Your Chance to Influence Change in the Community

Posted on Monday, September 26, 2011 by Melanie Tovey
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From 26th September 2011 you have a chance to place your vote, for a local initiative applying for a NatWest Community Force Award. The NatWest programme is a new scheme that supports projects and charities to make a real difference in their communities.

In the last year organisations delivering services to children & young people with in our communities have taken severe cuts to the grants and funding streams provided through the Local Authority from Central Government. As reported in the Heathan in March 2011, there has been a loss of £3million from Birmingham’s youth services budget resulting in a reduced and in some cases loss of youth provision in Balsall Heath.

This has come at a time when the Ward is showing a large number of Young People are not in employment, education or training and figures relating to health are of equal concern (the long term health and welfare of young people has been shown to have a direct link to lifestyle). The recent riots with in Birmingham have done nothing to dispel the “many negative stereotypes about young people we often hear about” as described by Sarah Gallagher, in the article. At the time 100 young people were using the youth provision at St Paul’s Trust and an on line petition was set up by the young people followed by a letter written by Amika Barnett to the Prime Minister asking: What are we supposed to do now?

Young People in Balsall Heath have shown they are interested in their futures and want to have a ‘voice’ in the decision making.

In August 2011, immediately following the riots, David Blunket launched a plan for a National Volunteering Scheme that would enable young people to become more involved in their own communities, by possibly “helping the elderly people, clean up their local areas and do other good works” He believes:

“We have an opportunity to do something now that will make a difference in the long term”

For many years organisations with in Balsall Heath have been supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to engage in positive activities by enabling young people to be ‘active citizens’, many through volunteering programmes or youth services and leadership programmes. We need to identify ways of growing and sustaining these programmes. On behalf of these local organisations St Paul’s Trust has applied to the NatWest scheme to enable the planning and delivery of a Youth Event to engage the young people in positive activities and effective discussions, capturing the views and experiences of young people. This will initiate a process to help them to play an active role in influencing change, and to start a youth forum . It will help raise awareness of volunteering opportunities and support Neighbourhood Regeneration and a Celebration Event will be held in recognition of the achievements of young people.

The initiatives will give young people the power and capacity to improve their own lives by giving them a voice through active participation in their neighbourhood. Developing social and emotional skills they need to make positive choices and build their own futures. It increases the value placed upon young people to be seen and accepted as responsible citizens.

To read more about the project and to place your vote to support this project for your community visit click here

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