September news
Young people have the power!
Celebrations will be held next week as Young Money throw a fun packed party to mark their 2nd birthday. The event will be held on Wednesday 24 September at the Spinnaker Tower, and will celebrate the success of the innovative scheme.
Young Money is the name young people came up with themselves for two funds (The Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund) that are accessible to young people living in the Portsmouth area.
The celebrations will include a dance & music performance and presentations from groups of young people who have received funding for projects. Their presentations will demonstrate how they spent the funding allocated and what they have gained from the experience.
The funds are provided by central government to Portsmouth City Council, to be spent by young people on activities, improvements and new facilities they identified as needed in their local area. It aims to give young people a say in their surroundings and to shape the future of their community.
There is £200k available that applicants can ‘bid’ for, and grants can be anywhere between £100 and £10,000.
The final decision about which of the bids are awarded money is made by young people themselves, in the form of the Young Money Panel. This panel includes young people who receive training and support, enabling them to become the decision-makers
In October 2007 The Victory Land Theatre School was awarded £10k to put on their own production of The Wizard of Oz at the Kings Theatre, whilst £5k was given to the Meon Milton Under 15 Girls Football Club. This allowed them to travel to Holland for a week so that they could compete in the Haarlem Cup in July 2008.
£15k has recently been awarded to young people in Paulsgrove, allowing them to make improvements to a local park area in Butterfly Drive, they intend to make the area more appealing and provide features for younger people.
Current bids include musical equipment to write and perform their own music, equipment and activities for two different youth centres, and funding for a weekly radio show for people their age.
Young people can find out more about the Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund
by calling 023 9281 7878, emailing yau@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or by writing to YAU, YMCA, Oasis Centre, Arundel Street, Portsmouth, PO1 1NP.
Date : 18 September 2008