IT MIGHT be Halloween but we want to make sure that health and safety fears don’t stop young people getting involved in volunteering and social action.

With stories in the media about health and safety red-tape and risk-averse authorities, there is, perhaps, too great a perception that health and safety is something to be feared.

We at the British Safety Council are supporting an ambitious UK-wide campaign to encourage more young people to take practical action in the service of others.

A new website – britsafe.org/speakupstaysafe/volunteers – has been launched to support the #iwill campaign, which provides information and assurance to those who would like to help promote volunteering among 10 to 20-year-olds.

Many of the tasks involved are low risk, and more significant risks can be dealt with effectively by taking simple precautions.

By getting our message – ‘trust more and fear less’ – out to local communities, we hope to help meet the campaign’s target, as defined by its charity Step Up To Serve, to make social action part of life for an additional 1.5 million young people by the year 2020.

So to volunteers, parents, teachers or individuals who want to encourage youth volunteering, we say – go for it.

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive British Safety Council