THE HAPPY ZONE

THE HAPPY ZONE

Tuesday 23 August 2011

NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE - The Key To Happiness?


After all the horrors of the UK riots this summer, one of the things that came up from all this was much discussion about why this happened and what had caused so many young people to behave in such a way. Some of the major conclusions were that many of todays UK young people feel bored, alienated, ignored and disenfranchised caused by a combination of mass unemployment, lack of hope, poor education and unrealistic expectations created by todays materialistic society and narcissistic media "role models".

But what can be done to turn this around and help give our young people a better life now as well as a better future? The Happy Zone was set up to always focus on the positive so we have come up with an idea that we think can help solve many of these issues.

Introduce one year compulsory national community service for all 16/17 year olds. Controversial? Maybe, but listen to our reasons why and exactly how it should be run...
  • Running from September 1st to July 31st the following year, for all 16 year olds. Any 16 year olds who aren't able to take part will be able to join the programme the following year as a 17 year old with one or two exemptions.
  • Exemptions would include all those in full-time work, full-time education or who are volunteering full-time (a minimum of 30 hours per week).
  • The focus would be on community, society, volunteering, health and the environment.
  • Daily mindfullness meditation every morning.
  • Daily exercise.
  • Volunteer work throughout the community (at least 3 days per week) - charity fund-raising, picking up rubbish, helping old people, working in charity shops, community projects, conservation projects etc.
  • Classes on how to get a job, CV writing, reading and writing skills, entrepeneurial and business skills, cooking, health and nutrition, recycling and the environment.
  • No drinking or drug taking allowed and no smoking on building premises.
  • Each community service centre would have its own allotment and kitchens to allow the young people to grow and cook their own food.
  • Each center would recycle extensively.
  • Regular visits and talks from inspirational role models including successful business people, celebrities and sports stars.
The whole remit of the one year's national community service would be to make it fun, educational and positive so that the young people taking part and society in general would all benefit in so many ways. The centres could be partly run by those members of the armed forces who are currently set to lose their jobs, but the total emphasis would be on hope, peace and helping others.

Think this is a good idea? Then please sign our HM Government e-petition here.
If we can get 100,000 or more signatures then it would have to be discussed in parliament so please sign today and make a better Britain a reality.

Sign our petition.

Do you have any ideas as to how this could work and what else the NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE could include? Just leave your comments below, visit our Facebook Page or email us at happyzoneblog@yahoo.co.uk


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