NCVYS was founded on 24 March 1936 by representatives of 11 of
England's largest youth organisations (known then as 'juvenile organisations'). They met under the auspices of the 'National Council of Social Services', now known as the
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), of which NCVYS has remained a member. The representatives agreed to form a 'Standing Conference of Juvenile Organisations' (SCJO) to promote mutual cooperation and coordination between their organisations. The first meeting of the new committee was held on 26 May 1936. The 11 organisations which contributed to the foundation of SCJO/NCVYS were
The National Association of Boys' Clubs;
Boys' Brigade;
YMCA;
YWCA;
The Girls' Guildry;
Church Lads' Brigade (now known as the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade);
The Girls' Friendly Society (now known as
GFS Platform);
Boy Scouts Association;
Girl Guides Association;
The National Council of Girls' Clubs; and the
Girls Life Brigade. All remain as
members, though some have changed their name or merged with other organisations. Captain Stanley Smith of the
Boys' Brigade was elected as the first chairman. From 1939, membership was open to so-called 'National Juvenile Organisations' which had a membership of at least 10,000, which were
non-political in nature, and which worked towards assisting youths' mental, moral or physical training for
citizenship. These requirements remained until 1972, when it was decided that a membership of 10,000 was no longer necessary. The
constitution was also changed at this time so that members were now classified as 'Community and Voluntary Youth Services', which included
local government initiatives, or 'National Voluntary Youth Organisations', which included
charities and foundations. The SCJO was renamed several times, but remained consistent in its aims and values. In 1939 it became the 'Standing Conference for National Juvenile Organisations' (SCNJO); then in 1943 it became the 'Standing Conference of National Voluntary Organisations' (SCNVJO). It acquired its current name,
NCVYS, in 1972. By 1947, the total number of young people involved with its member organisations was nearly 2 million.
1970s A new name, The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) was proposed and adopted on 15 September 1972. A further review of the constitution was also adopted, which defined a new statement of aims: ‘to endeavour to meet the needs and aspirations of young people by strengthening and supporting the work of its members’. In addition to constitutional reforms, membership arrangements were simplified: the requirements for member organisations to have over 10,000 was dropped and two member categories were established, full and observer members. Most crucially, full members were divided into two groups, national voluntary youth organisations and, for the first time, local councils for voluntary youth services. The need for the participation of young people at national and local levels was stressed. The new NCVYS set about its task in the immediate aftermath of ‘Youth and Community Work in the 1970s’, a comprehensive piece of research into the needs of the youth service in the 1970s. The report produced recommendations for action by statuary and voluntary bodies, training agencies, churches, unions and industry designed to inspire an integrated youth and community service. The authors felt that the existing youth age limits should disappear, that youth work should extend far beyond ‘the club’ to wherever it was needed in the community. Nonetheless, ‘Youth and Community Work in the 1970s’ made little impact on the government. NCVYS, along with many other organisations locally and nationally, was becoming increasingly concerned by the seeming absence of any government policy on the youth service. NCVYS continued putting pressure on the government for more consultation and this led to the formation of the Youth Services Forum in 1976, which was attended by delegates from NCVYS, the National Association of Youth Service Officers, and the Community and Youth Services Association. The local authority associations were also included and there was also representation of people under 25. Out of the Youth Service Forum arose, in 1978, another body, the All Party Parliamentary Lobby on Youth Affairs. Through 1976, 1977 and 1978, NCVYS was heavily involved in the production of influential reports on issues such as the age of consent; young people and homosexuality and the homeless and young, although the one on homosexuality was never formally endorsed. 1977 saw the Silver Jubilee of Queens Elizabeth and NCVYS members were actively involved in supporting the appeal to establish a Trust to ‘help young people help others’. In addition, NCVYS itself played a key role in the BBV Nationwide Jubilee Youth Appeal. Around the same period, the executive committee received proposals for the formation of the Prince of Wales Trust which it endorsed with enthusiasm. The dissolution of the Youth Service Forum in 1978 caused some resentment among youth services. It was not long, however, before NCVYS, the National Youth Bureau and the two youth and community service associations were meeting as the ‘Youth Service Partners’, an arrangement which would carry on into the 1980s with the later addition of the British Youth Council.
1980s In March 1981, the government initiated a review of the youth service. A small group was appointed to tackle the job over an 18-month period. Francis Cattermole, newly appointed director of NCVYS was a member of the review group, which was tasked with report on the current provisions in the Youth Service; to consider whether available resources could be employed more efficiently; and to assess the needs for legislation. Financial concerns were, yet again, apparent in the 1980s: the government maintained the level of headquarter grants but, in spite of spirited youth service resistance insisted on delegating all responsibility for capital grants to Local Authorities. In addition, the Chancellor would not exempt voluntary organisations from paying VAT. All this caused increasing frustration and resentment. Youth unemployment was a matter of serious and continuing concerns in the 1980s. NCVYS sought through seminars and the provision of practical proposals, to improve the
Youth Opportunities Programme, which had been established in 1978. The summer of 1981 saw the riots in Toxteth, Brixton and elsewhere bringing anger and anguish to those workers who had warned in vain and tried long and hard to counter the alienation such violence expressed. A disillusioned cynicism met the belated attempts of politicians to remedy the inner city despair: ‘Young people are seen as a problem to be treated, rather than a significant part of society to be valued’, noted the director of NCVYS. Much NCVYS work undertaken that year, whilst not specifically done because of the riots, became more urgent because of them. Multi-cultural programmes were encouraged and supported in constituent organisations. In 1982, the reports of the Youth Service Review Group was published. Entitled ‘Experience and Participation’, the report underlined educational nature of the Youth Service and its role in enabling young people to have a variety of experiences and to learn from the experiences they receive. Most importantly, the report recommended a legislative base for the Youth Service with Ministerial responsibility at national level, a national advisory council, and better partnership at local level. Better support for staff, and more attention to training were highlighted. Parliamentary pressure continued to mount in 1983 and 1984. Finally, in July 1984, Sir
Keith Joseph, the Secretary of State for Education, made a statement announcing the issue of a draft circular on the youth service. Though the Ministry felt legislation to be unnecessary, local authorities and, in an unusual departure from normal practice, voluntary youth organisations were invited to commend on the draft circular. NCVYS responded duly, welcoming the more positive aspect of the circular, but regretting the absence of legislation to put the youth service on a firm foundation, and the lack of mandatory training grants. Various constructive suggestions were made, which were accepted almost in full in the circular issues in March 1985. In May 1986, after a substantial piece of work by the youth social affairs committee and the executive, NCVYS Council overwhelmingly approved a ‘Policy to Promote Equality of Opportunity for girls and young women, people from black and other ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and lesbian and gay people’. ==Activities==