Written by Lisa Money
As a secondary school teacher, I was used to August being a month of down time; a chance to rest and recalibrate. That could not be further from the August we’ve just had in the partnership! The whole month was focused the Youth Celebration Event held on the 18th, and the Children and Young People’s Awards on the 23rd.
The Youth Celebration Event was a first for us. Born from young people’s suggestions, we cooked up a way of celebrating young people for exactly who they are – no competition, no expectation – just young people doing what they do best.
11 partner organisations came together in the spirit of joy and collaboration to offer a range of activities. Whether they were learning cycling skills or spray painting, everything was free or low cost meaning it was really accessible for everyone. Spanning the skatepark, house and lawn, the variety of activities available meant there was something for a range of ages. Some activities were run by young people themselves and many of the organisations hadn’t worked together before.
Two of those organisations partnered in holding a youth advisory board in the lead-up to the event, a collective of 5 young people aged 12 – 25 who designed the vibe, layout and visuals for the event. Accessibility was front and centre of their planning – noise pollution zones, a sticker system to signify levels of engagement, visual maps and a quiet room were all non-negotiables.
We were SO pleased to welcome back the Youth Cosplay element. Run entirely by young person, Jamie, this event was every bit as fun as you’d imagine, with young people bringing their best characters on the day.
The weather was blustery but everyone who came brought great energy. Our aim was to make a warm and inclusive event and given the feedback we’ve received, I think we did just that!
“the event was relaxed and happy for EVERYONE”
“the sense of community and joy that was palpable”
As if the high of that event wasn’t enough, it was swiftly followed by the Children & Young People’s Awards. This is an entirely youth led event, and is the second year Katie, Rebekah & Kole have run the awards from start to finish.
What an absolute joy it was to see young people being recognised for the contributions they make to their peers and communities. This mum summed it up:
“He’s got low self esteem and doesn’t believe in himself. When he knew he’d won an award he asked why, saying ‘I just do it’. Today I got really emotional because he doesn’t win things very often and its really nice to have that recognition for him”.
I’m always amazed at the effort and dedication shown by Katie & Rebekah in the run up to this event. They take on every single aspect and run with it. If there was ever evidence needed that young people can do it, this is it! And it’s why this partnership does what it does– supporting young people to be the absolute stars we know they are.
I’d like to say September will allow us to slow down, but nope! We’ve got our first Powered By Youth event on the horizon… keep your eyes peeled!