YL Project Hope CIC is a project that is youth led for young people set up by two young people who saw a need for a project to help combat youth loneliness during COVID-19.
Initially set up in March 2020 within just two weeks YL Project Hope was created out of an idea that we ran with to help people come together online while the world was becoming less connected physically.
For many people there was a need for human connection but for those aged 13-25 we saw that many didn't know how to connect online. Whereas for myself and my friend who set up the project, our friendship has always been predominantly online and as a result COVID-19 did not change our friendship greatly.
Project Hope initially ran two to three online sessions a week in a youth group style set-up which young people could join. We used Eventbrite for people to book and created safeguarding policies to ensure everyone was safe.
We ran activities such as creative writing, games night, open mic nights, quizzes, educational topics, art sessions, baking sessions, learning a new language and so much more.
It became apparent that this was needed and well received by so many as sessions had from four to 80 young people depending on the day, activity and time. We were asked by charities and projects to run sessions for their colleagues about running activities for young people that are youth led. As a result we decided to run our own conference which consisted of four sessions in a ‘lunch and learn’ manor and we engaged over 200 individuals. Each session was on a different topic decided by young people and ran by young people. We were able to engage various different groups of young people to support us.
Since then we’ve ran workshops, talks and activities for adults and young people to understand the importance of youth voice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amelia Collis-Patel MBE is passionate about making a difference and having a positive impact. She is determined to fight injustice and create community so individuals can learn off one another as she believes we all have something to teach and learn. Amelia has been fortunate enough to participate in several opportunities but to also to create her own opportunities to ensure she is always an advocate for others.
Find out more about YL Project Hope CIC by following them on their social media channels.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.