A Framework for Supporting Ambitious Youth-Led Social Action
The Peer Action Collective (PAC) is delivered by young people at its core and is supported by Delivery Partners to research and take action on the drivers of violence affecting young people. Delivery Partner staff took part in a day of learning and reflection. Their insights have been used to develop the following framework, outlining a set of guiding principles which aim to support other organisations wanting to work with young people to take the lead and drive real change forward.
The core values
Our principles centre on creating a ‘whole offer for whole young people’. By this, we mean:
A strong culture to embed these core values
This offer should be part of a strong culture, with values embedded into everyday practice. This culture:
Ongoing work to embed this strong culture
To help maintain this culture, organisations and practitioners seeking to elevate youth leadership should look to apply the following principles in their everyday practice:
These principles have supported young people on PAC to recognise and (re)claim their power, providing them with a renewed sense of self and purpose. This is evident in their increased confidence and ways in which they’re taking themselves seriously as young professionals with greater responsibility and ownership of undertaking ambitious social action.
Co-operation and time are key
One of the PAC funding partner’s, Co-op, has supported the production of this framework. The values that have emerged from our PAC network strongly connect to the broader cooperative movement values. A summary of how the framework connects to these values can be found below:
Co-operation strengthens our culture by fostering inclusive, fair collaboration within our team and beyond. It can take time to build trust and relationships, and this is something that needs to be worked at to become stronger over time. By sharing learning openly and working together rather than competing, we build a stronger, more effective movement for young people.
Questions you may find helpful to ask in team spaces to support culture building
As reflected in the framework, building a strong, fair and inclusive culture is essential for supporting ambitious youth-led action. Building this shared culture with buy-in from all partners can take time and requires a lot of reflection and constant work that can be as challenging as it is rewarding. To support this ongoing work and reflection, you might find it helpful to reflect as a team on the following questions, revisiting some as needed when circumstances change:
Call to action
We don’t want PAC to operate in a bubble – we want as many organisations as possible to benefit from what we’ve learned. So please, take this framework, and see what you might embed in your own practice.
We also want to learn from you too! If there’s anything you would add or change, let us know at youthvoice@youthendowmentfund.org.uk
What’s next?
In the next phase of PAC, we’ll be developing this framework to include a guide with the practical tips, tools and techniques that organisations are using to embed the principles, culture and offer in practice. If you’d like to be part of the conversation, get in touch at youthvoice@youthendowmentfund.org.uk
Written by Ruth Stables, Innovation Practitioner, and Amelia Clayton, Senior Researcher at The Young Foundation.