More than 400 schools across the capital have signed up to the Mayor's Team London Young Ambassadors programme, which was set up last September to get more young people volunteering and involved in social action in their communities. It means the scheme, which is being delivered in partnership with the youth charity Free The Children, has already exceeded its target for 2014.
Thanks to Team London, schoolchildren all over London are now getting involved in activities as diverse as fundraising for homeless charities and growing flowers to be enjoyed by residents at a local old people's home. The ambition is to reach 1,000 schools by the end of 2015 and offer the programme to every state school in London and over one million young people by 2016.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'It's fantastic that our Team London Young Ambassadors programme has already met its target of 400 schools for the year. As a result, more schoolchildren across the capital are going into their communities, undertaking a huge variety of activities dealing with a range of issues, from homelessness to the environment. In doing so, they are also building confidence gaining experience and skills that will be valuable assets as they get older and prepare for a life of work.'
This Friday (7 March), the efforts of pupils from every borough are being recognised at We Day UK, a major event being organised at Wembley by Free the Children to educate, inspire and empower around 12,000 young people from across the UK. Joining the celebration will be Prince Harry, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated education activist Malala Yousafzai, singers Ellie Goulding and Jennifer Hudson and former US Vice President Al Gore.
London born rapper Dizzee Rascal, the actor Clive Owen and Team London Ambassador, the Paralympian Martine Wright, who lost her legs in the 7/7 bombings, will also appear on stage.
Veronica Wadley, the Mayor's Advisor on Volunteering, who will also attend the event, commented: 'The response to our Team London schools programme has exceeded all our expectations. Primary and secondary pupils alike are building important skills, as well as having a positive impact on their local community. It is a pleasure to work with Free The Children and I know the schools taking part in the inaugural We Day UK event will an amazing day.'
Notes to editors
- Team London, the Mayor of London’s volunteering programme, was launched in 2011 to help ensure that volunteering and volunteers were having the greatest possible impact on London’s highest areas of need. The project was inspired by Mayor Bloomberg's Cities of Service model. Since 2011, 68 per cent of Londoners have been involved in some form of volunteering, from mentoring a young reader through to planting vegetables. More than 30,000 volunteering opportunities are available from over 400 organisations on the Team London website. The Team London schools programme was launched in September 2013.
- Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner. Founded in 1995 by international activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where young people are free to achieve their full potential, and empowers young people to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens. The organisation’s domestic programmes—which include We Day, Free The Children’s signature youth empowerment event—educate, engage and empower two million young people across the UK, North America and around the world to become engaged global citizens. Its international projects have brought more than 650 schools and school rooms to young people and provided clean water and sanitation, health care and food security to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty. The organisation has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non‐Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading educational associations, foundations and organisations. For more information, visit www.freethechildren.com.