The Big Stash
Projects where children and young people have participated in South Gloucestershire include:
- Input to the Community Strategy
- Staple Hill Children, Young People and Families Stakeholders
- Development of the What's Up peer support website
- Kingswood Bus project
- Projects that affect young people such as Cyber-Bullying and Sex and Relationships Education (gathering information and producing young people friendly resources)
- South Gloucestershire Play Rangers
- Consultation with parents of children to find out views on parks and the way they use them
- Consultation with children attending play ranger sessions
Participation current projects
Cyber Bullying
Cyber Bullying has been identified as a growing issue for young people in South Gloucestershire. The need is to listen to the experiences and views of young people on this topic to work with them to develop recommendations for reducing and effectively responding to incidents of cyber bullying. To this end a steering group of young people have been formed to carry the project forward. The young people will deliver a workshop to a variety of places where young people attend. Examples of this, are schools, youth centres and youth projects. The information gathered will be collated, presented to interested professionals and a resource will emanate from the project.
Youth Forum Sex and Relationship Education Project
The South Gloucestershire youth forum had identified that the delivery of S.R.E. in schools was not as effective as it could have been. Research (a survey carried out throughout South Gloucestershire schools by UKYP reps) suggested that the resources used and the delivery was not young people friendly. Therefore it was decided a project would source appropriate resources and include them into a pack that would be distributed to schools and youth provisions. The money for the project obtained £600 from a successful bid to The Terence Higgins Trust and the pack will be available for the new academic year.
United Kingdom Youth Parliament Transport project
The UKYPs successfully raised the issue for the need for accessible and affordable transport. The councillors agreed to subsidise public transport (£92 per young person in South Gloucestershire). This project will progress with consultations to hear young people’s views around how the money will be spent; one example may be to introduce concessionary tickets to young people. Issues in regard to young people living in rural areas and the accessibility of transport for disabled young people will also be considered.
South Gloucestershire Children and Young Peoples Champion
The idea for a South Gloucestershire Children and Young Peoples Champion originally came from South Gloucestershire members of Youth Parliament, when they discovered at regional meetings other areas had a ‘Champion’ and felt South Gloucestershire should have one to.
Consultation around Children and Young people’s ideal ‘Champion’ took place with 40 young people in Schools and Youth Projects during Local Democracy week 2006. 10 children and young people including Youth Parliament representatives, Children Fund Projects, Shelter, Children’s Social Services and South Gloucestershire Youth Forum regularly met to develop the role.
The group were involved in writing a role description & short-listing criteria and designing posters and a webpage to encourage children and young people in the county to nominate a Champion.
Jamie-Leigh Smith a Detached Youth Worker from Yate was selected as the ‘Champion’ scoring highest in respect of the groups questions and criteria. Jamie –Leigh will be in post for one year, visiting young people’s projects and working with key stakeholders to ensure children and young people’s voices are heard.
Ready Steady Change Training
The Ready Steady Change Training materials aim to give children and young people and adult decision makers the skills to open up decision making structures and process and to ensure that all children and young people get a real say and influence in matters affecting them.
This year 8 young people are being trained as trainers in Children and Young People’s Rights and will then work alongside participation officers and the Children and Young People’s Training Manager to deliver a series of three one day courses available to staff throughout the county.