Adapting Your City Leaders Project

Context

As the sector is getting to grips with the context created in response to the Corona virus, London Youth is adapting and flexing wherever possible. This includes continuing programmes, although in different ways.

We know that this is a testing time for everyone; personally, across organisations and for young people we work with. We would like to offer you the opportunity to continue running City Leaders and accessing the funding attached to this. Below are the key changes to the programme and how we think it can be adapted to best support your organisation and involve young people in this process.

Key changes to programme

Remote working
Whilst we are unable to work face to face with young people, we believe that there is opportunity to engage young people in activities through a range of online tools and still deliver a City Leaders project. To work on the programme this year, we’d expect that you are in contact with a group of young people regularly (every 1-2 weeks) and using online tools (such as Zoom). We can support you in setting up the tools that work best for you.

Team size
We understand that your core City Leaders team of young people may have reduced in size and this is okay! Where possible, try to retain a core group of young people to lead the City Leaders project, however small. This said, we welcome young people beyond your core group getting involved and benefiting from bespoke activities such as online workshops.

Projects
The projects that young people originally designed and developed (before schools closed and youth organisations stopped face-to-face work) will certainly look different now. In this context, young people can still shape great new projects whilst staying indoors. We will continue to fund projects that:

  • involve young people in the design and decision making
  • improve your organisation’s offer for young people
  • have a positive impact on other young people beyond your core team
  • have a positive impact on the community
  • are risk assessed and keep young people and staff safe

Project funding
Typically funding is released in stages (Team, Club and Community) but we realise hosting online pitch events and completing multiple forms may add unnecessary processes.  Therefore, we are offering to release the Team/Club/Community stage funding in either one payment or in smaller installments to focus on immediate delivery only at this point, whichever you prefer.

If young people are ‘pitch ready’ then we’d happily still host a pitch online for you or review a video (if your team are able to make one). If a pitch is not appropriate, then we suggest that youth workers continue to work with young people to shape a project idea and submit one online form complete with a budget.

Your project idea will be reviewed by London Youth staff and members of our Dare London youth board and we will then schedule a follow up call with you to ask any questions and give feedback. The funding amount – totaling £2000 – will remain the same (although any funding you have already received as a part of City Leaders will be deducted from this).

In this context, we can fund at any of the stages:

  • Tools that help young people and staff communicate online (online tools software, hardware e.g phones or laptops)
  • Activities that help other other young people beyond your core group (e.g wellbeing sessions facilitated online)
  • Projects that improve the community (that young people help shape but not physically delivery) e.g delivery of food parcels to vulnerable members of community
  • Other ideas discussed with London Youth

We cannot fund: 

  • Any project that does not fit within the updated COVID-19 guidance given by the government (see the safety and safeguarding section below)
  • Direct funding to other organisations
  • Projects that aren’t led by young people

Safety & Safeguarding

This table outlines the key areas of focus in regards to safety and safeguarding on the City Leaders programme and other programmes throughout London Youth.

Key area Notes Links and resources
Keeping up to date with government advice Please ensure your organisation is following the latest advice from the Government, keeping up to date as it changes. o   https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

 
Updating policies and procedures Please continue to work with your colleagues to update organisational policies and procedures around safety and safeguarding, such as risk assessments.

 

We recognise that these will be changing in the current context and will develop over time based on experience and training.

 o   London Youth’s blog on adapting online activities

o   Internet Watch Foundation

o   Safer Internet

o   NSPCC advice

 
Looking after yourself and others Look after yourself, colleagues and young people. As always within youth work, and especially at this time, this is important and something we all need to prioritise. o   www.nhs.uk

o   https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/coronavirus-and-mental-health/

 

 

Next steps

If your organisation would like to continue working on City Leaders this year then please fill in this online form outlining the adaptations to the project idea. We will then follow up with a call once Dare London youth panel and London Youth staff have reviewed your form.

If you’d like to discuss this further please email Robbie.Cheyne@londonyouth.org or call 07971 012 871.