On Thursday 14th July, over 132 Participation Workers from the North West of England met to take part in the launch of the North West Participation Workers Network at the JJB Stadium in Wigan.
Delegates were from a wide range of organisations – local and national charities, Government Office North West, the United Kingdom Youth Parliament, local health services, Manchester Children’s Hospital and many others. All local authority youth services in the North West were represented.
Chris Ashley, chair of the UKYP Procedures group opened the day and introduced the first speaker Cllr Simon Blackburn from Blackpool, who is the youngest Councillor ever elected. Cllr Blackburn spoke passionately about the importance of engaging with young people and was questioned about what he was doing to make councils more young people friendly.
Delegates attended 2 different workshops throughout the day, out of a total of 6 which were:
Engaging Disabled Young People (Audrey Stanton, Project Worker, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People – Young Disabled People’s Project)
Hear by Right (Harry Wade, NYA)
Act by Right (Becky Sharp, NYA)
Involving Children and Young People in Knowsley’s Strategic Plan (Susana Carvalho, Knowsley MBC)
Young People Led International Work (Nick Sanderson)
UKYP : Partnerships for Change (Andy Hamflett)
(Workshops presentations available to download below)
The second speaker of the day was newly appointed Chief Executive of the UK Youth Parliament Andy Hamflett. Andy praised CYPI and the Regional Youth Work Unit for putting on the event and emphasised the importance of networking in the expanded field of children and young people’s participation.
He outlined how he wanted to revitalise UKYP to collect young people’s voices together, to withstand changing systems in local and central government, and to keep participation robust.
The third and final speaker was Cllr Brian Wilson from Wigan. He told the audience that he felt children and young people’s participation was a key development for Children’s Services.
In Wigan a lot of successful work had taken place but more capacity building was needed. Cllr Wilson was questioned about future funding for children and young people’s participation.
During the plenary session delegates heard from inspirational Nick Sanderson, from the youth led organisation based in Blackpool, Planet Exposure. Nick also facilitated the energiser ‘Wigan Wave’!
Also during the plenary, Liz Harding from the Regional Youth Work Unit thanked the planning group for the Conference and talked about the future for the North West Participation Workers Network. Delegates were invited to submit the membership form in their pack and informed that a second conference would take place in July 06, at which point the planning group will report back on what they have done and there will be an opportunity for new planning group members to volunteer themselves. Liz outlined the aims and activity for the regional network.
Excitingly, the North West Regional Network has already been given an opportunity to join forces to support children and young people in a Youth Green Paper consultation event to be funded and at the request of the new Director of Children and Learners from Government Office North West. Kate Clements, Youth Work Advisor from GONW, also informed delegates that children and young people could send messages about priorities to the new Director of Children and Learners, Nigel Burke, via the regional network.
Liz Harding ended the day by emphasising that the North West Network is open to anyone who has participation work as a significant or specific part of their job, and it is not at all confined to ‘Youth Workers’.
Download Hear By Right Presentation
Download Knowsley Children's Fund Presentation
Download Manchester Coalition of Disabled Young People Presentation