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.
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.
Tackling Youth Violence Network
This well established network of youth workers and youth violence specialists has been running since 2012 and meets quarterly. Previous speakers include Sophie Linden (Deputy Mayor), Claire Waxman (Victims Commissioner), Sarah Jones MP (Chair of APPG on Knife Crime), Sian Berry (London Assembly Member), and representatives from London Councils, the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office and the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime (MOPAC).