Youth social action
What is youth social action?
Youth social action refers to activities that young people can do to make a positive difference to others or their environment, such as getting involved in campaigning, volunteering, fundraising or advocacy.
Our mission
Our vision for the Youth Social Action programme is to empower marginalised young Londoners through youth voice, to become change-makers in their communities, tackling issues facing the city, such as the environment, social injustice, mental health, and safe spaces.
Through skills development, positive action, partnerships and collaboration, and community engagement, our programme will support young Londoners to gain the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to create a more inclusive, resilient and equitable city.
Our programmes
We manage a range of projects and programmes across London that aim to amplify youth voices and improve skills development and wellbeing for young people by engaging them in positive community action.
Our work targets the most underserved young Londoners and is rooted in making sure that funded activities are led by and for young people, as well as serving both young Londoners and the communities they belong to.
Alongside our programmatic work, we focus on bringing organisations together to strengthen London’s youth sector and harness the power of collaboration.
You can find out more about what Londoners have to say about our work by searching #YouthSocialActionLdn on social media.
My London
My London is a community-based social action programme. It encourages young Londoners to be active citizens within their communities, and works directly with grassroots organisations to develop localised projects. My London strives to improve wellbeing through social action and provide transferable life skills for the future.
For more information, please contact Barnaby Smith, Programme and Policy Officer, Youth Social Action at [email protected]
In the first year of delivery, five key impacts of young people’s participation in My London have emerged:
- An increased understanding of youth social action
- Confidence to speak up / use their voice on issues that matter to them
- Connection to others from either different or similar backgrounds.
- Improved employability
- A desire to be involved in social action going forward.
Through their involvement in the My London programme, organisations have so far benefited in three ways:
- Building their networks with other local organisations
- Developing a greater awareness of the local context in other areas
- Some increased involvement of young people in decision-making.
During the second year, we will focus on the impact of taking part in participants' overall wellbeing and how the programme has affected wider communities.
Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge
- Frenford Clubs
- Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance
- Muslimah Sports Association
- Shpresa Programme
Ealing and Hillingdon
- Ealing and Hounslow CVS
- Hillingdon Autistic Care and Support
- Spark! Charity
- Each Counselling
- Heston West Big Local
Greenwich and Lewisham
- Lewisham Youth Theatre
- Tramshed
- Trinity Laban
- Charlton Athletic Community Trust
- Metro Charity
Young Ambassadors
Young Ambassadors is the Mayor’s school social action programme. It provides support and funding to young people to deliver social action projects on issues they really care about in their communities. The programme is delivered by the GLA, Big Ideas and Volunteering Matters.
Enhanced Young Ambassadors: Volunteer Matters is delivering an enhanced programme of support targeting Alternative Provision (AP), Pupil Referral Units (PRU) and Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND) Schools.
Young Ambassador Grants: Big Ideas is delivering a grants programme to support school-based social action, particularly targeting primary schools serving areas of higher deprivation.
Boroughs delivered in: Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Hounslow, Newham, Southwark and Wandsworth, Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Hillingdon, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Westminster
For more information, please contact Rhian Horlock, Programme and Policy Officer, Youth Social Action at [email protected]
- 90% of students demonstrate more responsibility towards local and global issues in their everyday life choices.
- 89% cent of students demonstrate increased leadership among their peers.
- 87% of students have developed stronger communication skills.
- 87% of students are more likely to stand up for others treated unfairly because of their gender, race, religion, ability or sexual orientation.
- 86% of teachers believe their students feel better connected to their local community.
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- Big Ideas
- Volunteer Matters
HeadStart Action
HeadStart Action is a personal and social development programme for young people aged 14-18, who are at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET). HeadStart Action bridges the link between social action and employability, to engage and inspire young people, giving them the skills, experience and connections they need to get ahead in the world of work.
- London Youth: delivers the capacity-building phase of the programme to support 11 organisations across London. The organisations delivering the programme are:
- Leaders in Community
- 2-3 degrees
- Kinetika Bloco
- Alexz Educational
- Newark Youth London
- London Tigers
- The Wickers
- Project Zero
- Gloves not Gunz
- Oxygen
- Streets of Growth.
Family Action: delivers the employability phase, working with corporate to deliver insight days and supporting young Londoners to be ready for work. Organisations include Barclays, brands to Life and Nandos.
Boroughs delivered in: Ealing, Waltham Forest, Southwark, Camden, Harrow, Croydon, Islington, Kingston Upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Westminster.
For more information, please contact Tracey Miller, Programme and Policy Officer, Youth Social Action at [email protected]
Phase 1 outcomes so far
- Young people reported improved mental health after completing their intervention.
- Young people have reported improved confidence and motivation.
- Young people have reported improved connections to their communities.
Social Action Themes across HeadStart Action
- Racial Justice (2) 8.3%
- Stronger Communities (7) 29.2%
- Mental Health (3)12.5%
- Gender Equality (1) 4.2%
- Knife Crime (2) 8.3%
- Environment (6) 25%
- Food Security (1) 4.2%
Phase 2 outcomes so far
Insight Day Feedback survey data (Young people):
- Overall young people have given the insight day’s a 4.88/5 star rating
- For 63% of participants, it was their first time in a professional environment
- 100% of young people said that the event gave them a better insight into the world of work
- 79% of young people said the event gave them a better idea about their career path
- 95% of young people felt more confident about their skills after the insight day
- 93% felt more away of the skills employers are looking for
- 93% said they felt more comfortable meeting and spending time with professionals after the insight day
- 95% agree that their social action project helped them develop their employability skills.
“The highlight has been the growth in confidence of their own abilities and confidence in them achieving some sort of employability, which the workshops that were conducted in the Social Action Phase helped facilitate.” Mesba – CEO, London Tigers
- London Youth
- Family Action
Our annual conference
In 2023, we hosted our first annual conference. Our Young People & Communities Conference brought over 200 young Londoners and key changemakers together at City Hall, with the aim of answering the question: “How does positive community action in local areas build a stronger city?”
Attendees took part in roundtable-style discussions, in which they explored a variety of challenging topics themed around young people and communities. These facilitated discussions opened up space for young Londoners to share their experiences with funders, youth workers, London Assembly members and professionals from across sectors, and gave stakeholders the opportunity to hear directly from young Londoners and share insights from their own experiences.
A spidergram with multiple sections, each surrounding a dark green box in the centre that contains the words 'Youth Unemployment'.
There are ten surrounding sections, each is a white cloud on a light green background:
- the first contains the words 'Mentoring'
- the second contains the words 'Voting Rights at 16'
- the third contains the words 'Help with CV writing and interview skills'
- the fourth contains the words 'Help young people market themselves'
- the fifth contains the words 'More emphasis on career education in schools'
- the sixth contains the words 'Longer work experience opportunities'
- the seventh contains the words 'Greater support for young people wishing to be entrepreneurs or self-employed'
- the eighth contains the words 'Teach soft skills such as letter writing and public speaking'
- the ninth contains the words 'Promote alternative career paths – not just uni'
- the tenth contains the words 'More on-the-job training'.
A spidergram with multiple sections and illustrations, each surrounding a title in the centre with the words 'Environment and Climate Change'. There are 12 surrounding sections. In the top left, there is an illustration of a person holding a banner.
The banner contains the words 'If we don’t act now our future will be ruined'. To the right of this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Providing opportunities to experience natural environments'. To the right of this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'More local recycling centres' and contains an illustration of the recycling symbol consisting of three chasing arrows folded.
In the top right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Learning about employment opportunities in conservation and activism'.
Below this there is a white circle that contains the words 'School trips'. Below this there is a white circle that contains the words 'Activities'.
In the bottom right, there is an illustration of a man and a woman in a hijab looking at a small tree on the left. To the left of them, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Teach about this as part of the curriculum'.
Below this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Primary and secondary'. To the left of this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Create an environmental centre in London'.
Above this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Forest schools'. In the bottom left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Nature at the heart of the city' and two small illustrations of tower blocks with a heart above them.
Above this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'More city farms' and two illustrations of a bird and a sheep.
A spidergram with multiple sections, each surrounding a dark blue box in the centre that contains the words 'Cost of Living'. There are 14 surrounding sections.
In the top left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Young people need to be more involved in the democratic process'. There is an arrow that connects this to a white cloud on the right of this that contains the words 'We need more understanding of it'. Above this is a small illustration of a voting form.
In the top right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Normalise the use of food backs – remove the stigma' and an illustration of a person with short, dark hair who is smiling and pointing towards the text. Below this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Seek the support you need'. Below this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'We need to speak freely'. Below this, there is an illustration of three people holding a banner that contains the words 'We need stronger communities'.
In the bottom right, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Nationwide support for gas and electricity cap'. To the left of this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'People are struggling'. To the left of this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'The crisis has an impact at school and at home'. Below this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Create more opportunities for learning new skills' and an illustration of a person with short, dark hair reading a book.
In the bottom left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Food banks for pets' and an illustration of a grey cat pointing towards the text. Above this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Profitable businesses should pay higher wages'. Above this, there is a white speech bubble that contains the words 'Voice concerns'. To the right of this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Stabilise food prices'.
A spidergram with multiple sections, each surrounding a dark green box in the centre that contains the words 'Mental Health and Wellbeing'.
There are 11 surrounding sections. In the top left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'We need places to connect'.
Below this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Where young people can meet other young people'. In the top right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Safe spaces with a welcoming vibe'. Below this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Where you can be yourself'.
Below this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'No judgement'.
Below this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'A casual drop-in clinic with a mental health youth worker'. In the bottom right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Consult local communities: what do they need?' To the left of this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Include everybody'. In the bottom left, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Access to animals'.
Above this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'For friends, laughter and connection'. Above this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Quiet and peaceful spaces'.
A spidergram with multiple sections, each surrounding a dark orange box in the centre left that contains the words 'Social Justice and Equalities'. There are ten surrounding sections.
In the top left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Young people care more'.
Below this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'We’re not going to be passive'. To the right of this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'This affects us ALL – no division between young and old'.
Above this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'We need to learn political literacy'. In the top right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'The system is letting us down. We need to understand how power works so we can take action'.
Below this, there is a white circle that contains the words 'Lots of people working together brings many different perspectives' and an illustration of a group of nine people sitting on chairs, facing each other in a circle and talking.
In the bottom right, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Change is easier when we work as a community'. To the left of this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'It’s good to hear other people’s stories'.
In the bottom left, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Youth spaces are important'. Above this, there is a white cloud that contains the words 'Voting at 16'.
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