Youth Social Action – Step Up to Serve

There was much reporting yesterday about the new youth social action campaign led by Prince Charles, ‘Step Up To Serve’ – it aims to increase those aged 10-20 involved in social projects from 29% to 50% by 2020. The main idea seems to be to “help youth organisations across the country increase opportunities to help young people get more actively involved”. A key element of the campaign is the National Citizen Service.

All well and good. But surely the most important youth organisations of all are schools and colleges?

As it happens Learn to lead have been deep in discussions recently with a few local authorities and colleges who are keen to develop more strategic approaches to engaging young people. The trigger has been new funding opportunities – relating to both the National Citizenship Service and the Cabinet Office’s Vulnerable and Disengaged Young People Fund.

There are two areas where Learn to lead could really add value, perhaps uniquely: enlarging the pipeline for other youth organisations and campaigns significantly and relatively very cheaply by training up and working with schools, including primary schools from age 10; increasing the value and sustainability of the NCS experience (and that of other organisations and campaigns) through imparting the Learn to lead values and processes.