VOLUNTEERING is a greatly undervalued resource in Britain. In all kinds of ways, volunteers give their time and energy to hold communities together, and it is right to highlight their importance to society.

What, for example, would the under-pressure National Health Service do without its army of volunteers? It shouldn't have to rely on them, but it does.

Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn will pay due tribute to Britain's good Samaritans when he addresses the National Council for Voluntary Organisations in London in a keynote speech tonight.

The Darlington MP goes a stage further than simply praising those who serve as volunteers. He unveils the intriguing possibility of volunteering becoming a central part of school life.

His suggestion to ministers is that all teenagers would be required to complete a period as volunteers, working with bona fide voluntary organisations, as part of the national curriculum.

It is no secret that Mr Milburn, despite his surprising departure from the Cabinet, remains an important New Labour figure who has a key behind-the-scenes role in helping Tony Blair win a third term in power.

And it is therefore very likely that his idea for volunteering in schools is much more than a fanciful idea being floated in the hope that someone turns it into reality.

It is certainly an idea which we believe is well worth pursuing. As Mr Milburn says, volunteering is not restricted to the older generation. There are many examples of young people working tirelessly on behalf of their local communities.

By building on that foundation, through the national curriculum in schools, community spirit could be given a new lease of life in this country.

It would make the national curriculum more relevant, it would give work experience an increased value, and it would help develop a new generation of volunteers for years to come.

So often in the news for the wrong reasons, let us give our young people a chance to show what a powerful force for good they can be.