Networks
London Youth offers various networks – spaces for youth organisations to come together and discuss the key issues affecting their work with young people. With our spreakers from Government, the voluntary sector and policy makers, we exchange ideas, debate the issues and influence decision-making. Our networks are open to all, not just to members of London Youth.
Current networks
Arts and Creativity Network
The Arts and Creativity Network brings the youth and arts sectors together to share knowledge, expertise and resources, discover ways to engage young Londoners with the arts and make creative opportunities accessible to all young people regardless of their background.
Employability Network
The Employability Network meets quarterly, bringing together youth work professionals to discuss key themes such as racial disparity in youth unemployment and how to best support young people with learning disabilities and to share policy updates. Previous speakers have included Mencap, Enabling Enterprise, Hackney CVS and Access UK.
Inclusion Network
The purpose of the Inclusion Network is to provide youth professionals with the opportunity to share knowledge, expertise and resources on how to make youth work as inclusive and accessible as possible. This includes reducing physical and social barriers, understanding and addressing needs, and promoting positive attitudes. Previous speakers include Stonewall, Greater London Authority (GLA), Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime (MOPAC), Stop Hate UK, Young Minds, The Children’s Society and Gendered Intelligence.
Mental Health & Wellbeing Network
This network was set up to help youth professionals better support the mental health and wellbeing needs of the young people they work with. This allows our members to come together to address some of the challenges they face in this area, gain greater insight into wellbeing techniques and better connect with mental health services and other London Youth members. Previous speakers include Thrive LDN, Mind, Haptivate and many more.
Mentoring Network
The Mentoring Network is part of our wider Mentoring Support Programme; an initiative funded by the Mayor of London as part of the New Deal for Young People mission. The mission was created to ensure that 100,000 disadvantaged young Londoners have access to high quality mentoring opportunities. The network facilitates discussion on continual development of mentoring programmes and practice, including spaces to reflect collectively. The network is available for any organisation that is delivering mentoring with young people in London and the topics discussed align with the Mayor’s Mentoring Quality Framework resource.
Regional Impact Network
This is a network of youth organisations working in and around London, delivered by London Youth and Partnership for Young London, on behalf of the YMCA George Williams College. The network supports youth organisations to undertake meaningful evaluation and impact measurement. It provides a ‘safe space’ in which members can share issues or challenges that they are facing in their work, seek advice from peers and access support that will inform their practice. We aim to make the sessions as practical as possible, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of members of the network, as well as experts in their field. Previous speakers have included representatives from the NYA and YMCA George Williams College, and Dr Tania de St Croix from KCL, and London Youth members.
Safeguarding Network
This network is all about bringing youth work practitioners together to share good practice, receive key legislative updates and discuss and reflect on safeguarding issues that affect young people. The network will be delivered by specialist consultant, Tom Burke, and will involve discussion, interactive sessions and the sharing of ideas for how youth sector organisations can improve their safeguarding policies and processes for the young Londoners accessing their services.
Sports Network
The Sports Network is an in-person community of practice that is part of our Getting Active Movement approach. It strengthens connections and fosters collaboration between London Youth members and the wider community sport and youth sector to enable young people to lead more active, happier, and healthier lives. Each network is themed and opens with an expert panel of speakers – previous networks have focused on LGBTQ+ young people and sports, the Black youth experience of sports, and most recently, Sport as a tool to keep young people safe.
Tackling Youth Violence Network
Currently, we are in the process of reviewing this network and will update the information about it soon.
We also offer our members the opportunity to be a part of one of our Groups. We currently run Policy Advisory Group that allows youth practitioners to influence our policy and media work and The Members Senior Leaders Group (MSLG) provides a space for leaders to discuss key organisational, strategic, and policy issues faced by members and the wider sector, as well as being a space to share any learning and collaborate. If you want to learn more about the MSLG please email our Head of Membership Elijah.Kirby@londonyouth.org
