Play England’s Post

I can only hope that the comments made by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport come to fruition. Let's hope when mentioning co-producing a youth strategy that this means with young people from the start. Not just ticking a box, but fully engaging with young people and their valued thoughts and ideas. Not forgetting to reward their time and energy in the right way. Having been a Youth Worker through the last government I have witnessed the huge decline in youth services. A place young people feel safe with their trusted adults. Perhaps it is time for Youth Work to be valued, appreciated and recognised for the positive impact on young people. Not only youth clubs but other platforms youth work can be used. Offering opportunities and skill building with benefits to health and wellbeing. Those green and blue spaces. Working in collaboration with other parties to benefit young people. Many are making headway in this already, if only they didn't need to chase funding. Youth Work can help reduce many issues young people face, if only it was funded. Youth Services should be a must have, not a nice to have.

Here’s some unsurprising news for those in the youth sector and many young people and families across the country. Albeit in a surprising publication. By my calculations this means the level of cuts to youth clubs has resulted in roughly one council funded youth club for every 20,000 young people! Not an ideal scenario! 10,000 aside anyone? Plus with the lack of staff imagine the staff ratios!!! It's also frustrating that despite this occasional coverage and these efforts by Unison, NYA and others… still no political party is committing in this election to address the issue. At best choosing to refer only to an ill defined focus on targeted youth work at best. The question remains. How to emphasize the value of open access youth work to ensure its prioritised with sustainable investment? 🌟 #YouthSector #InvestInYouth #YouthDevelopment [Read more about the issue here: link]

The National Youth Agency has released more information on how interested parties can take part in their consultation on the revival of a national youth council. 1. An online consultation open until the end of Dec 2024, and 2. A call to organisations to facilitate focus-groups for young people to have their say. See #blog below for #links to support materials and my reaction. This all comes as #LisaNandyMP Minister at DCMS, announced that the #Governments new National Youth Strategy, will be a co-produced process with young people taking the lead with input from a youth advisory group on their participation. https://lnkd.in/eyKcgajk I have previously said that #youthvoice representation initiatives are only as effective as their connection to a #youthlisten initiative, two sides of the same coin, meaningful dialogue. Is this Governments announcement the first step to the establishment of a #YouthMinister who will not only coordinate youth policy at Cabinet level, but will also be the focal point for listening to our #national #youthvoice? https://lnkd.in/eRBeqRZQ

Great to have Jacob Diggle sharing our perspectives on the political party manifestos, and their reference (or lack of) to the integral and fundamental role of youth work in FE News this week. Whoever walks into 10 Downing Street has a daunting task ahead. They have to find a way to deliver their promises, despite challenging economic conditions and heavy strain on public services. The list of problems is long and the list of proven solutions is too short. Fortunately, youth workers are an untapped resource to help solve the problems facing young people: improving their mental health and well-being; enhancing skills and employment prospects; and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. We are pleased many of the party manifestos recognise the essential role of youth workers and the importance of raising up young people’s voices. However, there are some clear challenges and oversights. Overall, the scale of ambition and investment proposed does not match the scale of young people’s needs.  The success of any of these commitments will depend on how much the new Government understands and acknowledges the role of youth work in supporting young people. Youth work is a solution and needs to be recognised as such, rather than being considered a problem to fix. If the Government enables youth work, they are enabling outcomes for employability, for mental health, and for reduction in violence. It is about time the Government recognises this and strives to make real change for the next generation.

What are the responsibilities of youth? Reproduce: reproduction here does not mean increasing the population but it means that they full fill the position left by the elder. Like son takes up the position of father in a company. Protection: Youth are expected to protect their culture and tradition while at the same time makes it better and embrace changes in the society. For instance, it is youth only who becomes a part of political movement for a major change in a country. They become a part of armed forces too, to safeguard the freedom of people and so on Growth: The growth of a country in all the spheres like Social, political and economic spheres mostly depends on youth only. They with a fresh energy can perform better and ensure the growth of society. Join forces with BISRAT to empower youth for a better ,inclusive ,diversified and sustainable future. #bisratsquoteoftheday #sustainablefuture #youthempowerment #youthdevelopment #youtheducation #youth #educationispower #educationmatters

Meaningful youth engagement and participation? Are you an African youth? Do you feel heard enough in high level decision making processes? Have you ever commented or participated in any policy making or review processes? Please take 5 minutes and fill out the form attached and support us make a meaningful demand towards our governments and the UN! https://lnkd.in/eRMzqvgq African United Nations Youth Delegates United Nations Association of Ethiopia (UNA-ET) Kiburan Kibret

Check out this thought-provoking piece by Sala and Planas (2024) shedding light on the perceptions of youth workers in promoting young people's participation in the community. It highlights the vital role of dialogue between youth and public institutions, emphasizing the need for transformative policies to empower youth as active citizens. Reflecting on this, it's crucial to recognize the potential of schools in fostering radical empowerment among youth so that they can practice their agency in municipalities and broader communities. By advocating for policies that prioritize youth participation and collaboration, we can pave the way for significant social change. Bacqué and Bewier (2013) advocate for a radical model of empowerment, challenging unjust systems and supporting social transformation. It is time to empower young people to identify and overcome inequalities, giving them control over their lives and resources to effect real change. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dnvSjXr6 #active_citizenship #social_justice #participation #youthparticipation #policymakers #education_for_sustainable_development #ESD #schools

What are the responsibilities of youth? Reproduce: reproduction here does not mean increasing the population but it means that they full fill the position left by the elder. Like son takes up the position of father in a company. Protection: Youth are expected to protect their culture and tradition while at the same time makes it better and embrace changes in the society. For instance, it is youth only who becomes a part of political movement for a major change in a country. They become a part of armed forces too, to safeguard the freedom of people and so on Growth: The growth of a country in all the spheres like Social, political and economic spheres mostly depends on youth only. They with a fresh energy can perform better and ensure the growth of society. Join forces with BISRAT to empower youth for a better ,inclusive ,diversified and sustainable future. #bisratsquoteoftheday #sustainablefuture #youthempowerment #youthdevelopment #youtheducation #youth #educationispower #educationmatters

What are the responsibilities of youth? Reproduce: reproduction here does not mean increasing the population but it means that they full fill the position left by the elder. Like son takes up the position of father in a company. Protection: Youth are expected to protect their culture and tradition while at the same time makes it better and embrace changes in the society. For instance, it is youth only who becomes a part of political movement for a major change in a country. They become a part of armed forces too, to safeguard the freedom of people and so on Growth: The growth of a country in all the spheres like Social, political and economic spheres mostly depends on youth only. They with a fresh energy can perform better and ensure the growth of society. Join forces with BISRAT to empower youth for a better ,inclusive ,diversified and sustainable future. #bisratsquoteoftheday #sustainablefuture #youthempowerment #youthdevelopment #youtheducation #youth #educationispower #educationmatters