Young people from The Lighthouse Project Youth Centre travelled to Parliament to celebrate the positive impact of the Youth Investment Fund and speak directly with ministers and MPs about the importance of youth voice and continued investment in young people.
Members of the Byker-based youth centre joined Stephanie Peacock and Alex McIntyre in Parliament to highlight how the Youth Investment Fund has supported and influenced their lives.
The Lighthouse Project is one of 276 youth centres funded by the UK Government’s £300M+ Youth Investment Fund. The Lighthouse Project, a youth organisation, received a Youth Investment Fund grant to transform a derelict church building and garden outbuilding. The funding created activity spaces for after-school clubs and holiday programmes, a youth space with volunteer opportunities, one-to-one counselling facilities, and a training kitchen partnering with local food services
Young people and youth workers from The Lighthouse Project were part of a group of over 30 young people aged 10-19 who gathered in Parliament with Minister Peacock and MPs to celebrate the legacy of the fund. Young people were invited by the charity Social Investment Business, who delivered the Youth Investment Fund in partnership with the UK Government.
Young people from The Lighthouse Project were joined by others representing the breadth of youth services supported by the Youth Investment Fund, including The Lowdown in Northampton, The Swannery in Bristol, The Boyzee in Knowsley, Brighton Youth Club, Salford Youth Zone, KBSK in Bodmin, Eloquent Dance in Birmingham and Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub in Gloucester. Young people shared their experiences of being empowered to shape their newly funded youth centres and why it’s vital to keep young people in the driving seat in future policy and funding developments that affect them.
Earlier in the day young people and youth workers participated in a workshop, drawing on their insights and lived experience to contribute to the Youth Services Bill, currently moving through parliament. They were joined by Dr Lauren Sullivan MP, a co-sponsor of the Bill. Dr Lauren Sullivan commended young people for shaping their new youth centres and encouraged them to “use their voice” to actively influence support for youth work and young people by meeting local MPs in their surgeries.
The Parliamentary reception gave young people the opportunity to talk to Minister Stephanie Peacock MP and parliamentarians, including Newcastle MP Catherine McKinnell . Young people spoke at the event, sharing why investment in young people and youth services is so vital, and shared their ideas and hopes for the future.
One young person, only 10 years old, from the Lighthouse project took part in a panel discussing how great his youth centre is and what he thinks MPs need to hear.
Young people sent a clear message that Government should prioritise funding for youth services and young people’s futures, involve young people in policy development and listen to their voices.
During the event, young people from Eloquent Dance in Birmingham created a special celebratory dance performance to mark the Youth Investment Fund’s legacy in Parliament, while a young person from Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub in Gloucester, gave a solo singing performance, with original lyrics written by young people from the youth club.
Nick Temple OBE, CEO for Social Investment Business said,
“It’s been a privilege to deliver the Youth Investment Fund: a substantial vote of confidence in young people and youth work. And every youth centre we’ve funded has been shaped by young people, creating safe and modern spaces that they can truly identify with. It was a real joy to celebrate those collective achievements.”
“It’s a huge success that more than one in seven young people is now in walking distance of a Youth Investment Fund supported service, but there is still much more to do. Cold spots persist in nearly half of local authority areas and more investment is needed to close the gap. We look forward to seeing much more investment in young people in the years to come.”
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