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COMPLETED
YOUTH VOICE 'Peer Power' programme: (YVPP)
Background
This programme was a continuation of work on mental health and participation and was developed from ideas in the youth Core Advisory Team of YouthVoice2. The majority of participants were aged between 11 and 18 years with some aged between 18 and 21 in advisory roles. YVPP was funded by the Young People's Fund of the Big Lottery and ran from January 2006 to December 2008.
Five locations in England were involved.
The project
The central ideas of Youth Voice Peer Power were that:
- young people can share with others the strategies that they have found helpful in coping with distress
- they can do this in ways that have a positive impact on their own emotional health and that of the recipients
The programme developed the skills of young participants in
- researching their peers' knowledge about emotionally healthy strategies
- communicating that knowledge through creative activities
- supporting peers using mentoring techniques
- evaluating the impact on themselves and on the recipients of the activities.
The programme developed the skills of adult workers in
- supporting young people in consultation and research
- supporting youth participation (in planning and delivery of activities)
- facilitating young people in peer mentoring as co-participants in activities
- increasing their knowledge of creative activities
- evaluating these components.
The programme was advised by The National Core Advisory Team which met at the annual residential weekend. It consisted of representatives of each Regional Advisory Team, Northern and Southern Cat members and all staff.
Regional agencies
The regional agencies with the lead staff member participating in YVPP were
- The English Speaking Board working with a drama group in Northampton Arts Centre: Jenny Dunbar
- West Midlands Peer Support School Network : Netta Cartwright
- Brighton Euphoric Flash project with Brighton Photo Biennial : Helen Cammock
- Bournemouth Millennium Volunteers : Marilyn McGowan
- Sunderland Young Minds Matter : Jeanette Chapman
- East Sussex Bandbazi Circus skills project : Philippa Vafadari
RATS: Regional Advisory Teams
Each agency had a Regional Advisory Team of peer consultants and mentors who helped plan the work and worked directly with the young people in the activity groups. Each regional project was different and in most the activities were an enhancement of an existing project.
CATS: Core Advisory Teams
These two groups consisted of slightly older young people as advisors to the regional projects and the central staff group. They attended three meetings a year and commented via email on various aspects of the overall programme.
- The Northern CAT was from a Youth Mental health project based in Sunderland.
- The Southern CAT was based in Brighton and contained members of the original group who helped to devise the programme as well as current participants from the South East.
ACTS: Activity Teams
These were groups of young people who were helped by the RATS to find creative ways of exploring emotional health issues and disseminating their work in their local community
The regional projects ran at different times during the three years but all were represented at the annual weekend residential which included skills sharing and programme monitoring. Communication was maintained via a web site and email newsletters, by individual email contact and mobile phone texting.
Progress to date
YVPP has now ended and a free summary report YVPP What Worked can be downloaded from the web sites www.yvpp.co.uk and www.youngpeopleinfocus.org.uk
In addition there are free downloads of YVPP Practical Pointers these aim to be of use to to practitioners and include:
- Bandbazi youth circus theatre
- Creative activities
- Communication
- Cultures club
- Ethos of youth voice peer power
- East Brighton black and minority ethnic young person project
- Evaluation report
- Euphoric flash
- Expressions drama group: East Midlands Northamptonshire arts
- Peer support
- Residential workshops: exercises and tips for organising
- Young peoples views about youth work and workers
YVPP Resources now available from TSA publications
Emotions Work is a training resource for use with young people consisting of a CD and idea for using 10 worksheets about emotional health is available from TSA publications.
Picture Emotions is a resource of images created by the digital camera group Euphoric Flash with a workbook of exercises for use in training adults and older young people.
YVPP Website
The website was used to host a discussion forum, worksheets, information and individual blogs; it is now frozen but contains detailed information about all the activities of YVPP including residential workshop programmes, exercises and worksheets which may be of use to practitioners.
Dissemination
The free downloadable report YVPP What Worked gives full details of the programme dissemination in the regions.
Staff
Each agency was supported by the TSA based team of Sue Shaw, participation worker and Dorothy Eddi Piper, trainer and programme manager. Administration support provided by Dona Crisfield and Sarah Lee. Freelance staff were Marilyn McGowan, development worker and trainer; Saskia Neary, participation consultant; Anita Wilson, evaluation consultant; Tracy Hind, project monitor; Jo Brown, designer.
More information:
Please contact Young People in Focus
Email: info@youngpeopleinfocus.org.uk
Tel: 01273 693311
April 2009