Hi there,The Youth Consultancy Panel (YCP) is currently a group of 9 young volunteers who help to shape and develop the work of the Jack Petchey Foundation, particularly in the area of youth engagement, and promoting youth voice. Welcome to the second edition of our newsletter. It has been a very busy few months at the Jack Petchey Foundation, and the YCP have been busy and involved in a number of different projects. We hope that the articles below provide some
much-needed good news stories and updates on our work so far! We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and we hope that it might encourage some of you to want to get more involved! Find out more below...
Digital Event Update
Hi there, I'm Ajaye and I'm a member of the YCP and the team which organised and hosted the digital event on International Youth Day this summer... On 12th August 2020, the JPF Youth Consultancy Panel held its first digital event. The event was split into sections, with the first confronting young people's concerns about anxiety and wellbeing, and the second session focusing upon education and future education and employment opportunities. This event was intended to respond to the concerns and issues that young people have raised as the most important directly affecting them as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 19 young people aged between 14 – 19, attended the live event and the YCP members were able to deliver useful information and tips on how to identify and recognise symptoms of stress and anxiety. Furthermore the YCP were able to provide a number of solutions and coping mechanisms to manage increased anxiety levels. A number of live polls were scheduled throughout the session. Prior to the event- 70% of YP were either very concerned or concerned about their future
- 60% of YP said that their goals and aspirations were achievable
- 40% of YP said that they had help and support but 60% said they would like more
- 40% of YP stated that they felt very anxious
After the event- 80% of YP had a better understanding of their options after attending
- 60% of YP felt a lot more confident & less anxious after attending the session
- 80% of YP said the
session was beneficial and was helpful
‘I just wanted to say that the session was very helpful and included very useful information I needed for the future. It was also nice to hear thoughts from other people during the session. I wish I also invited my friends as I'm sure they would've found it useful too :)’
The conversations that formed between the panel members and the participants were both inspiring and inspirational and due to
everyone's earnest engagement and input, the event was a huge success.
Youth Engagement At JPFOne of the core principles of the Jack Petchey Foundation is ensuring that young people are given a voice within all aspects of our work. By prioritising Youth Voice, JPF can ensure that young people’s ideas and opinions, regardless of background - cultural differences and experiences - are captured, listened to and valued. The Youth Consultation Panel (YCP) is a collective of young people who have committed to
bringing young people’s voices into conversations with our Senior Management Team as well as other departments across the organisation, including: - Operations – the visible parts of the Foundation, such as our grant programmes, partnership programmes and the Achievement Award Celebration Events
- Communications and Campaigns – spreading the word and helping to change negative attitudes & stereotypes of young people by recognising and promoting the achievements of young people
- Finance and Resources – making sure we fund the most relevant programmes and that there is sufficient resources available to continue to make a difference to young people
YCP members will contribute to the development of the Jack Petchey Foundation and the empowerment of young people as future leaders.
Want to be part of this network?
The year long commitment that the YCP members have pledged is fast approaching and while many have agreed to stay for another year, a number will be leaving as they are going to University. We are therefore looking for new members to join this extraordinary group of young people. This is an exciting opportunity to lead, develop new skills, and a chance to be promote how great, influential and amazing young people are. It is also a great addition to your CV. If you are interested in joining the YCP, fill out the form below to register your interest and we will contact you with more info!
Profile: Trudy-Ann Smith, Youth Consultancy PanelMy name is Trudy-Ann and my introduction to the Jack Petchey Foundation was through the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge in the year 2017. After placing 2nd place in the regional competition, I then went on to be a judge for the year 2018, which was truly an amazing experience. I joined Achievers Network 6 when I was just entering my 1st year of sixth form in 2018, which has been one of the greatest things to happen to me in
my life so far. I was not a confident person whatsoever before I became a part of the Jack Petchey Foundation, I often remained quiet and kept to myself. However, after going through the training that both the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge and AN6 provided me, I was able to break through that shell. And I continue to grow into a person that I like more and more every day. Thanks to the Achievers Network and the Jack Petchey Foundation, I am able to develop my skills, particularly with public speaking, and make me into a more confident person as I journey through the rest of my life. I am now preparing to start my first year of university
studying a subject that I have been immensely passionate about ever since I was young, Architecture. It is a course that requires quite a good level of communication and presentation skills in order to establish my creative ideas in an efficient way. Therefore, I am confident in saying that the knowledge I gained during my time in the Achievers Network were instrumental in equipping me with those skills. I have met some truly fantastic people through being a part of the Jack Petchey Foundation and I am lucky to still be in touch with most of them to this day. I have had the opportunity to continue my involvement with the Foundation by becoming a member of the Youth Consultation Panel alongside some of these people. The real drive for change and a positive impact on young people is what is keeping
me involved with the Foundation, and it is something I am very proud to be a part of.
Judging the Jack Petchey Anthem Competition
My name is Sudipta and over lockdown, I had the chance to work with some of the Jack Petchey team to help judge the amazing entries that young people all over Essex and London had sent in for the Anthem competition. There was a variety of inspiring songs- full of uplifting lyrics and vocals! The judging process was to give each entry a mark for suitability, their vocals, song-writing ability, performance and the overall likeability. After listening to over 40 incredible anthems, I had the difficult job to select my top few and then I sent in my scores to help the judges by shortlisting the top 10 with a combination of my score with others'. From sweet harmonies to upbeat raps, ukuleles to guitars, the anthems showcased the immense talent of young people, and even though it took a while to get through all of them, listening to the strong message they portrayed made it all worthwhile! After eagerly waiting for the next stage, I was emailed back with the final 4 entries that were shortlisted by the judges for the next stage. These singers had re-recorded their songs after initial feedback from an industry professional over Zoom. For the final time, I had to score them again, against the same categories, but this time the job was much harder! Trying to pick out my favourite took a lot of thought, listening to the final recordings of the anthems, showed me how unique
and special all of them were individually, some were catchy and encouraging, whilst others were a blend of melodic tunes and musical instruments. I was really excited when I got the results back, and I thought ‘Pave the Way’ By Tanushree was a fantastic, motivating anthem, a well deserving winner, that I can’t wait to see being used in the future on Jack Petchey social media, or in their events! I really enjoyed being part of this competition and helping the judges to select the chosen winner and I encourage anyone else who gets an opportunity to help out like this, to take it! It’s a great experience and it makes you involved in something widespread
and big, that brings together lots of young people like us altogether!
Judging #TheGoodInWhereILive Photography Competition and Jack Petchey's Community AwardsFizza, former Achievers Network member, tells us about her experience helping to judge not one, but two competitions for the Foundation this summer. Community Awards Over the lockdown period, I had the privilege of helping judge the Jack Petchey Community Awards, a programme dedicated to rewarding young people for the things they did to help others during the lockdown. It’s fair to say it was something of a mammoth task - choosing between so many worthy young people who had all done inspiring things was never going to be easy. There was a huge variety in reasons for nomination: some had continued volunteering they were already doing, but adapted it for COVID-19; others were aiding the more vulnerable members of their community; some had used their skills (like cycling, art football and more) in ways that helped others, be it by teaching them or just bringing them comfort - but all of them had done something amazing.
Although it was extremely difficult to select only 5, I definitely took comfort in the fact that every young person nominated was recognised and rewarded with a certificate, trophy and letter from Sir Jack - they all deserved it! As I wasn’t the only one judging (and making some very tough decisions!), I also found it fascinating to check the JPF Instagram account and see what other fantastic things young people had done.
One thing that struck me in particular was how so many of the candidates weren’t nominated for just one thing - so many of them helped in multiple ways, or were nominated for their diligence, perseverance, kindness or even just for overcoming their own personal obstacles. After reading the list of candidates and hearing what they’d done, I immediately felt inspired to go out and do something myself. It made me really proud to be a young person today, knowing we have the kindness and ability to make change not just within ourselves, but also in our communities. Seeing all these young people be resourceful and successful even in the face of adversity was a reminder
of how we can always find ways to succeed and help others, and I was delighted to see all these fantastic young people rewarded for the incredible things they did. A huge congratulations to all the winners and all who were nominated! Photography Competition As well as the community awards, I was also lucky enough to be able to judge an online photography competition, entitled ‘The Good in Where I Live’. This competition aimed to inspire people to be proud of their community,
and, since they were in lockdown, appreciate their surroundings and local area. I have always loved photography and so was very excited about the competition, meaning I ended up judging it in hospital while recovering from major surgery! However this did not infringe on the experience at all - going through the brilliant entries definitely lifted my spirits. I was fortunately the last of my peers to judge; this definitely added to my experience as it also meant I got to see what other images people had connected with. Every photo was unique - there were close up shots of animals; plants and flowers in colourful gardens; sweeping landscapes and vibrant
sunsets, but equally places and people - buildings and community centres, charity work and urban life - all things that people felt demonstrated ‘the good in where they lived’. Something I particularly loved about it was not just seeing the photos, but getting to read the stories behind them. Every caption added so much depth, and created such a personal touch. It was fascinating to see how different photos could be interpreted, and heart-warming to see that some of the images obviously meant a lot to people - it definitely matched up to the competition title. Judging was
difficult, taking into account criteria such as composition, originality and technique, but it really was a great experience. Just hearing people write from the heart about images that inspire them was extremely touching and showed me how beautiful the world can be when captured with so much love. It reminded me to take a look outside my window and see the world around me, and appreciate my community and surroundings for all the beauty they hold. A huge well done to all who entered - all the entries were very worthy candidates, and I am really grateful to them and the competition for reminding me to always look for ‘The Good in Where I Live’.
Write a blog for us! Want to have a platform for your voice? We are asking young people to write blogs for our website about their experiences of lockdown, mental health resources and what they want to see for young people in the future. Interested? Click the button below.
Enter our Cartoon Competition! Do you like drawing? Our Cartoon Competition 2020/21 is now OPEN for entries! We are looking for cartoons of A4 size with the theme EMPOWER. The winning cartoon will be featured in our school planners next year. Enter before Feb 2021 for your chance to win!
COVID-19 Youth SurveyThanks to all who filled in our COVID-19 Youth Survey - we had over 6000 responses from young people ages 11-25 from London and Essex which is fantastic! We are currently analysing the results - which will help shape future JPF work - and will be releasing our report very soon. Keep an eye on your inboxes and our social media accounts for updates!
Want to hear about even more opportunities?Our JPF Newsletter gives you updates about all of our current programmes, competitions and opportunities for young people. If you aren't signed up, why not? Register below, we promise we won't bombard your inbox!
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