Bulletin 24 Sept 2010

Call for young people’s views on National Citizen Service

Children & Young People Now is launching a survey to find out what young people think about the National Citizen Service. National Citizen Service (NCS) is a flagship initiative supporting the Government’s vision for building the Big Society. NCS will act as a gateway to the Big Society for many young people, by supporting them to develop the skills and attitudes they need to get more engaged with their communities and become active and responsible citizens.

The programme will promote:

• A more cohesive society by mixing participants of different backgrounds.
• A more responsible society by supporting the transition into adulthood for young people.
• A more engaged society by enabling young people to work together to create social action projects in their local communities.

Government-backed pilots for the scheme will start next summer and will provide around 10,000 places. Aimed at school leavers aged 16, the pilots will take place from June to September, following the end of the exam period, and will last for seven to eight weeks. NCS aims to give every 16 year old the chance to learn new skills that will help them to make a positive contribution to their community.

The survey asks young people aged 19 and below to give their opinions on the scheme, which will be piloted next year. Does the idea of working on community projects with young people of different backgrounds appeal to them? Or would they rather choose how to spend the summer holidays themselves?

More informationWIN £10Chance to win a £10 gift voucher by filling out a survey, 5 people will have the chance to win a £10 gift vouchers for filling out the online survey about Sustainable Development. Please click here, for young people aged 11 – 25 only. Closing date 19th October 2010.

‘Why youth work?’

A participatory workshop with Bernard Davies, Tuesday 5th October 2010, 10.00-13.00, Park Road Community Centre, Park Road, Elswick, NE4 7RU

This workshop is organised by the Developing and Defending Youth Work in the North East. It will provide an opportunity for all those who work with young people and who have a commitment to youth work (as volunteers, paid workers, managers, trainers and educators) to discuss key issues facing us in the constantly changing context for practice and policy.

• Is there something special about the process of youth work? What makes it special? Does it have a purpose and if so what? What do young people actually get out of youth work and the relationships they have with youth workers?
• Can youth work make a difference to young people’s lives? Can we define what is meant by ‘good youth work’?
• What are the success stories of youth work? Can they be put into words? More often than not their work is measured by numbers and by outcomes that have been set by politicians and funding bodies. But what effect does our work really have?

BERNARD DAVIES has been involved in youth work over many years as a practitioner, manager, trainer, policy-maker, researcher, writer and trade unionist. He has published widely on young people and youth work, including: Threatening Youth; Youth Work: A Manifesto for Our Times; A History of the Youth Service in England; and Squaring the Circle, a recent inquiry with Bryan Merton into the state of youth work.

Please register your intention to attend and state any specific dietary or access requirements by contacting: pearl@thestrategy.org or 0191 2742429, ask for Pearl or Don.