Case Study 6 - Youthwise©


to work Policy Heading: Enjoying and Achieving - Every Child Matters


Quote One of the most evident factors I saw were the problems facing young people born into the deprived communities and the social problems caused by a lack of interest in young people by society in general. Young people today need a source of inspiration to point them in the right direction and give them positive motive to strive to succeed.


Reality: Our experience One of the earliest interventions by the Youth Charter involved a reciprocal visit by a group of young people from Hulme and Moss Side to Los Angeles. A group of 20 Los Angelina’s initiated a visit to the UK following the 1993 LA riots. The group representing the most diverse multi - cultural group of young people to leave American shores visited the U.K. to develop the leadership and experience that would see them return to their communities better equipped to assist their development and every day life.


The purpose of the exchange was to provide each young person with a sporting, artistic, cultural, political and economic experience that will result in a rewarding personal and positive contribution to their communities. In particular the young people would see the role that sport and arts was playing in one of the most socially disadvantaged neighbourhood communities where anti social and gang culture was sadly a way of life.


Adesuwa McCalla was a disillusioned 14 year old sufficiently inspired by her inclusion on the exchange to follow her dreams.


Fig. 3.7 Adesuwa McCalla


"I always wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but there weren't many opportunities for a black girl from Moss Side. YCSCA gave me the opportunities and when I was 14, they arranged a trip to Los Angeles. As soon as I got there, I just knew it was where I wanted to be. It was such an inspiration. When I came home to Manchester, I focused on going back."


Upon leaving school Adesuwa secured work experience at the BBC and Granada in Manchester, but reflecting that her opportunities were limited in Britain, decided to study at Howard University in Washington for which the Youth Charter helped secure funding. She won a scholarship whilst there, graduated in 2000 and got a job with Nickelodeon, the children's TV channel before moving to MTV in New York.


She is currently working as programme associate with the Warner Brothers Network in California having worked on hit shows such as Dawson's Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville. But she admits she would not be where she is today if it were not for the Salford Quays-based Youth Charter for Sports, Culture, and Arts (Youth Charter).


‘Money’, as the song goes, ‘makes the world go round’, and is the key perceived (and real) issue for the majority of young people who now pursue alternative career and entrepreneurial activity on the streets. Whilst this ‘alternative career path’ may contribute to the economy, as young people from this particular culture of activity are some of the biggest spenders of disposable income within clothes, jewellery and leisure and lifestyle accessories, their non participation in more traditional and current employment and economic activity prevents legal income generation as well as income from tax and other contributions possible. It is estimated that 43% of adults have no paid work although this figure includes pensioners and others who may have other sources of income.


Using the figures of £143.10 for men and £128.10 for women the cost to the economy in lost contributions and foregone earnings are £264m pa and £763m pa respectively (PAT12)*; the potential unemployment bene- fit for 16-18 year olds is some £228m pa (PAT 12)*. Non participation at an early age can be continued into adult life. There are 173,000 of 16-18 year olds who are classed as not in education, employment or training (NEET)* which includes 7% of 16 year olds and 8% of 17 year olds (Youth Cohort Study)*. It is also estimated that the ‘Bling £’ is worth up to £3 - 4 billion pa, these estimates are based on Youth Charter Socio demographic and lifestyle trends of behaviour and spending.


Young people from the age of 14 through to 24 have been facilitated from school work placements and experience, modern apprenticeships, millennium volunteers, probationers and student interns all benefiting from this approach. Challenging and disciplined, over 20 young people have gone on to career paths of employment and enterprise as a result of the Youthwise© to Work approach.


Case Study 7 - Youthwise©


to work Policy Heading: Economic well-being - Every Child Matters


Quote Our purpose is not to constrain individual opportunity and prosperity in the interests of society as a whole. On the contrary, it is to use the power of society acting together to enable prosperity to spread, not just to a few but to all - Tony Blair


Reality: Our experience Four disaffected youths from the Salford area of Manchester, being trained through the Youthwise programme, have established a Car Valeting scheme in Salford Quays. As part of the Youth Charter's strategy to provide vocation training and employment opportunities as well as address the joy riding and car crime in the Greater Manchester area, an innovative social enterprise was established in response to the dialogue and consultation with young people currently identified in the Youth Charter programme. As a result of this the Anchorage Car Valet was established with the support of AMEC Developments, Ford Quick dealership of Trafford and Salford City Council in May 1997. This unique collaboration provided employment, training and a unique model that went on to be replicated with other car wash enterprises springing up all over Manchester.


The longer term is to develop the youth into “self-social enterprises” that can be seconded throughout the UK to develop identical programmes. The current social enterprise aims are to re-invest any profit back into other planned social programmes within the immediate community.


Fig. 3.8 Youth Charter’s Car Valet is launched


Social Impact Of the six original young people employed and two adults, the intergenerational challenges were considerable. Punctuality and traditional work practices were replaced by a co-operative approach with significant progress made in all aspects of each individual’s personal and social development. At one stage up to seven young people worked for no wages for a period of three weeks in order to maintain and save the enterprise. This was achieved without senior management involvement.


Lessons learned The Anchorage Car Valet Company was a massive challenge with senior management practices of ‘do as I say’ at odds with a youth culture and employment ethos that required a ‘do as I do’ approach. Confidence, trust and respect were lost within the day-to-day relationship between the young cohorts and the senior management. This saw the enterprise sadly brought to a close with a number of social and economic consequences that have now been resolved. Our experience has taught us that all enterprises of economic activity should be investment driven as opposed to charitably sustained.


Summary Entrepreneurial activity has yet to be fully exploited within the area of re-engaging young people lost to traditional training and employment. The street entrepreneur who sells his product markets, promotes, devel- ops customer relationships, financial forecasting and debt collection services as a portable vendor providing an incredible resource of entrepreneurial flair, which is yet to be realised. This area of activity requires specific focus of both public and private sector agencies to counter the ‘bling’ dependency of young people who can earn hundreds if not thousands of pounds per day as opposed to a daily wage. Entrepreneurial activity is the only way to provide economic activity to meet the economic and status aspirations of those working ‘below the line’.


What we inspired This social enterprise saw car wash companies established all over the City of Manchester. Up to ten small businesses of this kind were opened employing young people. A franchise model was also developed with replicable potential as a social training, vocation and employment programme and sustainable economic and viable social enterprise.


Agencies Salford City Council, Amec Developments Limited, Ford Quick’s Dealership Trafford 3.7 Arts Inclusion


The arts in its broadest sense has been of equal, if not more importance in the Youth Charter’s work over the last decade as an important vehicle of expression, the artistic appeal of engaging, motivating and inspiring social and cultural confidence within the young people and communities we have worked with has provided an invaluable number of interventions at all levels of youth social inclusion and community regeneration.


From the opening of the Agora multi sports arena by English Actress, Susan Hampshire OBE at the Procter Youth Centre in 1994, the Youth Charter has continued to build on and develop highly successful arts inclusion interventions. The Salford Quays Graffiti Arts Project in 1996 was a tremendous success providing a commissioned site and a unique public/private sector investment in the overall project that still sees Salford Quays untouched by graffiti, or vandalism ten years on. With the launch of the Youthwise© Programme in 1997, our arts inclusion programmes have provided a balanced and holistic choice to young people who have little or no interest in sport. Artistic expression in the dramatic, written, spoken and expressed form have given young people choice and characteristics that through sport channel aggression, but with the arts provides an alternative expression and outlet to young people’s energy and abilities.


Fig. 3.9 Salford Quays Graffiti Arts page 30 *Refer reference pages 45 - 46


The references underlined in this report can be hyperlinked on the electronic version via the Youth Charter website: www.youthcharter.co.uk


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