spoken of his ambition to see every young person getting involved in and making a difference to their communities.

In a podcast released on the Number 10 website, the PM set out a number of key steps towards encouraging “a new era of respect and responsibility”.

He announced a new programme for 16 to 19-year-olds starting this September that will see 20,000 school leavers a year undertake full time community service alongside training.

The Government will give “extensive new support” to all schools to provide service opportunities for pupils, while setting up a series of pilots aimed at testing ways to increase community service participation within a given area.

“I want everyone to have this opportunity and I want everyone to get involved. I want serving your community to become a normal part of growing up in every community because everyone has something unique to give.”

Mr Brown said he believed “every young person can make a difference” by becoming more involved in their communities.