4Music and vInspired to get more young people volunteering

23 November 2012

National youth volunteering charity vInspired is embarking on a year-long partnership with music TV channel 4Music, to highlight and address youth unemployment in the UK.

4Music, which was viewed by more than a third of TV audiences in the last quarter, and vInspired will work together on a number of campaigns to drive awareness of the benefits of volunteering as a career development tool. It will also offer more exciting opportunities for young people to give back through the online volunteering hub, vInspired.com.

Jenni Young, Chief Marketing Officer at vInspired, said: "With youth unemployment at record highs, we're seeing more and more young people looking for positive ways to give their CVs a boost. We're really excited about how many new motivated and passionate young people we are going to be able to reach and inspire with 4Music over the next 12 months.  This is not just about reaching young people though. VInspired.com is a free resource for both young people and voluntary organisations, and this is a great opportunity for all charities to find new young volunteers, who are keen to prove themselves and build their skills."

As part of the partnership, 4Music will produce a series of five ob-doc short-films that will culminate in a standalone two-hour show at Christmas. The short films will follow a number of UK celebrities, including chart topping British rapper Wretch 32, boyband Lawson, and presenting duo Rickie and Melvin, as they volunteer at local charities. The shows will highlight the benefits of volunteering for a good cause and how it can make applicants more attractive to prospective employers.

The final two-hour Christmas show, presented by Rickie and Melvin, will include all the highlights from the short-films alongside the top 20 tracks this Christmas. The new programming will be broadcast on-air and online at 4Music.com.

Gidon Katz, Managing Director of Box TV said: "Box TV relishes championing social causes that are important for 16-24 year olds. We know that our audience are actively searching to develop their skillsets at the same time as they seek employment. Our partnership with vInspired will promote these opportunities in engaging and innovative formats which can only help to alleviate the challenges facing young people today."

Melissa Pine, Head of Marketing at Box TV said: "The combined brand clout of 4Music and vInspired aims to transform the perception of volunteering from earnest do-gooding to a cool activity that could help boost employability. We're also adopting the doing good things philosophy internally, giving 4Music employees the chance to participate in a range of volunteering activities that support vInspired."

Please contact Jon Milne or Kate Flannery from Bite Communications on 0208 741 1123 or 4music@bitecommunications.com for further information.

 

About 4Music

4Music is the UK's number 1 music TV channel. During Jul-Sep 2012, 31% of all TV viewers tuned into 4Music - that's 17.6m people.

It's available on Freeview, Sky and Virgin and is part of the Box TV music channel portfolio. 4Music believes music is all about entertainment, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the biggest names in music, unmissable live performances, video exclusives, up to the minute music news and an eclectic mix of new and classic video content.

4Music also broadcasts the best of music entertainment shows and documentaries from the Channel 4 stable.  The channel features both popular and up-and-coming bands and artists, daring to be different as long as it's all in the name of great popular music. 

 

About Box TV

Box TV is a joint venture between Channel 4 and Bauer Media. It is a network of seven quality music channels including Kiss, 4Music, Kerrang!, The Box, Magic, Smash Hits and heat which cater for every music enthusiast to suit their mood and identity. The portfolio attracts an average 14.1m viewers a month (July-Sept 2012). 

Box TV is dedicated and passionate about driving creative and innovative programming formats to ensure viewers get the best experience.

 

About vInspired

vInspired helps young people to improve their skills, confidence and employability by giving them opportunities to do good things through volunteering and social action.

It provides a range of online and off-line programmes to suit every young person - regardless of their commitments, interests and abilities. It makes volunteering fun, rewarding and easy!  www.vinspired.com