{"id":54579,"date":"2015-03-02T16:27:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-02T16:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=4f9aa9e6900f0b89b7bb9541f4331cd9"},"modified":"2015-03-02T16:27:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-02T16:27:00","slug":"speech-rob-wilson-on-youth-social-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=54579","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Rob Wilson on youth social action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>It\u2019s a pleasure to be here today to celebrate the recent achievements in youth social action with so many of you.<\/p>\n<p>Since I took over this job last year I\u2019ve had the honour of speaking at a number of prestigious venues. Now I can add this place to that list. The Royal Overseas League. It sounds a bit like an international polo competition. <\/p>\n<p>Now, normally in competitions we focus on the winners. [Political content removed]. But sometimes in life there are occasions for everyone to be the victor. And that\u2019s how I see it for all those involved with youth social action.<\/p>\n<p>Our young people being the change they want to see in the world. Our next generation developing the skills and gaining the experience they need to fulfil their potential. Our communities benefitting from great projects that enrich their local areas.<\/p>\n<p>Social action brings out the best in our young people. And I\u2019m here today to thank you for your role in making it happen. To the providers who\u2019ve worked with us to deliver innovative programmes. To the supporters who\u2019ve match-funded or are helping to sustain these initiatives.But most of all to the participants, who\u2019ve taken up these opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m delighted to see some of you here \u2013 even on a school day. But there\u2019s a good reason for missing school. We\u2019re here to celebrate the tremendous work and effort that have gone into making these programmes such a success. It\u2019s a credit to you all.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"government-support-and-evidence\">Government support and evidence<\/h2>\n<p>Today we\u2019ve got representatives from across 3 of our funds:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Youth Social Action Fund<\/li>\n<li>Journey Fund<\/li>\n<li>Vulnerable Young People Fund  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s an investment of \u00a313.5 million we\u2019ve made in youth social action since 2013. With another \u00a310 million committed to uniformed youth groups carrying out social action over the next year. <\/p>\n<p>I say \u2018investment\u2019. Because that\u2019s exactly what it is. Investment means getting a return in the future. And, as we\u2019ll hear in more detail shortly from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/behavioural-insights-team\">Behavioural Insights Team<\/a>, youth social action certainly produces that.<\/p>\n<p>The results of our 3 randomised control trials are hugely encouraging and provide a solid, quantitative evidence base for the sector to take heart from.<\/p>\n<p>They show those taking part in our programmes score higher on a range of measures \u2013 the kind of characteristics employers look for. The 6 qualities \u2013 problem solving, grit and resilience, empathy, community, co-operation and educational attitude \u2013 were chosen because of their links to hard outcomes \u2013 employability being a key one.<\/p>\n<p>Consistently, social action increased young people\u2019s empathy and community involvement. And we also see significant increases for many participants in grit and resilience, co-operation and problem solving. In addition, the findings show participants were more willing to donate their time again in future than those who didn\u2019t take part \u2013 imperative if we are to entrench social action as the norm.<\/p>\n<p>I know many of you are still delivering. And that some of the evaluations are still to come. But you can feel fortified that the evidence is showing what we always believed it would. That social action makes a difference to those engaged in it. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anecdotes\">Anecdotes<\/h2>\n<p>And having been to see some of the projects represented in this room for myself, I\u2019ve got to experience their value first-hand. Whether it\u2019s Southern Brooks in Bristol, Citizenship Foundation in Birmingham or Voluntary Action Within Kent in\u2026well\u2026Kent, the story is the same. Enthusiastic young people getting involved and making a difference. Identifying the issues they want to address in their communities. And finding a way to do it.<\/p>\n<p>From campaigning against domestic abuse to cultivating community gardens, and everything in between, these young people have covered a huge breadth of social action.<\/p>\n<p>Before Christmas I went to the Cornwallis Academy in Kent and heard all about the tea-dance the students had organised for the residents of a local retirement home. It was a vivid illustration of the power of social action to bring together different generations of the community and I want to pay tribute to everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>I only wish I could have visited more of you in the few short months I\u2019ve had. But my officials have kept me informed about the fantastic things taking place across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Like the \u2018Community Apprentice\u2019 project in Birmingham, run by Envision. Before I entered Parliament I ran my own businesses, so I know what it\u2019s like to take an idea and make it a reality. But pitching to the West Midlands\u2019 equivalent of Lord Sugar? I\u2019m not sure I could do it.<\/p>\n<p>Or Media Trust\u2019s \u2018Youth Media\u2019 programme, encouraging young people to be social action reporters and storytellers. I know a number of the participants went on to take part in Sky News\u2019 #AskTheLeaders live TV event at the start of February. <\/p>\n<p>Most politicians secretly dream of being Prime Minister. But after seeing the forensic interrogation David Cameron faced that afternoon, I\u2019m sure many will be having second thoughts!<\/p>\n<p>Yet it\u2019s impossible not to be invigorated by witnessing the next generation leading the way on the issues of the day. In November, I had the great honour of speaking at the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk\/\">Youth Parliament<\/a>. The Palace of Westminster opened up like at no other time in the year.<\/p>\n<p>300 MYPs in the House of Commons chamber, debating serious issues facing our country \u2013 the kind of topics my colleagues and I wrestle with on a daily basis. The Living Wage. Mental health. Better access to work experience. None of these issues are simple. There are no easy answers. But the quality of debate left me with a lasting impression. Informed. Passionate. Articulate. And I believe youth social action can help build those qualities for all. Awareness for the world around us. The desire for to change things for the better. The confidence to make it happen.<\/p>\n<p>In this year, more than any other, I want our young people to recognise the importance of taking part. For some, that means <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/register-to-vote\">registering to vote<\/a>. And exercising that right in May. But for everyone, it means stepping forward to take up the opportunities being created by every organisation in this room.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"vulnerable-young-people\">Vulnerable young people<\/h2>\n<p>And we shouldn\u2019t forget those here today who\u2019ve been involved with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in society. Such as those in care, young offenders and refugees. It takes dedicated work from organisations like Groundwork who train up those not in education, employment or training.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m inspired by how much young people want to help others as peer mentors. It\u2019s clear that mentoring from \u2018Near Peers\u2019 can provide a unique contribution and develop a special bond. Family Action, SOVA and Rise Up are just three of the examples that we\u2019ve been able to work alongside. <\/p>\n<p>The wider community has been crucial to this work\u2019s success. 1,000 volunteers in the last twelve months is a testament to that fact. So thank you to everyone who\u2019s had a role. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"step-up-to-serve\">Step Up To Serve<\/h2>\n<p>As many of you know, this government has been proud to support Step Up To Serve\u2019s <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iwill.org.uk\/\">#iwill campaign<\/a>. Launched by the His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2013, the campaign rightly has the backing of all the major parties to achieve its long-term aim: increasing by 50% the number of young people engaged in social action. That\u2019s no small ambition. But, with hard work, I believe, a realistic one.<\/p>\n<p>Last year we commissioned research from Ipsos MORI to map the current participation rates across the country. It showed 40% of young people are currently carrying out social action. That means we want to see over 60% playing their part by 2020. To get there we need more opportunities created, more adult volunteers to support them and more young people enthused about getting involved.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"national-citizen-service-ncs\">National Citizen Service (<abbr title=\"National Citizen Service\">NCS<\/abbr>)<\/h2>\n<p>That\u2019s part of the reason I continue to champion <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncsyes.co.uk\/\">National Citizen Service<\/a>. Even before I took up this role, I was a regular at <abbr title=\"National Citizen Service\">NCS<\/abbr> events in my constituency. Meeting with graduates of the programme and finding out how much it had made an impact on their lives.<\/p>\n<p>With social action at the core, <abbr title=\"National Citizen Service\">NCS<\/abbr> is a great example of how we can inspire the next generation to do their bit while building skills they\u2019ll use for life. Over 130,000 people have been through <abbr title=\"National Citizen Service\">NCS<\/abbr> to date, who\u2019ve collectively totalled over 3 million hours of volunteering. And there\u2019s an exciting 2015 ahead as we make many more places available.<\/p>\n<p>I know some of you in this room are involved in making <abbr title=\"National Citizen Service\">NCS<\/abbr> possible so I want to wish you the best for the forthcoming year \u2013 those Easter programmes aren\u2019t far away!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"uniformed-youth\">Uniformed youth<\/h2>\n<p>Few things matter more in life than opportunities for young people. A few weeks ago, I visited the Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham to launch the final allocation of funding for Uniformed Youth groups.<\/p>\n<p>The school plays host to a lively police cadet unit who meet regularly to carry out their drills and plan their social action. I\u2019d never inspected cadets on parade before and it was certainly an experience for me, if not for them!<\/p>\n<p>Aside from a stray dirty boot here and there, I have to say I was impressed. The energy of the cadets and the commitment of the volunteers gave me great confidence for the future.<\/p>\n<p>The opportunities for social action are endless. And the ways in which we provide these chances to young people are growing. Whether it\u2019s through the curriculum, after school clubs, holiday projects or empowering people to get involved in their spare time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"centre-for-youth-impact-and-conclusion\">Centre for Youth Impact and Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ll hear more on the outcomes in a moment, but I want to finish by once again saying thank you for your hard work over the last 2 years. You\u2019ve delivered against targets, reported on finances and evaluated the results of your programmes.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve placed such an emphasis on the evaluations because we want to establish evidence-based programmes as the norm. The bigger the impact you make, the stronger the case for supporting you. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve invested in the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youth-impact.uk\/\">Centre for Youth Impact<\/a>, who you\u2019ve heard from this morning.<\/p>\n<p>You should rightly feel proud of the things you have achieved and I hope you have enjoyed working with the Cabinet Office. Together we\u2019re showing what the benefits of youth social action are.<\/p>\n<p>And the next step is shouting it from the rooftops. To attract investment, volunteers, and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 participants. In the words of Step Up To Serve \u2013 I know I WILL. Will you?<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minister for Civil Society spoke at a Cabinet Office event to celebrate youth social action at the Royal Overseas League.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54579"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=54579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54579\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=54579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=54579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=54579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}