Campaign addresses isolation felt by deaf teenagers
May 4, 2012The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) is launching a campaign called Look, Smile, Chat to help deaf and hearing teenagers communicate with each other.
The campaign aims to reduce the social isolation experienced by some deaf teenagers by putting hearing teenagers in the shoes of their deaf classmates and giving them simple steps to make communicating easy. Deaf children and young from our Youth Advisory Board told us that deaf awareness was their top priority and wanted us to take action.
NDCS worked with hearing young people to find out what questions they had about deafness. Ideas included what they would miss if they were deaf, how they could communicate with their deaf friends more easily and how to get the confidence to go up to a deaf person and start a conversation. The Board members shared all their ideas and top tips and said hearing young people just need to… Look, Smile, Chat.
Free resources, including short films, lesson plans and posters have been created to help spread the simple steps that can make a big difference to the lives of deaf teenagers. All the resources and information can be found here: www.buzz.org.uk/looksmilechat
NDCS is asking organisations to show their support in the following ways:
- Share the campaign resources with young people, professionals and parents you work with.
- Post a story about the campaign on your website or e-bulletin (see suggested text attached, please contact us if you need photos)
- Show your support by adding the campaign badge to your website. You can download this badge or copy the embed code from our website.
- Add the Look Smile Chat pin badge to your social media accounts and share the campaign. You can download this from http://ow.ly/aFEu5
The films are perfect for a session with young people, and you can adjust the lesson plans to suit your sessions. Do send through pictures and comments from the adults and deaf/hearing young people who use these resources, we would like to receive them!
If every organisation who reads this email does at least one of the above actions, we can improve the everyday lives of the 45,000 deaf children and young people living in the UK.
Thank you!
Lucy Read
Head of Children and Young People’s Participation
www.ndcs.org.uk
Playfair 2012 – Celebrating Five Years of Play
May 1, 2012From Adam Steiner, API – Federation of Sports and Play Associations
At this year’s Playfair the API (Association of Play Industries) will commemorate five years of the UK’s only play-dedicated annual trade show highlighting the latest and greatest innovations in play space construction and design.
The very first Playfair, held in 2008, was notable for being both the first event of its kind and for introducing the government-funded Playbuilder programme that saw API members supply playgrounds to communities throughout the UK. Adrian Voce (now Adrian Voce OBE), the then Chair of Play England, now an active play campaigner, took to the seminar stage to outline the Labour government’s play. The event also featured a sizeable playground exhibiting the benefits of holistic play alongside API members, providing a platform for the UK play industry.
Playfair 2009 was a notable year with a massive 35% increase in visitors compared to 2008. The show was heaped with praise and once again a feature playscape, worth £150k, and representing 19 suppliers was constructed by four API member companies working together in only 6 days.
Playfair 2010 received almost 1,000 visitors and a stronger showing of API members exhibiting. Once again, busloads of schoolchildren visited the site and were free to try out all the play equipment, many of them becoming so engrossed that they appeared to forget all about the World Cup and the imminent England match. Many of the play spaces at the event reflected the increasing natural play influence that had already become so popular through the Playbuilder scheme.
Ray Baxter, Events Manager for API partners, Brintex, said: “Sunny Stoneleigh Park was transformed into a true showcase for manufacturers and suppliers of play equipment and safety surfaces. Visitors came from all over the country with excellent representation from both the public and private sectors.”
Playfair 2011 was also a remarkable year for several reasons. Following the general election in the previous year and the appointment of thye coalition government, play suddenly faced severe cuts after the Playbuilder funding was cut. However after several months of hard campaigning, Emma Kane a mother from Oxford, a reduced final wave of Playbuilder funding was saved and Emma’s seminar talk earned concerted applause from an audience grateful for her efforts. Another inspiring talk came from Olympic gold medallist, Sally Gunnell, who spoke of the need for the government and communities to embrace active play as a pathway to sport.
Playfair 2012 is on-track to be the best show yet with a quick sign-up for stand space from API members in spite of the difficult economic times for the play sector and communities at large. This year API will also help to promote the child’s right to play through the Right Year for Children campaign which aims to strengthen children’s rights in England.
The Playfair 2012 seminar program will also feature talks on new funding schemes for play, information on the government’s latest Change4Life initiatives and physical activity information from the British Heart Foundation. Held on the 19-20 June at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, Playfair 2012 is free to attend for all landscape and play and leisure industry professionals.
Looking forward, Playfair 2013 will be held on 18-19 June – we hope to see you then!
For further information contact Ray Baxter at Brintex on 020 7973 4695, or email: r.baxter@hgluk.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged article 12, children, children's rights, education, law, participation, politics, report, rights, school, schools, UN convention, UNCRC, young people | Leave a commentFair and Square! Children’s Society calls for free school meals
April 27, 2012The Children’s Society Fair and Square campaign aims to ensure that all children in need of a free school meal receive one.
- From Rights! Cameras! Action! – young people explore children’s rights through photography. For more photos and resources and activity plans on UNCRC visit www.rightscamerasaction.org.uk
Free school meals are a crucial entitlement for families living in poverty. These meals help to ensure that children from the lowest income families receive warm, nutritious food in the middle of the day. More than half of all school-age children living in poverty aren’t getting free school meals. These 1.2 million children may not be eating a single nutritious meal all day. Please sign our petition to ensure that our poorest children get the free school meals they need to thrive.
School meals can provide important health benefits and contribute to the education of the children that receive them.
As presented in the Children’s Society Fair and Square campaign report, evidence shows that eating a nutritious meal at lunchtime has important health and educational benefits for children. The meals can improve their diet and increase their concentration during afternoon lessons. The meals can also help children to develop healthy eating habits and can potentially decrease health inequalities.
Now is the time to act!
Over the coming months the government will address the future of school meals as they overhaul the current welfare system. This presents a unique opportunity to influence and improve the delivery of free school meals so that they are made available to children in low-income working families. Not only would this be good for young people, there is overwhelming support for allowing children in low income working families to receive free school meals. A poll conducted by GFK NOP on our behalf found that more than 90% of people believe that free school meals should be available for all children in poverty, including those in working families. (Details of the poll are in the report.)
What you can do
Sign the Children’s Society petition today to ensure that young people receive a free school meal.
In addition, you can read the Fair and Square campaign report here.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged article 12, children, children's rights, education, food, free school meals, health, law, meals, nutrition, participation, politics, report, rights, school, school meals, schools, UN convention, UNCRC, young people | Leave a commentChildren England visitors members explain how they are defending children’s rights
April 25, 2012By Nick Davies, Children England
Commitment to the UNCRC is one of the universal characteristics that is shared by all of Children England’s members, no matter their size or specialism. All over the country, these brilliant charities are working seven days a week promoting and protecting children’s rights. In this anniversary year, both for Children England (we’re 70!) and the UK ratification of the UNCRC, we wanted to highlight some of these excellent projects. At our recent annual conference we asked attendees ‘What are you doing to make children’s rights a reality?’ A handful of the answers that we received are below.
‘Campaign to improve visiting conditions for the children of prisoners’
‘Helping young people attend, contribute and chair their looked after child reviews’
‘Making sure all looked after children in the area know about our children’s rights services’
‘Providing a range of activities for young people so that they can exercise their right to participation’
Further answers can be seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gIObDw0rvo
Although plenty of brilliant work like this is taking place, there’s still so much more that could be done. 20 years after the UK signed up to the UNCRC, it is time for the Government to match this commitment by fully incorporating it into UK law.
Nick Davies
Policy Manager
Children England
www.childrenengland.org.uk
Young people’s messages out of the box!
April 20, 2012
Photos by Matt Daw
To ‘kickstart’ the Right Year campaign in December 2011 young people all over the UK sent in footprints to be handed in to 10 Downing Street. The thousands of feet received featured a wealth of messages from young people for David Cameron, and some imagnative and beautiful designs. We hope that David Cameron and Nick Clegg sat down and read them all, but just in case they were too busy, we recovered the boxes of feet from the halls of power in order to make sure that the hard work and creativity of these young people gets a chance to be seen. On Saturday 14th April a team of Right Year volunteers gave up their day to go to UNICEF’s offices to sort through the feet and capture a selection of the artwork and messages, so that we can give them prominence through the rest of the Right Year campaign.
Below you can see a few of the fantastic quotes and feet we received and handed in to No. 10, however to see a selection of the feet in all their glory head down to the Underground Gallery in Charing Cross for thw Rights! Cameras! Action! exhibition (full details in previous blog posting). We’ll also be sending out inspiring messages from young people, and photos of feet, via our Twitter feed – @RY4C – for the rest of the campaign. Follow us for a weekly dose of feelgood wisdom from young people all over the UK!
“It is important to me to have the right to meet my mates and walk the street and go to places I want to. Me and my mates are not a gang so it’s important to me to have a right to hang out with my mates and have a laugh. This is social behaviour, not anti-social behaviour.” John, Knowsley Young Carers
“It’s my right to live in an understanding society and have support with living my life, whatever my abilities may be.” Anon
“Dear Mr Cameron, As you know there are people all over the world who don’t go to school. The fact is that if you hadn’t have gone to school you wouldn’t be the PM. Surely everyone has the right to be what they want, and without your help they won’t.” Nelson
“Dear Mr Cameron. Us children think it is important that all children get all of their rights, no matter how poor or unfortunate their lives are… The children of England are counting on you. Please make sure they are OK.” Charlotte, Ferndown Middle School
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- Photo by Matt Daw
Rights! Cameras! Action! Exhibition – young people explore children’s rights through photography
April 5, 2012
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Young People Explore Children’s Rights Through Photography An exhibition to mark the Right Year for Children (www.ry4c.org.uk) – a year of events and campaigns to mark 20 years since Britain’s adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Wednesday 11th April – Thursday 10th May 2012 Private View and Right Year for Children reception: @ The Underground Gallery For more about the Rights! Cameras! Action! project and UNCRC, including free resources and lesson plans, visit: This exhibition has been generously supported by www.supersizeprint.co.uk |
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School exclusions system does not respect children’s participation rights – Children’s Commissioner
March 28, 2012
Article courtesy of Participation Works
The Children’s Commissioner’s inquiry into school exclusions has shown that the system is in breach of children’s participation rights under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report says that there is currently no effective way for children’s views to be heard and taken account of. This was reflected in the experiences of many of the young people interviewed for the inquiry. One boy, when asked how his views had been taken into account said:
“They weren’t. The school didn’t listen to me – it just does what it likes.”
Research for the inquiry found that schools did not always consider ways of ensuring that students’ views are taken into account during the exclusions process. One teacher said:
“… we don’t consult the student, we talk to the student. ” (Key Stage 3 lead, School 3)
One child, who had been permanently excluded said:
“I went to the school meeting but felt they had made up their minds already. If the head teacher makes his mind up you have no second chance.”
Most respondents to the inquiry provided information on student involvement in reviewing behaviour and disciplinary approaches or policies and in the collation of evidence leading to an exclusion. However, this was mostly focused on information gathering rather than seeking the views of the children concerned. Some schools went even further, saying that “the views of the pupil and parent are not sought for a fixed-term exclusion” and that “I can’t think of a case where the views of parents/children have been included.”
The Children’s Commissioner is calling on the Government to amend statutory guidance to make it clear to schools that children and young people’s views must be sought as part of the exclusions process, and that they must be taken into account when coming to a decision. The Commissioner is also calling on the Government to ensure that children have a legal right to appeal against their own exclusion. This reflects the recommendation of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Find out more from the Children’s Commissioner website
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged article 12, children, children's rights, education, law, participation, politics, report, rights, school, schools, UN convention, UNCRC, young people | Leave a commentVolunteers needed to help amplify children’s voices in the RY4C campaign
March 9, 2012
Feet bearing messages from children all over the UK handed into 10 Downing Street on 16th December 2011 to launch the RY4C campaign.
Help us record children’s messages to the PM!
On 16 December 2011, children and young people marched to 10 Downing Street to deliver messages from thousands of children all over the country about why children’s rights are important to them (see earlier posts for details). The hand-in marked the 20th anniversary of the UK’s adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
So the messages have been delivered and – we hope – the message heard, It’s now time for us to record what children said to the Prime Minister so that their messages can have the biggest possible impact over the course of the Right Year.
What we need…
On Saturday 14 April, Right Year for Children members and supporters will meet up at UNICEF UK’s offices to digitally capture the messages children and young people drew on cut-outs of their feet. These messages will then be used by the Right Year for Children coalition to push for change for children’s rights.
If you’re a member of the Right Year coalition, we need you to join us! You don’t need any experience with a camera, just a willingness to come along for as much time as you can spare. We will be sorting and photographing feet created by young people, and typing up some of the messages written on them.
Date: Saturday 14 April 2012
Time: 11.00am to 3pm
Venue: UNICEF UK office, 30a Great Sutton Street, London, EC1V 0DU
Support with travel expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Find out more or RSVP
Contact Rose Virden at UNICEF UK at rosev@unicef.org.uk or on 020 7375 6022 by Friday, 23 March 2012.
Thank you!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 10 Downing Street, children's rights, feet, footprints, photographs, photography, photos, ry4c, UNICEF, volunteer, volunteers | Leave a commentOpportunities for young people – courtesy of Participation Works
February 29, 2012OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
The National Children’s Bureau is recruiting a small team of young people to train as media spokespeople for our campaign work for warmer homes, lower fuel bills and a cleaner environment. They will get training on how to speak to the media, structure an argument and use social media to promote their ideas. They will then work with our experienced communications team to get their voices heard. You can download the information and application form. Applications close on 7 March.
New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) are running this survey to help develop an evidence base about charities’ experience of being commissioned to deliver public services. They hope to use it to influence government and commissioners, and inform the charity sector as a whole. NPC would like to hear about your relationship with commissioners and supply chain, how your contracts are changing and the impact this is having on your charity and beneficiaries.
14th Nov 2012 BRISTOL
We’re not all bad! Young people call out for balance in the press – By Reuben Massiah
February 22, 2012
A while ago I was in Cornwall with family friends, I had gone to someone’s birthday party and all the locals were curious to find out more about me and London. “So Reuben, you live in London?” After replying ‘’yes” I was immediately asked “So have you seen gun? Are you in a gang? Seen any shootings or stabbings? London is filled with them right?” While I quickly responded “No, I have not” I stood there wondering, Wow, is that really their image of London? Where did they get this idea from? Especially since I have lived in London all my life and never seen any gun gang violence. You have to conclude that the media has done a good job in making the small minority of negative seem normal. This just isn’t fair!
Last Monday 13th, along with the Youth Media Agency and 7 young people representing 60 youth organisations like UK Youth, YMCA, Scouts, and British Youth Council which represent millions of young people, I stood outside The Royal Courts of Justice to raise awareness for #presschange4youth and a submission we have sent to the Leveson Inquiry. Whilst there, we gave interviews to press, staged a short performance, handed out flyers and spoke to passersby about how we want to reform the Editors Code and Press complaints Commission to make it easier for children and young people to exercise their right to reply.
Why? Because when it comes to reporting of UK’s children and young people, the balance between good and bad stories reported is dangerously tipped towards the negative. In 2009, a study conducted by Women in Journalism (WIJ) stated that 70% of press about young people is negative in contrast with a dismal 14% positive. This has a huge impact, with millions of people reading their newspapers being coaxed into the idea that a majority of young people are a threat to society and major reason for the crime. In fact public perception of youth is at an all time low according to British crime Survey in 2010. The media have to take some responsibility, as bullying headlines call us ‘feral’ evil, scum, threatening, monsters, morons, rats’.
What about the good stuff? Where is our voice? Aren’t adults meant to inspire and encourage us? Doesn’t sound like it to me. I am an example of the other side. I am a young writer, taking part in a project called Truth about Youth at Oval House Theatre, where I see on a daily basis the most amazing talent and positivity. Young people supporting each other, training other young people, involved in helping their community. But when we try to get our story in the press, they say ‘its not a story’.
Bad news sells but at what cost? When children are called names to sell newspapers you have to ask yourself is that responsible journalism?
Please support our campaign by tweeting #presschange4youth #leveson
Go to www.youthmediaagency.org.uk for more info
Blog by Reuben Massiah – Creative Associate for Youth Media Agency and Young Writer for Truth about Youth, Oval House Theatre
Over 60 youth organisations representing over a million children and young people believe reforms must be made to the Editors Code and Press Complaints Commission (PCC) in a bid for a fairer, more balanced press in the UK. In line with UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s 2008 Concluding Observation No. 17, UK must “take urgent measures to address the intolerance and inappropriate characterisation of children, especially adolescents, within society, including the media”.
The four recommendations made by the youth organisations to the Leveson Inquiry are:
- That ‘age’ be included as a classification of discrimination in the Editors Code Clause 12.i, such as in the NUJ Code of Conduct 9 which should be amended to: ‘Produces no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation’.
- That a new clause be added both to the Editors Code and the NUJ Code of Conduct that reflects the damage caused by generalising negatively around children and young people. For example: ‘Journalists should exercise a duty of care and avoid negative generalisations about children and young people’.
- That the Press Complaints Commission is made more accessible to children and young people and the PCC develop a ‘child and young person friendly’ interface on their website with language that is accessible to children and young people.
- That the Press Complaints Commission ensures someone within the organisation has trained skills in working directly with children and young people in order to handle their complaints with sensitivity and discretion.
If your organisation wishes to show its support to the recommendations to the Leveson Inquiry please
For more info go to http://www.youthmediaagency.org.uk/presschange4youth/
Tweet #presschange4youth #leveson
contact Susana@youthmediaagency.org.uk Sign our #presschange4youth
e-petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29003 and join our Facebook page Presschange4youth
Download the full press release
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