cityyearuk

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City Year UK attends the APPG on Youth Affairs

‘For me, speaking in the House of Commons has been a long-standing dream’ 

By Catherine Whitehouse who serves as a Volunteer Mentor at  Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Secondary School in London. 

“The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs provided an open forum for the many young people in attendance (the youngest being 12) to have their voices heard by Parliament on issues that affect young people.

“The event (and panel discussion) was chaired by Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MP for Brighton Kemptown and personal inspiration to me after he became the first MP to disclose his HIV Status in the House of Commons, which made the event all the more exciting for me.

“The open floor portion of the event was a valuable opportunity for the young attendants to speak directly to legislatures in the heart of the House of Commons (Committee Room 10) with the assurance that everything we said would be recorded and taken forward. The topics brought up were vast ranging from knife crime, homelessness, mental health (particularly amongst young men) and more inclusive sex-education to name but a few. During this time Satwat (my fellow Volunteer Mentor who highlighted the importance of reducing screen-time) and myself both felt the urge to contribute our own voices to this exciting and monumental discussion.“For me, speaking in the House of Commons has been a long-standing dream after visiting the Palace of Westminster during an A-Level Politics trip in Year 12 and falling in love with not only the building but also the idea of holding a seat in the Chamber representing people and acting as a vessel for their voices to be heard. Since that time I’ve visited on multiple occasions and even had the opportunity to have work experience with Hilary Benn MP. as a result, having the courage to stand and address the crowd at the APPG felt like a major accomplishment and a step towards where I want to be. During my talk I addressed the issue of mental health (particularly among minorities such as young LGBTQ+ individuals) drawing upon my experiences from working with young people from age 7 up until university students using my own experiences and struggles as well as those I have witnessed in others including some I have lost or almost lost to suicide. It meant a lot to me and felt even more poignant when we got to meet Lloyd Russell-Moyle after the event and he personally thanked me for what I had said. We also spoke with a representative from UK Youth Sport who was keen to work with City Year UK, following Satwat’s talk, and get more young people active and excited about physical activity. 

“Being at the event representing City Year UK made me feel proud to serve and that I was really making a difference. Having four Volunteer Mentors in red jackets on the front bench of the committee room was quite a powerful image, we were all fired up for the cause and supported each other when we got up to speak. It has truly motivated me for my year ahead as it has given me faith that although we are young people (and work with young people) we are still highly respected, valued and have the right to have our voices heard.”

‘From Wythenshawe to Westminster: a day in the House of Commons’

By Lana Harold who serves as a Volunteer Mentor at Baguley Hall Primary School in Greater Manchester. 

“As I caught the train from Wythenshawe to the Houses of Parliament, I felt as though I were travelling between two very different worlds; I left behind skipping ropes and school lunches, the walking bus and songs in assembly, and arrived in a world of grand corridors, historical buildings and brief-case-carrying men and women in a hurry. 

“Having gone through the House of Commons’ rigorous security checks, and feeling somewhat alien in this foreign world, it was a huge relief to see a City Year red jacket amidst the formal suits. I approached fellow Volunteer Mentor Satwat, who serves in London, and despite us having not met previously, conversation flowed and I felt connected through our shared City Year identity. 

“Soon after, Volunteer Mentor Jesse also arrived, and we spoke of all things City Year: we told stories of our daily school-life, compared life in London to life in Manchester, and agreed on the respect we have for teachers, having seen the challenging work they do daily. 

“We then made our way through parliament, stopping for photo opportunities — because, did it really happen if there is no photo to prove it? — and arrived at the meeting room (picture a smaller, but equally grand, version of the House of Commons shown on television). Before the event, I was apprehensive; would I feel at ease? Would we, as the ‘youth’ really have an opportunity to raise points and ask questions? Would what we had to say be taken seriously? However, as soon as we sat down, I felt completely comfortable and pleased I had signed up to go. The room was filled with warmth and friendliness, and importantly, a shared desire to take action on issues affecting our generation. It felt promising.

“The panel, made up of 4 female voices from various youth action organisations, and led by Lloyd Russell-Moyle (a Labour-Cooperative MP for Brighton Kemptown), delivered speeches in which they spoke about issues ranging from knife crime to the mental health crisis, to the injustice of the price of sanitary products. As I listened to Larissa Kennedy of the British Youth Council, I felt in awe of both her eloquence and optimism for the future; if people like her make their way into politics, the UK will no doubt be a better place. Then, we on the floor were given the chance to voice our concerns. These ranged from the increase in the number of young people living on the streets, to the problems caused by excess social media use, and whilst the issues raised varied, what united us was the want to achieve change. It was a pleasure to be part of something so hopeful. 

“I left the event feeling grateful to City Year UK for the plentiful opportunities, but also with a newfound respect for and belief in the power of young people. In the midst of such political turmoil, it was promising to be reminded of the capability of the youth, offering hope for the UK’s future.”

[cityyearuk]

Blue Coats Service Action Day

The Blue Coats Service Action Day was a chance for City Year UK and employees from our supporter National Grid to give back to the community by helping Blue Coat School to transform a place for the more vulnerable students. This special place is an area that is used during breaks, lunches, before and after school by a range of unique characters with a varying range of needs. This special place is where students share their joys, their worries, their jokes (sometimes terrible) and even their hopes. This special place is called The Hub, where staff highlight inclusion and deem it incredibly important.

We all believed that the environment we are in will have an effect on how we are feeling. Imagine being in a dark, cold room that lacked any colour and character, you might not want to share your personal concerns with someone like you might do in a vibrant, warm and comfortable space. This is why The Hub needed the makeover, it was for the students who use the space so they feel comfortable and safe being there. 

 The day involved getting last minute preparations sorted before the National Grid employees came and when they did, the vibe instantly changed. There were four volunteer mentors including me on the day and we each had a group of National Grid employees to direct in our own stations. We felt ready to work and the turnout of all 60 National Grid employees made some of the students –maybe for the first time- feel like they are cared about, they are being thought about and they are having something positive done for them. One student came in whilst we were freshening the walls with white paint and started to cry because she saw that all of us had come together to transform a space that is very personal to her. That drove us even more to make sure we delivered the quality of the makeover that we set out to.

In the afternoon the same level of energy continued when our very own West Midlands cohort came in to finish off the transformation. The cohort got split up into teams like National Grid and we danced our way to the end with some good tunes and good entertainment – special shout out to our Impact Officer Elin for showing us her moves! All of the teams got on really well and we managed to complete everything we wanted to.

When we came in on Monday, we received a lot of positive feedback which made us feel as though our hard work paid off. They love our ‘Welcome’ mural that we hand-painted at the entrance in different languages to make our students feel that we recognise their backgrounds and we welcome all individuals. Our calming underwater sea decoration theme was further decorated by the staff using jellyfish lava lamps, seashell fairy lights, ‘cloud’ lights and bean bags which really enhanced the overall look. The staff really do appreciate what we have done and mentioned that we really made a transformation not only to the building but also to the atmosphere of The Hub.

I enjoyed having this opportunity with City Year UK and it truly reflects what we’re alll about. We came together as a team, we cooperated with an external organisation and the school and produced something that the students would love. The students were at the very heart of the day and we are so pleased that they like what we have done. 

Amanpreet proudly serves on Team Freedom at Blue Coat School. 

[cityyearuk]

Lydia’s Opening Day Experience

I was a little apprehensive as we arrived in London on the 13th September. I had no idea what it would be like having all the City Year UK Volunteer Mentors (VMs) in the same place, at the same time and I was definitely dubious of performing PT (physical training) at the Scoop. But, looking back on my Opening Day experience, I can see now that it was one of the most rewarding and influential days I have had since I joined City Year UK.

The day commenced with talks and Q and A’s from some of City Year’s most prestigious members: Michael Brown (Cofounder), Kevin Munday (UK Chief Executive), Jim Balfanz (President of City Year) to name a few. This was incredibly insightful and really humbling to hear how every single person put their all into creating City Year and making it the organisation it is today. A personal highlight was hearing all about how Michael Brown took City Year from just an idea, between him and a friend, and turned it into the incredible organisation it is today. His infinite faith in City Year and constant belief in what City Year could achieve, by helping our society close the educational inequality gap, helped him persevere through all the challenges he faced. It was truly awe-inspiring to listen to and certainly made me feel very proud to be a part of City Year and very grateful to be given the opportunity to have a positive impact on our society. 

Next came lunch (always a favourite time of day for me), in between eating as many sandwiches as I could and scoffing down an unacceptable amount of biscuits, I had my first opportunity to talk to Volunteer Mentor from other sites and find out a little about their experiences so far. It was great to speak to them as I learnt that no matter what school or cohort we were in, we all shared similar worries and similar joys. I also got a sense that we were all feeling more motivated to go back into our schools and help close the educational inequality gap. 

Later in the afternoon came the part I was dreading, although arguably one of the more vital parts of the day… PT! For those who don’t know, PT involves a range of movements and chants that are performed in unison to get us all “FIRED UP” for the day. However, it wasn’t until I was stood in the Scoop with the whole City Year UK cohort, performing Chain Breakers at the top of my lungs, did I truly understand the reason for doing PT. Performing PT as a massive group made me realise that we are all part of one big team fighting for the same outcome: to help provide children with the best opportunities to be the best they can be. Every single one of us will be going on our own journeys, facing our own challenges and having our own mini victories, but by the end of the year, when graduation comes around, all those individual journeys and successes will all add up. As a whole, we will have had a HUGE impact on our society , which is a pretty awesome thought! Even though it was rather surreal performing these chants to a growing crowd of passers-by, it made me realise that we are all one team fighting to achieve the same goal.

Lydia proudly serves in Greater Manchester as a volunteer mentor at Armitage Church of England Primary School.

[cityyearuk]

Pride in schools: Making education LGBTQ+ inclusive

“As some of you may know, June is Pride month and as a Queer volunteer mentor for City Year, I’m here to tell you all about my experience as a mentor, and about the need for LGBTQ+ inclusive education.”

“For those of you unsure of what LGBTQ+ means, it’s an acronym which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning. The plus is to cover any other identities under the umbrella such as Asexual or Intersex.

“I wanted to start by talking about how amazed I am with the improvement that I’ve seen since starting my year of service when compared to my own experiences in school. During my years in education LGBTQ+ topics were rarely mentioned. As far as I remember, being gay was only mentioned in a religious context and gender identity was never discussed outside of what people were assigned at birth was never even discussed as something that people experienced. Since starting working in a high school, I can see how far we have progressed since those days. I’ve seen young people feel more able to open up about their identities, assemblies held on both sexuality and gender, students being referred to external organisations for extra support and said external organisations being brought in by schools to host assemblies on LGBTQ+ identities. The fact that schools are taking steps to support students is fantastic. Students knowing that different identities exist and feeling able to discuss and explore their own identities is a huge step forward.

“However, I feel that more needs to be done. Homophobic and transphobic bullying is still rife in schools. Education surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, as well as support of LGBTQ+ students very much depends on the school in question. Many students report that even their Sex and Relationships Education in schools is lacklustre, and any SRE that students receive uses the assumption that all students are straight and identify as the gender which they were assigned at birth (This is called heteronormativity and cisnormativity respectively).

“I strongly believe that the measures which have already been taken are vital, but are only the beginning. Volunteering with City Year has shown me how far some places have come and I feel that now is the time to push to improve even more. An LGBTQ+ inclusive SRE needs to be taught in a consistent approach across the country. By educating people on the existence of LGBTQ+ people from an early stage, we can truly begin to tackle LGBTphobia in schools and in further society. We’ve reached the stage where the majority of society are aware of LGBTQ+ issues, but without a comprehensive education about these topics, some of the most vulnerable young people in our society are at risk of alienation. Until we allow young people to learn across the country about identities outside of what many of them may know, we only allow those who wish to seize the narrative about those issues to do so all the more easily, we make their task to demonise those who are different so much simpler. LGBTQ+ young people exist and we owe it to them to make it known that we are not controversial, we are not something to be ashamed of and we have not made a choice. We are who we are, and even if that’s different from others, that’s fine and it’s something to be proud of.

Thank you for reading.”

By City Year UK volunteer mentor Chris, who serves in Greater Manchester with Team Diamond

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City Year UK at Downing Street

Hear from City Year UK volunteer mentor Ashley about her trip to Downing Street for The Diana Award!

“On Wednesday 5 December I had the privilege of going to 11 Downing Street (home to the Chancellor of the Exchequer) with two students from Holte school who had been nominated for The Diana Award. The Diana Award is a legacy to Princess Diana’s belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better. It is a programme that develops and inspires positive change on a young person’s future. The aim of the programme is to end with a social action project and Holte students chose to focus on modern day slavery and how it still occurs.

“As City Year UK volunteer mentors, myself and Mary Okhiria help out with the Diana Awards that runs weekly. As a result, I was lucky enough to attend to support my students, and of course, represent City Year UK!

“Much to our surprise, when we arrived we soon found out that our students were the only two invited to represent all the students that participate in the Diana Awards around the country! As well as this, they were also interviewed during the ceremony so they spoke in front of important people such as government officials and celebrities. The students were amazing and did us all proud. They had a constant smile on their face and couldn’t believe they were actually there, as it was such a prestigious event- not everyone can say they have actually been to Downing Street. I honestly was so happy both for them and for being able to witness them have the confidence to speak in front of such respected people, as well as network. They were able to demonstrate what great pupils they are, which made me so grateful for being part of City Year UK.” 

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City Year UK volunteer mentor Jessica’s innovative Wellbeing Club

Jessica is a volunteer mentor with City Year UK. She serves in Team Diamonds in the West Midlands at Hall Green Secondary School. She used her background in working with children and her knowledge of psychology and neuroscience to start an innovative Wellbeing Club to help her pupils manage anxiety and stress, and it’s having a massive impact!

“I started the wellbeing club as I have a keen interest in children and young people’s mental health. I run these clubs outside of school in a local community centre for children and wanted to give the opportunity to secondary school pupils. The programme is designed to help young people manage anxiety and stress whilst boosting self-esteem and confidence, which is done by following a seven-step programme as outlined below. I also added crafts relating to the week’s topic to reinforce what we are learning.

“To start my club, I approached the welfare officer and asked for support in selecting Year 7 and 8 students who would benefit most from the group.

“Throughout the five weeks I have noticed substantial improvements in students, especially in the ‘believe’ step. During the class I explained that we were going to be using positive affirmations and that this is when we say something nice about ourselves or someone else. One student in particular struggled with this more than the others and said he did not want to participate as there was nothing nice to say about him.

“I told the attendees that scientific studies show that regularly practising affirmation can:

Lead to a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine which is known to have the effect of  increasing motivation, commitment and attention.

Increase brain connections’ ‘neuroplasticity’, which means that children can literally rewire their brains to think more positively by focusing on positive thoughts!

Combat negative emotions which we are believed to respond more strongly to.

“Affirmations are difficult to begin with and I reassured the students that they would learn to start believing in themselves over the next few weeks. The third class began to confirm this when the student who said there was nothing nice to say about himself decorated their affirmation tile with the words ‘I am brilliant’ and added the words ‘negative energy’ with a cross through it. It was so rewarding to see this student start to feel positively about themselves in such a short space of time.

“The students started as an anxious class but have developed confidence each week. They have gone from struggling to speak in front of each other to being able to discuss their visualisations and show evidence of this in their crafts. One example of this was whilst decorating their affirmation tiles, the students were also discussing the ‘moon of cool’, a visualisation they had just listened to about feeling angry. It goes on to explain how standing under the moon of cool takes all of these feelings away. One student wrote ‘I am creative’ and ‘The moon of cool’ on their tile, showing that the visualisations were also making an impact.

“At the end of each sessions, the students filled in a weekly passport on how they were feeling. In the last week, a student wrote that they ‘felt good but sad because they cannot come to the club for a few weeks’ as it was the Christmas holidays.”

[cityyearuk]

Nicole’s City Year Journey So Far

Find out how Nicole, who serves in Baguley Hall with City Year Greater Manchester, is finding her year of service!   

I know I’ve been gone a while, but I have been super busy! This is why..

Since August/September, I have been a part of City Year UK, which is a leading youth and education charity that offers the opportunity to give a ‘year of service’ as a full-time Volunteer Mentor (VM) across schools in Manchester that are located in more disadvantaged areas. It’s a great organisation, because as well as tackling educational inequality, they train you alongside in developing leadership skills, and providing you with a variety of tools and opportunities to invest in your future after City Year. You are also given the chance to gain qualifications on the side with The Skills Network.

We are separated into different teams and placed in a primary or secondary school. I am on Team Imagination and we are based at Baguley Hall Primary School in Wythenshawe. At first it was so daunting; with just under 600 staff and pupils, it is not a small school! (4 months in and I still don’t know everybody’s name! )

Baguley Hall runs a Walking Bus every morning, where everyday we walk an hour route around Wythenshawe picking up students and walking them to school so that they are in school and on time. It’s been hell in the winter!

Being such a large school, we started off our journey rotating around all the Key Stage 2 classes (Year 3 – 6) to help us decide what year and class we would prefer and be best suited in. It took a little over two weeks, but it was so fun working around the school and getting a taster of every class each day. Once our classes were picked, we were given a Focus List, which is a list of students who may be suffering academically or behaviourally whom we are to work with daily to help bring their grades and spirits up; generally just giving them any support they need to the best of our ability.

Our focus as their VM is reading and spelling as this seems to be the priority throughout the school, so as well as supporting them in their morning English and Maths lessons, we take them out of class and do extra work on those. As well as this, we are out every day – rain, snow, or shine – doing break and lunchtime duties, which are always hectic! I sometimes feel like we are the superheroes of the playground, spotting and preventing problems and fights, dealing with injuries and fallouts, and supporting those kids are left alone. Hectic. There is never a quiet, unproblematic day on the playground! But, it is a lot of fun interacting with the rest of KS2 outside of the classroom.

In the afternoon after lunch, we read with KS1 for the last hour of the day, and it’s always such a nice way to end it. I read with a Year 2 class, and the excitement and enthusiasm that lights their little faces when I enter the classroom is everything. When it’s time for me to leave, they all shout ‘bye Miss!’, waving at me or giving me tiny high fives. It’s the cutest thing.

By the end of day I am knackered! It takes so much out of you, you don’t realise it until you have the chance to sit down by yourself. I go home, end up falling asleep pretty early, and waking up the next morning to do it all again, but I wouldn’t change it. It’s been a challenging, but very rewarding journey so far, and I can’t believe I’m halfway through it already.

Nicole’s original blog can be found here: https://nicoletallow.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/my-city-year-journey-so-far/ 

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City Year mentor Bismah’s trip to Spain

City Year UK isn’t all early mornings and after-school clubs. Sometimes life can be spiced up with a dash across to the continent as our lucky volunteer Bismah shares in this month’s blog...

“I travelled to Mataró, Spain with five students from years 8 and 9 and member of school staff. My role as a City Year mentor on the trip was to supervise the students, ensure their well-being and enjoyment of the trip, and encourage them to engage with students from other schools.

“The purpose of this trip was to film a music video based on a song that was created by students from schools here, in Germany, Spain and Turkey who all visited the UK last year to write it- it’ll be released on YouTube soon! We also wanted the students to have the experience of engaging with other students and teachers from other countries.

“Most of the trip was spent in a Spanish school where we got to explore and see how different the Spanish school system is compared to the UK. Many activities were held at the school, such as a body percussion and choir workshop, to help prepare all the students for the music video that they were going to film.  On one of the days, we went to see ‘Castells’; human towers traditionally built at festivals. We even had a go at trying to form our own human towers!

“This was a fantastic way to learn about parts of Spanish culture and traditions. It was such an amazing experience to travel abroad for the first time in 15 years(!), to experience different cultures and traditions and to be part of the filming and behind the scenes of a music video for the very first time.  

“Filming parts of the music video at Mataró beach was a fantastic experience. Another memorable memory was spending my 19th birthday in Spain and being able to go to my all-time favourite makeup store, SEPHORA! It was a birthday that I will never forget!  Spending the whole day in Barcelona was another memorable moment as it was great to explore different parts of the city, embrace the culture and explore many of the famous landmarks and buildings such as Palau de la Music. Overall, the entire trip was an amazing once in a lifetime experience that I am very grateful for.”

[cityyearuk]

A day in the life of a volunteer mentor

As a City Year volunteer mentor, no two days are ever the same. You always start the day with no idea what to expect. My busiest day this week, so far, had to be Wednesday:

05:30 - It’s hard to resist the urge to snooze my alarm again, but I really need to get up, get dressed and get going.

06:15 - My bus is running late but it’s finally here. I can use the time to try and wake up and do some coursework.

07:55 - We’re finally in Swinton. There’s only a short walk left now and I’m there for 8.

08:15 - A quick team meeting before going for our duties.

08:30 - It’s my turn to do morning prep for Year 2, before heading back to my classes.

09:00 - First lesson is maths and it’s bus stop division with remainders. I get to lead the challenging group and we all manage to get a lot done.

10:15 - Now it’s time for guided reading, where my group’s reading War Horse. I try and make sure as many of them read aloud as possible, to help them all stay engaged and focused.

10:55 - Time for break, where I get a free front row seat to a dance show by my Year 5s, before heading in for my own break. We spend our own break thinking up ideas for our Book Club tonight, before deciding on a book quiz.

11:25 - Because I’m in both the Year 5 classes, time to go across the corridor and do the same maths lesson again, with the two middle groups. It’s a bit hectic, having to rush out halfway for some photocopying and working one-on-one with the struggling kids, whilst keeping an eye on the 10 or so others, but I’m confident everyone gets it by the end.

12:15 - Time for lunch break, playing tig, retrieving lost glasses, consoling upset kids and explaining weight to Year 6s.

13:30 - After my own lunch break, I go into the hall to help keep an eye on the rest of the juniors as they watch a film, whilst parents are coming in for Parents’ Evening appointments. I didn’t expect to have to comfort a Year 6 when the ending of the film became a bit sad, but it all ended up being okay.

14:45 - The last 15 minutes of the day are just chaos,as we’re making sure the kids all head home or to their clubs safe and sound. But it’s nice to just stand at the door and see each of them off, making sure they’ve got everything they need.

15:00 - I need to rush off to Book Club. We manage to get through the quiz and find out the winner and give out the prizes for the best mystery story from last week.

16:00 - Once club’s over, we take the kids to the office and make sure we can see their carers before we send them off. Then we’re back to the staff room to finish up any last bits and bobs.

16:40 - We finally set off home (but not before a quick snapchat of the sunset) but miss our first bus by seconds. Luckily, the next one’s just round the corner.

17:15 - Into Victoria and a quick jog to my next bus stop, where my bus ends up being late.

17:40 - Finally on my last bus and we set off. Time to catch up on any reading.

19:00 - It hits 7, just as I get through the door and straight to bed.

Madeehah is serving in Mossfield Primary School in Greater Manchester. She and the rest of Team Idealism are role models, mentors and tutors, supporting pupils from disadvantaged communities to enjoy and succeed at school. Find out more about their City Year on our website and follow our mentors’ journeys through the year on our social media channels.

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City Year UK at Party Conference!

As you may have gathered from the news, Britain’s decision to exit the European Union (Brexit) has been dominating politics for months, highlighting divisions in both of the main parties (Labour and the Conservatives) around how best to implement the 2016 referendum result.

It was great, then, to get politicians talking about something they can agree on: the importance and the value of youth social action. This is exactly what City Year UK had the opportunity to do at the Labour and Conservative party conferences over the last month.These are two of the biggest events in the political calendar, in which parties lay out their policies for the year, and where party members, journalists and organisations can interact with the party politicians. We brought along volunteer Durrain Gichki and alumni Chris Hubble to Labour Conference in Liverpool, and volunteer Gauri Shinde and alumni Aaron James to the Conservatives in Birmingham (thanks for your amazing effort!). Our mission was to spread the word about our volunteers’ work in schools, and ultimately to win more support from politicians and important people in the political scene for our Full-Time Social Action Campaign: our fight to secure a national, government-backed programme of youth social action. At each conference, we did really well to get over 20 politicians to pose with our VMs and alumni in our twitter frame, letting them express their support for youth social action (have a look at some of the example pics!). This included politicians from opposite ends of the Brexit debate, like Conservatives David Davis (who resigned as a minister because the government’s proposed Brexit plans did not, in his eyes, respect the result of the referendum) and Anna Soubry (who is advocating for second referendum on EU membership). We also got pics with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Labour MPs David Lammy and Stella Creasy, and Conservative Cabinet Ministers - the most important politicians after the Prime Minister - Gavin Williamson and Esther McVey (among many, many others). Getting pictures often did involve us literally running after these high-profile politicians through busy conference centres with a massive twitter frame, so I would consider not being rugby tackled by security as a success in itself. Seeing how interested politicians of all stripes were in our incredible volunteers was really encouraging, and our public affairs team are now in the process of sending out follow-up communications to the politicians we spoke to so we can build on the support they expressed at the conferences.

[cityyearuk]

Top 6 moments of My City Year Journey: Holly O’Shea

1.       Winning over one of my focus list pupils

At the start of the year one of my students refused to speak to me, she had a lot of attitude and didn’t enjoy school. I tried really hard to get her to connect with me but she was a closed book for the majority of half term one. It wasn’t until she stormed out of English and I followed her to check she was okay that she finally could see that I wasn’t going to give up on her. After that day she completely changed with me, when I walked into a class her face would light up and would even make sure that I came over to sit with her.

2.       Team Day

Just after Christmas each team goes for a day out together on a Friday for a little bonding time. Some teams went out for a meal, bowling or to a trampoline park and naturally our Impact Officer (volunteer line manager) had an action packed day awaiting us. I didn’t think I would take laser tag seriously but we all ended up rolling on the floor, ducking and firing shots left right and centre. Next up was go karting and I don’t think I have ever laughed so much. My favourite part was that one of our team was quite nervous and all of us made such an effort to drive slowly around her. No matter how competitive we are, our team always comes first.

3.       Focus list progress!

Each term we review our focus list process so far, we report on attendance, behaviour points and academic results. Whilst completing mine this term I realised just how far my kids have come and year isn’t even over. I honestly could not be prouder; their success bring so much joy to my day!

4.       Christmas Cards

I decided to get all of my kids Christmas cards with a positive note inside saying how proud I was of them. I was a little bit nervous to give them out as my focus list are 14-15 years old and predominately male, but it really could not have gone better. One of them wouldn’t even open it at school because he was so worried about bending it. Seeing how happy I’d made them is something I won’t ever forget.

5.       When one of my kids left a note in my planner

I got a new work planner and left it on the desk next to one of my pupils as it was empty. The bell went and it was half term (woo!). It wasn’t until I was in the car going home that I opened my planner to see this on the first page:

6.       My team

Last but not least is my team, 2nd family and fellow ‘red jacket people’ (as we were called continuously for nearly 3 months by a year 7 pupil). I can’t even put into words how much the support of my team has meant to me. They are some of the funniest and caring people I have ever met and never fail to put a smile on my face (even in the morning)! We have an appreciation box where we get to put in anonymous notes and celebrate each other each term, the kindness of my City Year squad knows no bounds. Things are not always sunshine and rainbows during the year, you go through some tough times but having your team right by your side can make a whole world of difference.

#cityyearuk #volunteerfulltime #changinglives

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A Day in the Life of an Impact Officer: Jo Tinker

Joanne Tinker, Impact Officer, Greater Manchester

Hi, I’m Jo and I proudly serve as the Impact Officer for the Lighthouse Team in Stretford High School. Prior to coming to City Year UK I was a History teacher for 6 years, teaching 11-18 year olds.  My degree was also in History from the University of Manchester.  I love working with young people and believe passionately in the power of education to change lives.

My alarm goes off... At 6am.  I live in Saddleworth - which is 45 minutes from school on a good day - so an early start is essential.  I also have 2 Pugs who are desperate for their breakfast and playtime.  I leave my house at 6.50am & usually reach school for 7.35am.

I’m responsible for...On a basic level I am responsible for a team of volunteers in school and act as the link between the school and City Year UK. I manage a team of 6 volunteers in Stretford High, carry out regular coaching sessions, 1:1’s and observations.  I plan and carry out trips for students, organise visits to the school from City Year and their partners, do daily duties, drive the school minibus, deal with safeguarding issues, run assemblies, coordinate after-school clubs, run charity drives, collate and analyse data, create regular impact reports, create presentations for governor’s meetings, deliver briefings to the school staff team, plan and deliver Friday training sessions, liaise with numerous internal and external bodies and take part in several working groups.

I got my job after...Working as a History Teacher for 6 years.  I became increasingly frustrated with the changes being made in education, and decided that rather than sit and moan about things I could act and hopefully become part of the solution.  I haven’t looked back!   The interview process was also quite rigorous and was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.  There were easily 30 people at the first round of interviews and I didn’t expect success because I thought it was so hard to be noticed.

The worst part of my job… Saying goodbye to a team. We go through a lot together over the course of the year - bad and good.  Seeing them graduate is such a proud moment but also really sad because you have become a family.

The best part of my job… Helping to develop young people; seeing the impact the whole process has both on the students, and on the volunteers themselves.

My advice to anyone who wants to be an Impact Officer is …. be prepared for anything and everything, be organised and willing to think on your feet, but most importantly be resilient.  You have a lot of responsibility and there’s much you can’t plan for.  A passion for education and young people is also vital, as is a positive outlook and a willingness to get stuck in.  It’s a challenging role but I enjoy it because I’m doing something I love.

To find out more, and to apply for the Impact Officer role click here

#cityyearuk #Impact Officer

[cityyearuk]

Recruiting for London Impact Officers

PITW #14 "I'm ready - choose me." Opportunities to lead and make a difference can come along at any time. Don't get caught napping, and don't miss out.

City Year UK is pleased to announce that the recruitment campaign for London Impact Officer roles for Alumni and current serving City Year UK volunteer mentors has opened!

You can now submit your applications for the Impact Officer roles using this link: https://cityyear.livevacancies.co.uk/#!/job/joblist/

This is an exciting opportunity for you to apply for this integral role in the City Year UK programme. This process is being run as a professional recruitment process. All applications will need an up-to-date CV, a tailored inspiring cover letter that details your suitability for the role, and answers to the 'Three questions'. Do read the City Year UK 'Join us' booklet and the 'Three Questions' document to help prepare your responses. You can view these documents by following the links below.

View the 'Join us' document: https://bit.ly/2H7eO9F View the 'Three Questions' document: https://bit.ly/2H9imIh

Closing date for applications: 11 am – Wednesday 13th June 2018

Please note the School Partnership / Programme Officer role is for external candidates.

We look forward to seeing applications from you soon!

[cityyearuk]

#InternationalWomensDay: Sarah Smith

After graduating from Newcastle University, City Year UK seemed like a fantastic opportunity to begin my career in the charity sector. I love working with young people and I liked the look of the leadership development programme, since I lacked the confidence and skills to lead. I also wanted to volunteer over a relatively long period to have a bigger impact.

The Gym Club

I remember feeling very body conscious as a teenager, and I often felt too intimidated to go to the gym. Girls are not encouraged to do physical activity in the same way that boys are, and P.E. lessons put many off sport. I and my teammate Aamina saw an opportunity to do something about this, and our project tied in with City Year UK’s ethos of inspiring all children to believe in themselves.

The girls were enthusiastic about the idea and the club has been very popular with the Year 10s. One week when they were away, the Year 11s attended and were keen to return the following week. The P.E. department are now looking into setting up another session on Thursday lunchtimes for dance. I’m also hoping more will attend now that I’ve secured monthly donations of fruit and a cash donation from local supermarkets.

Lessons learned

The City Year experience has been challenging but rewarding. I’ve learnt to be persistent and understand the value of building positive relationships. My relationship with the kitchen and P.E. staff has enabled me to get the project up and running. I’ve learnt to be flexible and take feedback on board. I’ve also learnt how to market a project; I used a free online marketing tool provided by the This Girl Can campaign to advertise the club.

Future plans

Next year I intend to work towards a career in Corporate Social Responsibility. I would like to use my experience as a mentor to encourage big corporate companies to fund or even provide mentors to better the lives of children in London schools.

#iwd2018 #internationalwomensday #cityyearuk

[cityyearuk]

#InternationalWomensDay: Aamina Bashir

I joined City Year UK after making the snap decision to take a gap year before going to university. I wanted to give something back to the community and work with kids who were left out of school initiatives, helping them to reach their full academic potential.

City Year UK’s emphasis on working in disadvantaged communities really resonated with me because I have experienced the educational inequality that can be common in these areas.  I��d like to have a career that allows me to empower young people and tackle the inequality gap faced by many underrepresented kids in the UK.

The gym club

My teammate Sarah and I had noticed that the gym was dominated by boys and that the P.E. staff were all male. We knew how uncomfortable P.E. could be for some girls and we wanted to create a safe space for girls to work out without the pressure and dominance of boys.

The club has been very successful; a lot of the Year 10 girls have shown up and are really enthusiastic. It’s created a really nice environment for girls to come and try new things and enjoy sport without the pressure of other people watching.

We’ve noticed some really positive changes in the girls who take part. They’re more comfortable with sport and more up for trying something new in the club. They’ve asked for more sessions and we’re hoping to set up a dance club.

I’ve learned so much from setting up the club. I’ve learned to turn words into action, adapt to different situations and problem solve.  I’m much more confident and assertive now and not easily intimidated.

What next?

Next year I will be starting at the University of Cambridge, studying education, psychology and learning. I’d also like to continue working towards tackling educational inequality, working with the access and inclusion team there to provide opportunities into higher education for pupils from disadvantaged areas in London.

#iwd2018 #internationalwomensday #cityyearuk

[cityyearuk]

My Journey into Youth Social Action with City Year UK: Tasnia Altafi

My life before City Year UK was one filled with the constant need to do more each day. When I first started volunteering, it was with Enactus UK which focused on entrepreneurial social action. I spent months going through the mechanisms of trying to discover myself, of trying to understand my own skills and what I had to contribute to the world because my goal was to find out how I could make a difference. It took me a while but I realised what it was that was missing from my life: To see the direct impact of my actions. This is where City Year comes in.

I browsed through endless placement opportunities, trying to find something that sounded right, that struck a chord inside of me and made me feel like I was making a good choice.

Starting my role as a volunteer mentor with City Year UK in September was possibly one of the most nerve wracking things I have ever done. In those first two weeks, I learned what it meant to be brave, confident and assertive. I was unaware of my full capabilities until I was stationed in the classroom I would be in for the next nine months.

I realised that I was able to develop an assertive voice, became more confident in my own decision making and how I could become a leader simply through leading by example. 

What surprised me the most and the one key reason I would recommend City Year to any young person, is the relationships you can build

The opportunity I have had through City Year over the past four months has taught me one main thing: Children are incredible. I wasn’t sure how my relationship with children would evolve but I know that I am constant support for them and care about their wellbeing. Being in the classroom allowed me to face my own demons of self-doubt. I never knew I could feel so valued and directly see the positive impact I’m having on another person’s life, from a child putting their hand up and getting stuck into a subject or eventually plucking up the courage to talk to me on the playground.

The City Year experience is so much more than helping children with their school work. You are that in-between teacher and friend which is such a special relationship, unlike anything else in the school environment. As a City Year volunteer mentor, I am a shoulder to cry on, the first person a child confides in and one of the first they ask for help if they are struggling with something. I have been able to see my impact each day over the past few months and I know through this experience that I have the power within myself to change the world. It really has become real for me: Give a year, change a life.

To find out more about City Year’s leadership development programme, visit www.cityyear.org.uk/join 

#volunteering #full-time social action #social action #red jacket #placement #gap year #mystory #cityyearuk

[cityyearuk]

Tesco Bags for Help: Support schools in your area

City Year UK has reached the final voting stages of the Tesco Bags of Help scheme and we would really appreciate your support to help us win the first prize of a £4,000 grant. This funding would enable us to continue providing reading initiatives at schools in your local area.

How can you help?

It would be brilliant if you could spread the word to your friends and family - asking them to vote for us next time they are at one of these Tesco stores:

LONDON

1-23 City Road London Express Store, EC2A 4DE 

Archway Holloway Road Express Store,  N19 5SS

Caledonian Road London Express Store, N7 8TP 

Clerkenwell Station Express Store, EC1V 3AF  

Drayton Park Express Store, N5 1AN

Essex Road Islington Express Store, N1 2EB

Highbury Metro Store, N7 8JP

Islington Metro Store, N1 8DU

Kings Cross Metro Store, N1 9DX

London Holloway express Store, N19 4HN

London 24 Chiswell Street Express Store (City of London), EC1Y 4TY

Pentonville Road London Express Store, N1 9TT 

Seven Sisters Road Express Store, N4 2HY

Stroud Green Metro Store, N4 3PX

Newington Green Express Store, N16 9BS

Sisters Road London Express Store, N7 7NS

St John Clerkenwell Express Store, EC1V 4UD

GREATER MANCHESTER

Baguley Extra store, M23 9TJ

Northenden Metro Store, M22 4JT

WEST MIDLANDS

Olton Express B92 7HS 

Sheldon Superstore B26 3DY

Shirley Hobs Moat Express B92 8JJ

Yardley Extra B26 1AD

You can vote as many times as they like and voting starts 2nd January 2018 and runs until 28th February 2018.

Your support would mean a lot to us and allow us to continue delivering a really worthwhile literacy scheme, whilst also increasing awareness of City Year UK in the local area.

#tesco #bagsforlife #voteforus #cityyearuk #socialaction