Bulletin 27 August 2010

ITV Fixers – opportunity

ITV Fixers is a major media campaign supporting young people (aged 16 – 25) to take action on any issue they feel strongly about – raising awareness and changing things for the better. It is a charity funded project backed by ITV aimed at giving young people a voice in the media.

ITV Fixers:

Offer a positive image of young people when they are often given a negative one in the press. Fixers come from across the range of cultures and backgrounds. They include hard-to-reach young people including prostitutes, young offenders and the disabled. Since we started broadcasting, there are now 1200 Fixers and 140 projects. ITV Fixers gives them the resources to carry out their projects and get their voice heard, whether it is a website, an event, a pop video, a film etc. All projects have an end date. Sometimes the project ends with the Fix, sometimes the campaign grows into something bigger e.g. Sam Thomas is now a regular commentator on national radio on eating disorders, Evans Amankwah is hosting a major Peace Event with 400 people and guests including 2 MPs and the Mayor of Reading.

Some Fixers go on to win awards.  All Fixers projects are featured on our website www.itvfixers.com and some are selected for broadcast in the ITV regions once a month.

They have covered a wide variety of creative projects including one Fixer’s bid to rid her city of plastic bags, a campaign to save a town’s beach, a group’s bid to make pole exercise more acceptable, and a young woman’s website to help other young people who have experienced child abuse.

 Jacqueline from ITV Fixers is setting up meetings to give more information across Tyne Tees and the rest of the region in the following couple of weeks. Jacqueline is also available to give information/presentations to groups of young people.

If you are interested in meeting Jacqueline to discuss the above then contact her on jacqueline@itvfixers.com or 07855 212606

Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010

If you’re aged 16-30 And have been running your own business for between 3-18 months, this is annual competition could see you walk away with  £10,000 cash injection plus local, regional and national PR from top London agency Blue Rubicon at the Shell Livewire live award  final taking place in London on 13th October 2010.

The judging process will see the entrants from across the UK shortlisted to a shell livewire ‘hot 40’ before 8 regional finalists go on  to face a panel of judges including Dragons’ Den start Duncan Banntyne, Tim Campbell (Bright ideas trust) and Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation). 1 of the 8 finalists will definitely be from either the North East Or North West so if you think you’ve got what it takes to be our shell livewire young entrepreneur of the Year 2010, find out more at:

www.shell-livewire.org/awards/ (deadline 5pm on 6th September 2010)

UK Youth’s Enterprise Challenge Programmer

As part of a 3 year project funded by the Garfield Weston Trust to support youth workers to develop enterprise skills with their young people in non-formal education, UK Youth have developed an Enterprise Challenges Programme. 

With the generous support of The Garfield Weston Foundation, UK Youth has recently launched its ‘Creating a Can Do Culture’ toolkit of enterprise learning activities to help workers develop young people’s entrepreneurial skills.

 The toolkit links to the Youth Achievement Awards programme and provides sample challenges and targets to help you recognise young people’s achievements in the area of enterprise. 

Rather than teaching young people how to set up their own microbusinesses this toolkit aims to support workers to develop a range of entrepreneurial skills that can be transferred to a variety of settings. Skills like problem solving, team work, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, communication etc. are all covered in a fun and interesting way. To order a free copy of this toolkit for your project (limited to one copy per project) go http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/Programmes/YAA/enterprise and download, complete in full and return the form to Charmaine Simpson. 

  * Subject to £3.60 postage and packaging.

Young People’s Rewards:

UK Youth have also produced a set of ‘rewards’ for young people who complete an enterprise challenge. These are brightly coloured silicon wristbands which reinforce the messages of the positive contribution that enterprise skills have on young people’s personal and social development. When you order the toolkit (see above) you will be sent a pack of 20 to distribute to your young people, but please let us know if you need more, or less and we will try to help.  DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR GRANT SCHEME!

Enterprise Challenge Grant Scheme:

Supported by Mazars, UK Youth is delighted to be able to offer UK Youth’s YAA registered groups the opportunity to develop and implement their enterprise ideas through the Enterprise Challenge Grant Scheme. This funding will enable groups to apply for up to £250 to progress the enterprise ideas they have explored through the toolkit.

 They will have 2 deadlines for applications:

  • Friday 24th September 2010
  • Friday 14th January 2011

 UK Youth expect to give out 46 grants to UK Youth YAA groups in total with 4 bursaries being used to develop non-formal enterprise projects in youth groups in Kenya. Projects will need to be based on the interests and ideas of young people, operate legally, and make a positive contribution to their community. They also encourage applications for creative and challenging enterprise projects.

 Successful projects will also need to be offering young people the opportunity to accredit their achievements through the Youth Challenges or Youth Achievement Award programme.

Successful projects will be offered support through an ‘e-mentoring programme’ with Mazar staff and support from UK Youth to develop their enterprise programme and accreditation.

 If you have any further questions relating to this programme, please do not hesitate to contact Charmaine Simpson, Education & Training Administrative Officer. 0203 137 3827 Mobile: 07702 958544 Email: yaa@ukyouth.org www.ukyouth.org or www.youthachievementawards.org

Bulletin 23 August 2010

Get Into Construction Programme

The Prince’s Trust and Building Futures East are pleased to announce the upcoming Get Into Construction programme. This two week course offers young people the opportunity to gain practical skills in bricklaying, carpentry and tiling, as well as work towards gaining their CSCS card. The course is open to unemployed young people aged 16 – 25 with a keen interest in pursuing a career in construction. PPE is provided for all members of the course

As with all Get Into courses benefits are not affected and six months follow up support is provided by the Prince’s Trust.

Call 0191 263 2752 or email admin@buildingfutureseast.org to book a place on the recruitment day (22nd September 2010).

Raleigh’s Youth Agency Partnership Programme (YAPP)

Through YAPP we are successfully supporting young people (17 – 24 years) who wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to take part in the expeditions. They have funding to cover places for young people from the North East of England to take part in expeditions leaving in Spring and Summer 2011 to all countries. They work in partnership with youth organisations to help support young people before, during and after expedition. 

Any young people taking part would access the Raleigh preparation stages as well as working towards a challenging fundraising target of around £1,500 per person to cover their individual equipment, vaccinations, passports and flights. Raleigh is a big commitment both in time and energy and although intentionally this way, young people wishing to take part do have to be willing to make that commitment. For young people committed to the experience it can be a genuinely transformational experience.

They are looking to meet and engage partner organisations and young people who may be interested in accessing this opportunity. They have the first stage residential taking place in September and October 2010 for young people looking to go away in Spring 2011.

If you think you may be interested please contact Kim Wilder, Raleigh, on 07813310060 or kim.wilder@raleigh.org.uk

Also, for a fuller explanation of criteria and the programme please visit www.raleighinternational.org

Do We Look Good To You?

‘Do we look good to you?’ is a Positive Images Campaign. Young people from across Tyne and Wear are campaigning to change the negative perception held about them in society.

16 young people aged 11 – 21 are lobbying the local media, MP’s, Councillors, schools and youth projects in a bid to create a more positive and tolerant society for young people. This campaign is part of the Truth About Youth project.

In 2008, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended the UK Government take urgent action to combat the intolerance and negativity towards young people in the media and wider society. This campaign aims to put pressure on the Government to implement these recommendations.

To support the campaign please click the link below and fill in the form

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJMWZJB

Bulletin 13 August 2010

Not until I’m ready: Young people and sexual decision-making training course

Streetwise are holding a one day training course on young people and sexual decision making called ‘Not until I’m ready’

Aim:

Explore the context of young people’s sexual decision making and introduce ways of working to encourage healthy choices about sex.

Objectives:

  • Focus on young people’s experiences of sexual decision making; the processes and influencing factors including peer pressure and social norms
  • Explore what ‘being ready’ means to young people both in terms of the practical and the emotional
  • Explore the social construction of sexuality and how this relates to gender differences in sexual decision making
  • Introduce practical activities that can be used with young people to encourage healthy choices about sex

When: Friday 5th November 2010, 10:00-4:00

Where: Venue TBC, Newcastle upon Tyne

Cost: £95 per participant (includes lunch)

For more information please contact: Sarah McTimoney at Streetwise on sarah@streetwisenorth.org.uk

Pornography and young people: What’s the deal?

Training for professionals working with young people
 
Aim:
To explore the context of pornography in relation to young people and sexual health.
 
Course content includes:

  • Pornography and the law (inc changes to law Jan 2009)
  • Trends in the use of pornography by young people
  • Sex Tech: Social networking, the internet and mobile phones
  • Safety and new media
  • How pornography affects young people’s attitudes and decisions about sex
  • How professionals can address issues of pornography with young people

When: Friday 24th September 2010 at 10:00-4:00
Where : Holy Jesus Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
Cost: £80 per participant (includes lunch)

For more information please see attached or conact Sarah McTimoney at Streetwise on email: sarah@streetwisenorth.org.uk

Free Participation and Influencing Event

In partnership with Parliamentary Outreach the Barnardos “Making Change Happen” Team, sponsored by Big Lottery are holding a Regional Participation and Influencing event on 29th September 2010, 12pm to 4pm at St James Park, Newcastle.

The overall aim of the day will be to bring together approx 100 socially excluded young people, aged 16-25yrs from across the North East to identify issues of importance to them which will then be presented to our guest John Bercow, House of Commons Speaker.
 
The issues to be raised in various interactive workshops are: homelessness; negative images of youth; transport; training opportunities; benefits; safety on the streets.
 
Allocation of accompanied young people places will be offered via their support worker on a first come first served basis with a deadline date of 23rd August 2010.
 
Each project will be given financial assistance with transport and child care costs plus receive £10 per young person place, payable via presented invoice, and there will be a maximum of 20 places per project.
The event will be free, interactive, informative, fun and creative and will present great opportunities for young people to influence and inform.
Please direct any enquires to Malcolm.stone@barnardos.org.uk or Matthew.down@barnardos.org.uk

Bulletin 6 August 2010

Training Leaders for Action

Thornaby Methodist Church, Thornaby, Stockton

9.30- 5.00pm Saturday 18 September

9.30 – 3.00pm Sunday 19 September 2010

A unique opportunity to learn from Greg Galluzzo of the Gamaliel Foundation.  Greg trained Barack Obama as a community organiser.  Obama has since gone on to make history using some of the techniques that you will learn.

Training costs £50.00 per person. 

For more information and the booking form please telephone 01642 769570. 

Concessions for unwaged participants may be available – please telephone for details.

Bulletin 30 July 2010

Media Champions – Time is running out!

The Truth About Youth project are giving 10 young people the chance to become a Media Champion.

Media Champions is an exciting opportunity for young people to be trained in media and press skills, to work with their youth project/group, and help them to promote the work that they do. This is an incredible opportunity offering an accreditation through a free course costing over £400 per person.

The deadline for Media Champions is fast approaching (Friday 6th August) and spaces are now limited. If you would like more information about Media Champions, check out the advert. The dates for the training are the 17th, 18th and 24th, 25th of August.

If a young person would like to register to become a Media champion then they are asked to fill out the basic application form by following the link below.

Media Champions Application Form

Opportunity for BME Young People in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland

Architecture for Everyone

Northern Architecture is running an Architecture for Everyone project in the Autumn and needs your help to recruit young people onto the programme.  Architecture for Everyone (AforE) is a three year, UK wide campaign, founded on the belief that built environment professionals who reflect the diversity of the society they serve have a better chance of creating a built environment that suits society. Both the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT) and international architects RMJM (campaign partners) share similar values and ambitions in terms of empowering young people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, male and female and from socially excluded communities to consider and pursue a career in architecture and urban design.

The project aims to recruit a diverse group of young people from Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to initially attend a careers day at Newcastle University to find out more about built environment professions through an interactive workshop based session.  From this initial day, participants will then be able to apply to take part in the Architecture for Everyone workshop programme in October/November, a 5-day programme involving a variety of activities and working with a range of professionals.

For more information, please visit the Stephen Lawrence website.

Please do get in touch with Lowri Bond (lowri@northernarchitecture.com)  if you have any questions.

Power league Gateshead – Junior Tournaments

JUNIOR 5 A SIDE TOURNAMENT

Wednesday 11th August 2010 Kick Off @ 11am

·   £15.00 per Team to enter

Wednesday 25th August 2010 Kick Off @ 11am

·   £15.00 per Team to enter

JUNIOR 7 A SIDE TOURNAMENT

Monday 30th August 2010 Kick Off @ 4pm

•£22.00 per Team to enter

Fantastic Prizes to be won

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CALL 0191 4602600, EMAIL gateshead@powerleague.co.uk

North East Youth Network

Following consultation and the active participation of young people and workers, a North East Youth Network has been established.

Developed by the Regional Youth Work Unit North East (RYWU-NE), the North East Youth Network (NEYN) is a forum that brings young people together from different projects from around the region and enables them to share experiences, ideas, actions and opportunities. NEYN builds on the previous regional initiatives of the North East Regional Youth Assembly (NERYA) and Youth Action North East (YANE). NEYN will be supported through the Regional Active Participation Network (RAP).

The aim of the network is to:

  1. Coordinate participation and youth leadership work in the region by creating a forum that gives young people a representative voice at a regional level.
  2. Provide an opportunity for young people to work together with other young people and adults to resolve issues they have identified as regional priorities.
  3. Provide an opportunity for young people and projects to showcase their work and achievements at a regional level.

We believe that the North East Youth Network provides a unique and innovative way of bringing young people together on a regional basis that will build on their skills, confidence and self-esteem to empower them to speak out about what’s important to them as a representative regional voice. NEYN enables young people to be empowered through strength in numbers, reducing feelings of isolation and enables them to drive and influence policies that impact on them.

Any youth organisation within the North East region can become a member of NEYN, and membership is FREE. NEYN is built on the principle of strength in numbers, and as with any network we will only be as strong as our membership.

The benefits of becoming a member of the North East Youth Network

  • Access to a regional network of youth organisations
  • Opportunity to showcase your project at a regional level via social network site.
  • Development opportunities for young people from working at a regional level.
  • Create new links with youth organisations and projects, which provides opportunities to collaborate on future work developments.
  • Becoming part of a regional voice for young people and accessing and influencing decision makers at a local, regional and national level.
  • Access to national and local development updates, information on potential funding opportunities and support from members within the network.

Members of the network will mainly communicate with one another virtually, through a NEYN Social Network site, which also enables organisations to share video’s, photo’s, news and advertise events. In addition to the Social Networking site, quarterly meetings will be held to provide young people with the opportunity to meet one another, share experiences, receive training and drive their work forward at a regional level.

NEYN is to be coordinated by a Steering Group made up of young people and support workers. This puts young people at the centre of decision making about NEYN. The Steering Group will be responsible for deciding the direction that NEYN will take, organising events, conferences and training.

How the North East Youth Network is structured?

NEYN is made up of member organisations that are undertaking participation work with young people within the region. Currently NEYN consists of themed groups that member organisations align to, based on the focus of their work. Established theme groups are:

•            Positive Images

•            Education & Employment

•            Health

•            Arts & Culture

•            Themes under development include International Work & Housing and Homelessness.

We are now recruiting groups to the network and anyone interested can register their membership by completing the membership form and returning it to Rachel Kane @ Rachel@rywu.org.uk

If you would like any further information and/or would like to discuss any issues in reference to the North East Youth Network please contact Kevin Franks, Claire Troman or Neil Burke RYWU – NE.