The CSP Network is pleased to announce four pledges to the #iwill campaign to help support social action activity for 10-20 year olds and demonstrate its ambition to contribute to a national, Government backed campaign. We will be joining over 750 organisations that are supporting the campaign including Sport England who also recently launched their pledges, the aspiration is that the CSP Network pledges will complement and contribute towards these.
CSP Network Pledges
Pledge 1: Support partners to empower young people to create challenging and progressive social action activities
Pledge 2: Aspire to meet the six principles of youth social action in the work we do with young people
Pledge 3: Celebrate and recognise young people that take part in youth social action and reflect on the impact this has on the community
Pledge 4: Act as advocates for the #iwill campaign and promote locally to help grow and embed social action to become a habit for life
Lee Booth, Project Manager for CSP Network said
We are delighted to show our commitment to the #iwill campaign by making these pledges. Colleagues have given a fantastic response to this and the national volunteer group have been instrumental in developing this partnership. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these pledges over the coming months.
What is the #iwill campaign and youth social action?
Youth social action is defined as ‘practical action in the service of others to create positive change’. Volunteering plays a huge part in this, but also embraces wider activity that people do not always consider as volunteering such as fundraising and helping with community events. The #iwill campaign is a DCMS and Lottery funded initiative and aims to make social action a part of life for 10-20 year olds across the UK. The #iwill campaign and youth social action is underpinned by 6 principles:
- Challenging
- Youth led
- Socially impactful
- Progressive
- Embedded
- Reflective
CSP's across the country are supporting the campaign and working with partners to support young people to undertake social action.
Jump Nation - Four lads from Merseyside liaised with young people with disabilities within their school and set up a Satellite Club at Jump Nation with their teacher Adrian Doody. The satellite club has been extremely successful hitting all targets required of them.
With 60 pupils attending the Satellite club over the last four months, 15 with SEN, 8 pupil premium students and 50 of which do not attend any other club or activity the club has been extremely successful in reaching the inactive young people in the area.1 girl who is normally a school refuser comes into school on Wednesday just so she could attend the club after school.
One the back of this project 25 young people have registered to attend summer clubs.
Due to the success of this club they worked with the Year 10 PE leaders and set up a Roller Disco satellite club at the school with flowskate a local club. So far they have managed to engage 52 young people in the session.
Read more about the boys efforts
Saffron Quinlan - currently studying for GCSEs, Saffron juggles her studies with coaching Loud and Proud Cheerleading at BACE (Bounce and Cheer Education) and a spin off satellite club at Glossopdale School.
Saffy says of coaching;
"I like to get better myself and see other girls get better too. I like to encourage those that don't normally get involved. I like to teach the sport I love and see others love it and know I played a part in that."
Read more of Saffrons Achievements
Ediors notes
More about #iwill Campaign
The campaign was launched in November 2013 by HRH The Prince of Wales and the UK's three main political parties, and is coordinated by the charity Step Up To Serve. As well as generating opportunities for all, the campaign aims to improve the quality of social action. It should be youth-led, challenging, have social impact, allow progression to other opportunities, be embedded in a young person's life and enable reflection about the value of the activity.
By 2020 the campaign is aiming to enable at least 6 in 10 young people to take part in meaningful social action. Campaign partners have leveraged significant public and private investment and launched the #iwill Fund to support the campaign to achieve its goal.
The #iwill call to action is for more business, education, public and voluntary sector organisations to recognise the capacity of young people to make a difference through social action and pledge to empower them to do so.