Your Space, Your Opportunity, Your Future

1. Your Space, Your Opportunity, Your Future Founder- Christopher Hill Governor and Former Learner RVTC

2. Why Youth Space? • Values of Co-operation/ethics • Youth Led. • New ‘spaces’ for learning. • Moving with the times (allowing young people to learn/develop in a sphere they are comfortable with). • Cuts to Youth Services (cheaper/more effective approaches). • Social innovation (new government supported concept=new funding potential)

3. Ethos • We subscribe to the principles of the Co-operative Movement; self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, solidarity and equity. • The Co-operative principles inform our ethical values; honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

4. Aims... • To change the relationship young people have with civil society. • To encourage young people to seek a bright future. • To eliminate negative stereotypes. • To provide a collective voice for young people. • To offer support and guidance on a range of issues. • To offer young people, democratic, social and cultural opportunities.

5. How? • Creation of a Webspace/online Hub- A web space that delivers the ultimate youth service in a modern, engaging way. (in discussions). • An smartphone/iphone app (in discussions). • Youth Space Hubs- Youth Centres owned and ran by Young people that provide the opportunity to develop talents/be active/keep fit/engage the mind beyond the classroom. • The Youth Space Future Leader’s Programme (where the SMBC 14-19 Skills Development Grant will be spent). Moving to a national programme (in discussions with Human Utopia)

6. Outcomes • The delivery of a modern approach to youth support service that is widely accessible. • The creation of a harmonious learning ‘space’. • Allowing young people to locate and showcase their talents and ability. • Ensuring that young people become ‘self-helpers’ that can challenge orthodoxies. • Developing a new dialogue between young people and civil society. • Placing young people in a stronger position when they come to engage democratically, socially and culturally.

7. The diagram below shows how Youth Space connects young people to many opportunities within academia, politics, business and other youth organisations through the medium of the Access, Support, Talent and social sections.

8. Youth Space Future Leaders Programme • The programme won £5000 from SMBC. • Aim: To inspire and encourage young people to take a lead role in regenerating their community through getting involved and being active role models for others. To challenge orthodoxies. • Carried out with the support of Human Utopia (www.humanutopia.com) • Hu-R-U? Workshop/ Future Leaders Programme Launch Day: A day long course and this experience really helps young people see who they have become and who they could be. The morning helps young people reflect on pressures they have faced in the past and how these things have shaped who they are today, challenging them to make a positive change. • Future Leaders Training: The Future leaders attend workshops designed to help them develop the skills and confidence to regenerate their community.

9. Three options for the Future Leaders: • Campaigning: The democratic development of a ‘Young People’s Agenda’ for Reddish that lists the 5 priorities that young people have for the area. Campaign to get the local community, business and politicians to support the agenda and work towards social change. • Entrepreneurial: To develop ‘Youth Space’ into a social enterprise that can be sustainable and deliver social change over the long term. Will become Directors of the company. • Communication: To pass on the positive messages of the programme (as role models) through the running of their own workshops/activity camps for other young people.

10. Outcomes of TFLP 1. Gain more confidence. 2. Understand yourself better. 3. Be happier. 4. Improve life chances. 5. Knowing what you want and how to get it. 6. Maximising potential.

11. 7. Making a difference in my community by contributing to the common good. • 8. Building employability skills. • 9. Improving my academic performance. • 10. Improving my interpersonal skills. • Gain Transferable skills • Enterprise/Work skills. • Team working skills. • Community Impact. • Leadership Skills. • Self-Responsibility. • Citizenship Skills

12. Launch Days • Hu-R-U? Intervention with Human Utopia- Year 10 18/1/12 and Year 11 25/1/12. • Key messages of the day: • Not to B2B. • Not to fill each others bins. • Leave past behind. • Chase your dreams. • Its ok to be different. • To become comfortable in the panic zone. • Body image. • Self discovery. • Harmony.

13. Feedback on launch days • “Everyone opened up and it was interesting what people thought”-Year 11 boy. • “It helped me look at myself and my future and what I would like to do”-Year 11 girl. • “It made us think about others and not myself”-Year 10 boy. • “It was inspirational, It brought a tear to my eye”-Year 10 girl. • “I wish Daniel had done this sooner”-Mrs. Delaney, Parent.

18. Thank you for listening! Any Questions? Ideas? Constructive Criticism? Please Log on to www.youthspace.info next Wednesday when its launched. Also please read our article in the Stockport Express next week.