Getting young people
in Leicestershire involved
Summary
The UK Parliament Outreach team has been working with Leicestershire Cares to connect with disadvantaged young people in the East Midlands.
In early 2020, we ran a UK Parliament workshop with young people supported by Leicestershire Cares. The organisation and those it supports have gone on to enage with Parliament in different ways over the following years.
Partner organisation
Leicestershire Cares is a charitable organisation based in the centre of Leicester that is committed to working in partnership with young people and business, community and government partners to find lasting solutions which help young people reach their full potential.
The organisation currently supports care experienced, unemployed and homeless young people as well as those caught up in the criminal justice system, offering them a wide range of groups and practical support where they can meet up with others in similar situations, make friends, develop skills and confidence and have fun.
The workshop
In February 2020, 18 young people attended a UK Parliament introductory workshop arranged with Leicestershire Cares by our Outreach Officer for the East Midlands.
There was a high level of engagement from all the attendees, who included care-leavers and asylum seekers with very little knowledge about UK Parliament and its work.
The group shared their experiences and frustrations of being a care experienced young person in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and looked at what issues affect them the most.
Reaching out to MPs
The young people at the workshop were also given the chance to send postcards to their local MPs, highlighting issues on which they would like action to be taken at Parliament.
This direct connection with our parliamentary democracy and elected representatives made a big impression on the young people in attendance. It gave them an understanding of the opportunities that exist to get involved with UK Parliament, its Members and its work on behalf of all citizens.
Excellent feedback
Malcolm Smith, UK Parliament Senior Outreach Officer
Malcolm Smith, UK Parliament Senior Outreach Officer
Feedback from Leicestershire Cares:
“It was the right length. It was pitched at the right level to a very diverse group, with some high achieving university students to young people that struggle with English.
The facilitator, Malcolm, clearly knew his stuff and was not fazed by off-the-wall questions. It was interactive and engaged the young people well.”
Engaging with Parliament
Since the workshop took place in February 2020, Leicestershire Cares and the young people it supports have taken a series of steps to engage with Parliament in different ways.
Getting involved with the House of Lords COVID-19 Committee
In July 2020, one of the young people who attends sessions at Leicestershire Cares, Diana Omokore, attended the initial meeting of the youth panel for the House of Lords COVID-19 Committee.
Diana appeared in the promotional video made for the Committee, saying:
"One key issue I would like the Committee to prioritise is mental health, it’s something that affects everyone especially the young people in society."
"Young people are our future leaders, they'll soon become our future role-models that will influence future generations. I believe that encouraging good emotional and mental wellbeing will lead to more positive and fulfilling lives."
Contacting local MPs to raise issues and challenges
Care Day is an annual celebration of the achievements of people who have been in the care system.
Young people supported by Leicestershire Cares arranged an online meeting with local MPs including Jon Ashworth (Labour, Leicester South) and Luke Evans (Conservative, Bosworth) on Care Day 2022, to highlight particular financial challenges faced by young people moving out of care and into independent living.
Helping to shape new policy proposals for care leavers
Leicestershire Cares has been part of a national project led by the Learning and Work Institute to explore the challenges faced by care experienced young people in accessing welfare support and help to develop new policy solutions.
Since the start of the project, three care experienced young people supported by Leicestershire Cares have written to and met with MPs from different political parties (and other stakeholders) to promote their policy asks.
In April 2022, the three young people in question had a tour of the Houses of Parliament, organised by the office of Jon Ashworth MP. The tour took them through the House of Commons and the House of Lords, giving them a personal insight into how policy is developed and turned into law.
About us
The Participation Team
The Participation Team at UK Parliament works on behalf of both Houses to deliver award-winning visitor services, outreach activities, educational programmes, learning resources, and opportunities for the public to engage with parliamentary business.
We promote Parliament’s unique role in our democracy, help to make Parliament relevant and accessible to all UK citizens, and show how people can get involved with Parliament’s work in different ways.
How we can help you
- We offer free workshops, events and training to community and youth groups, to help you get your voice heard.
- We visit schools and colleges in person and online, to run free sessions for your students about UK Parliament and its work.
- We offer EMPOWER! workshops, for adults with learning disabilities. These highly accessible sessions typically last 45 minutes and are adjusted around the needs of your group. They’re designed for a minimum of 10 people, including carers.
- We also run SEND workshops, which are sensory based sessions aimed at pre-curriculum age students between 7-19 years old
Please get in touch to find out how the Participation Team can work with your organisation to deliver tailored outreach activities.
Further information and links
© UK Parliament 2022
Photo credit: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor
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