The #FutureChangemakers Funded — Project Update
Camden Giving’s Future Changemakers have recently awarded funding to youth services to make Camden safer for 16–25 year olds. With our sister BID, Euston Town, we allocated £20k towards this fund and we are pleased to announce that CTU’s funding is going towards Performing Productions!
Following a rise of fatal stabbings in Camden, Camden Giving (members of our co-working space Camden Collective), started fundraising for a fund with a twist — all the decisions would be made by young people who have experience of life’s challenges; the Future Changemakers.
The 10 Future Changemakers who all live in the borough of Camden and are aged between 16–25 years old, wanted their peers to have more positive role models and improved awareness of mental health issues. They took part in training, designing the grant call-out and deciding which applicants should receive funding. Whilst on the programme, the Future Changemakers were paid London Living Wage.
Following the programme, 2 of Camden Giving’s Future Changemakers who were previously unemployed or underemployed, have received employment through connections that Camden Giving have made, and 2 are currently being interviewed or have been shortlisted.
One of the Future Changemakers said that they were “really proud to be part of a new community of Future Changemakers who all have one mutual aspiration — to be a voice for young Camdeners and influence positive change through the grants we give.” They went on to say;
“Young people are not taken seriously enough and often shut out of decisions that affect them. I feel strongly that we should be part of the solutions to create a safer and brighter future for everyone. I hope this fund will leave a legacy and inspire other young people to be involved in shaping opportunities to help them become leaders in Camden.”
Last week they awarded £85,000 from local businesses, including £20k from CTU and Euston Town BID, to local youth services who applied to the fund.
The 9 charities and social enterprises who will receive funding are:
· Action youth Boxing Intervention
· Coram Fields
· The Winch
· The H Foundation
· Performing Production Community Interest Company
· Fitzrovia Youth Action
· Urban Community Projects
· SYDRC
· Pro Touch Soccer Academy
We’re pleased to be supporting Performing Productions, an organisation which endeavours to create a healthy and inclusive community through drama and arts.
Up until now, the production company has helped more than 500 children and disadvantaged young adults by giving them a stepping stone into the world of performing arts. They offer workshops that help young people to express themselves and express their experiences, using different mediums and forms of media — mainly music and film. We hope that our funding will help them to continue their incredible work and lead to positive change in the lives of young people in Camden!
Maliha Jannah, was elected as Chair of the Future Changemakers and led the group to decide which charities they would fund, she said;
“Youth services and projects rely of the Future Changemakers funding. I feel like the actual difference we’ve made will be really obvious as we’ll have more youth off of the streets, achieving their goals and actually working towards their ambitions and ideas and hopefully more youth achieving their gaols, rather than being at risk.”
Khalil Farah, who also took part in the programme said;
“I feel like it will make an impact in the community as a whole and a lot of young people will benefit from the decisions we’ve made.”
One of the projects chosen to receive funding from the Future Changemakers was Corams Fields, Marco Grecco from the successful charity said;
“The Youth Programme at Coram’s Fields works in the south of Camden and aims to tackle the structural societal inequalities that hold back too many local young people and stop them from achieving their potential. This grant from Camden Giving will ensure that whenever a young person comes to our Youth Centre, there will continue to be a team of trained Youth Workers on hand to support them, acting as positive role models who inspire them to be the best they can be. A big thank you to the Changemakers Panel for making this happen!”
We’re so pleased with the outcome of this programme and the young peoples’ increase in confidence through the learning of new skills is proof of the value of the Future Changemakers.
Follow Camden Giving:
Twitter: @camden_giving
Instagram: @camdengiving
Website: www.camdengiving.org.uk
Follow Performing Productions:
Twitter: @PerformingPro
Instagram: @performingproduction
Website: www.performingproduction.com
