|TOP|ALOVE, the youth initiative of The Salvation in the UK and Ireland, is currently working alongside the University of Kent to explore youth volunteering opportunities, since being awarded funding of around £24,000 by the Government's Russell Commission to research and develop youth volunteering.

"The Salvation Army operates in around 800 communities across the UK and we recognise that young people are an integral part of those communities," commented Russell Rook, director of ALOVE.

"We want young people to get involved positively in their communities and volunteering is a great way to do that.

"Hopefully through the research we are carrying out we will have a better understanding of what young people want, and we will be able to provide the right avenues of volunteering for them."

|AD|The Salvation Army will present its findings and recommendations to the Russell Commission Implementation Body in April.

The Russell Commission was set up by the Government in 2004 to explore youth volunteering, and has awarded funding to 45 organisations to help achieve the commission's target of engaging one million new young people in volunteering within the next five years.

In addition to The Salvation Army, the Church of England is the only faith group to have been awarded funding and have been asked to carry out research within their organisations.

In other news, Salvation Army worker in America Bram Roberts recently moved to Yorkshire to work with ALOVE to reinforce the mission in UK.

"I have spent many happy years in America where I have been responsible for all sorts of youth programmes,” Roberts said.

"However, I really believe that I am meant to come and work in Yorkshire and to lead the young people in the region.”