What is the BOOST! programme?
BOOST! bursary awards cover the costs incurred by young volunteers and their supervisors in carrying out volunteering projects they have designed themselves, including food, accommodation, transport, materials, equipment and other legitimate costs.

Who is eligible?
Any young person, or groups of young people, can apply for an award provided that they live or go to school or attend a youth club within a 25-mile radius of Heathrow, Stansted or Southampton airport. Preference is given to projects undertaken by groups of at least 3 people.

How and when can I apply?
Applications for awards must be made online at http://baabursaries.wwv.org.uk between and including 18th November 2009 and 7th January 2010. Volunteers must apply for an award before starting their projects.

Applicants are expected to write a 500 word proposal outlining:

the nature of the project
when and where the project is expected to take place
how their local community or the "target" community, if different, will benefit from the project

In addition, applicants must state:

a list of all the volunteers
a detailed breakdown of the costs of the project
how much money they wish to apply for
the sources and amounts of any other funding they have secured for their projects
the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be a teacher or youth worker who must have agreed to supervise the running of the project.

The online application form may be saved even if you have not completely filled it in, so that you can return to it later and finish it. But once you have finally submitted it, you will not be able to retrieve it.

Can I apply by post or email?
No.

How much money can I apply for?
There is no set minimum or maximum amount. Applicants must use their best judgement in deciding how much to ask for, up to the full budgeted cost of their projects.

What kind of projects are eligible?
Projects must be designed by the volunteers themselves. Any project may qualify providing it is legal, but preference is given to projects of an environmental nature and of a skill-building nature.

Must my volunteering project be with a charity?
It can be, but you can also apply for an award for a project which is not. If your project is to be with a charity you must let the charity know and get their agreement before submitting your application.

The easiest way to find charities that suit you is to search WorldWide Volunteering's online database at http://www.wwv.org.uk.

Charities can also be found at your local Volunteer Centre, online or in guides such as Yellow Pages.

Where must projects be carried out?
Projects may be carried out anywhere in the world, but preference is given to those to be carried out within a 25-mile radius of either Heathrow, Stansted or Southampton airport.

Must I have volunteered before?
Previous experience as a volunteer is not required.

Can I apply if I am disabled?
Of course. But if you want to volunteer with a charity, check in advance that they have the necessary facilities.

Can I apply if I have a criminal record?
Yes. But if you want to volunteer with a charity, check in advance that they will accept you.

Will the award affect the State benefits I receive?
No. The award is not payment for employment but reimbursement for expenses incurred whilst volunteering.

Can I do an online "virtual volunteering" project based at home?
Yes, although you may not incur any expenses and so may not need an award.

How and when will I know if I have won an award?
Award-winners, and unsuccessful applicants, will be notified by email between 4th and 11th February 2010.

How will I get my award?
Award-winners will be invited to an awards event in late February or early March 2010 which they will be expected to attend.

The ceremony will take place in front of an invited audience, including the award-winners, their parents, teachers and youth workers, representatives from any charities with whom they intend to work on their volunteering projects, and the media.

Preference is given to projects involving a school or youth club which has agreed to receive the award money and then to pay it out as the project requires. Only in cases judged by the Assessment Panel to be special will payment be made direct to volunteers and in these cases the award will be paid as costs come up for payment.

What happens if I do not spend all the award?
This is unlikely to happen, as in most cases awards will be paid as or after the costs arise. But any award money received by volunteers which is unspent, or spent in an inappropriate manner, must be reimbursed to WorldWide Volunteering as manager of the BOOST! bursary fund. Volunteers must not profit from the award: all funds must be used solely to defray costs relating to their chosen volunteering project.

When can I do my project?
Projects must start no earlier than 1st April 2010 and end no later than 31st August 2010.

How are applications judged?
Applications will be judged by the BOOST! Assessment Panel, which will comprise representatives from the BAA Communities Trust and from WorldWide Volunteering.

Any legal volunteering project anywhere in the world and designed by the volunteers themselves will be considered for an award. But preference will be given to projects:

undertaken by groups of at least 3 people.
of an environmental nature and of a skill-building nature.
to be carried out within a 25-mile radius of either Heathrow, Stansted or Southampton airport.
involving a school or youth club which has agreed to receive the award money and then to pay it out as the project requires.

The Assessment Panel will draw up an initial list of applications and may then interview the listed applicants by telephone.

The more information you give in your application, and the clearer it is, the more likely you are to be shortlisted for an award

Must I send in reports on the project?
Successful applicants are required to upload one report at the start of the project, one in the middle and a longer report on its completion. Uploading instructions will be sent to award-winners.

Is there any recognition system?
Award-winners may also apply for recognition of their volunteering effort under the WWV certification scheme.

FAQs for charities

Any legal volunteering project anywhere in the world and designed by the volunteers themselves will be considered for an award. But preference will be given to projects:

undertaken by groups of at least 3 people.
of an environmental nature and of a skill-building nature.
to be carried out within a 25-mile radius of either Heathrow, Stansted or Southampton airport.
involving a school or youth club which has agreed to receive the award money and then to pay it out as the project requires.

The Assessment Panel, which will comprise representatives from the BAA Communities Trust and from WorldWide Volunteering, will draw up an initial list of applications and may then interview the listed applicants by telephone.

Who is likely to apply to BOOST!?
Young people between 16 and 19 years old most probably.

Will all BOOST! volunteering projects be with charities?
No. Applicants can apply for awards for projects with charities or independent of them. If a project is to be with a charity the applicant must let the charity know and get their agreement before submitting the application.

How will volunteers find charities if they want to work with one?
The easiest way to find charities that suit them is for them to search WorldWide Volunteering’s online database at http://www.wwv.org.uk.

Charities can also be found at their local Volunteer Centres, online or in guides such as Yellow Pages.

Will any applicants be disabled?
They may be. But if disabled applicants want to volunteer with a charity, we have specified that they should check in advance that their chosen charity has the necessary facilities.

Will any applicants have a criminal record?
They may have. But if applicants with a criminal record want to volunteer with a charity, we have specified that they should check in advance that their chosen charity would accept them.

Is there any recognition system?
Charities involved in award-winning projects will be invited to a ceremony for award-winners in late February or early March 2010.

The ceremony will take place in front of an invited audience, including the award-winners, their parents, teachers and youth workers, and the media.

Award-winners may also apply for recognition of their volunteering effort under the WWV certification scheme.

How should we handle questions from BOOST! applicants?
For enquiries other than those specific to your charity, please refer applicants to this website, which contains a contact enquiry form for them to use.

Is there any limit to the number of BOOST! volunteers we can have
No.

Can we publicise our involvement with a BOOST! winner?
Yes.

FAQs for Schools and Youth Clubs

BOOST! is funded by the BAA Communities Trust, a charity registered in England with registration no. 1058617 and managed by WorldWide Volunteering, a charity registered in England with registration no. 1038253. For more info, please see the section below entitled "The BAA Communities Trust". Any legal volunteering project anywhere in the world and designed by the volunteers themselves will be considered for an award. But preference will be given to projects:

undertaken by groups of at least 3 people.
of an environmental nature and of a skill-building nature.
to be carried out within a 25-mile radius of either Heathrow, Stansted or Southampton airport.
involving a school or youth club which has agreed to receive the award money and then to pay it out as the project requires.

Who is likely to apply to BOOST!?
Young people between 16 and 19 years old most probably.

What will be the role of schools and youth clubs in BOOST! projects?
Although we wish the young applicants to design their own volunteering projects, we will expect each project to be supervised by a teacher or youth worker. Their expenses will be included in the award, provided they appear in the application lodged by the prospective volunteer(s).

Also, our strong preference is to pay the award to a school or youth club, who will then pay it out to the volunteers as they incur expenses. Only in special cases will we pay an award direct to a volunteer.

Will BOOST! volunteering projects be with charities?
They can be, but applications can be made for awards for projects which are not. If the project is to be with a charity, the applicant must let the charity know and get their agreement before submitting the application.

Charities can also be found at their local Volunteer Centres, online or in guides such as Yellow Pages.

Is there any recognition system?
Teachers and youth workers involved in award-winning projects will be invited to a ceremony for award-winners to be held in late February or early March 2010.

The ceremony will take place in front of an invited audience, including the award-winners, their parents, representatives from any charities with whom they intend to work on their volunteering projects, and the media.

Award-winners may also apply for recognition of their volunteering effort under the WWV certification scheme.

How should we handle questions from BOOST! applicants?
Please refer applicants to this website, which contains a contact enquiry form for them to use. You can use it, too.

Is there any limit to the number of BOOST! volunteers we can have
No.

Can we publicise our involvement with a BOOST! winner?
Yes.

The BAA Communities Trust

What is the BAA Communities Trust?
The BAA Communities Trust is a grant-making charity registered in England with registration no. 1058617. It was established by the world-leading airport company BAA to help communities close to its airports, including Heathrow, Southampton and Stansted and, in Scotland, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Since it was first set up in 1996 it has made grants worth a total of nearly £5 million on projects which create opportunities for young people, help protect the environment and remove barriers to the world of work.

The Trust also supports fundraising and volunteering by BAA staff.

What is its relationship with BAA, the airport company?
The BAA Communities Trust is funded by an annual donation from BAA.

FAQs for applicants

The BAA Communities Trust

FAQs for charities

FAQs for Schools and Youth Clubs

FAQs for charities

FAQs for Schools and Youth Clubs

The BAA Communities Trust