Community Organisers Ltd (COLtd), the national training and membership body for community organising in England, today (20 June) launches an ambitious new programme to train 100 young people as community organisers in ten local areas between August 2018 and August 2019.

Community organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around their common concerns and overcome social injustice. Community organisers reach out and listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.

COLtd is looking to partner with ten youth organisations in England who will each work with it to recruit, train and support a team of ten young people, aged between 12 and 18, who can listen to their peers and others in their communities and institutions, facilitate other young people to voice their concerns and passions and drive forward collective action for change.

COLtd is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to recruit, train and support 3,500 community organisers between 2017 and 2020.

COLtd has already piloted training for young people through Social Action Hubs and National Citizens Service Graduate Boards. As part of this programme it is developing materials and content that help young people to engage with the community organising framework. Young people have been trained in primary schools, secondary schools, youth clubs and on residential courses.

Nick Gardham, CEO of COLtd, said:

“We’re really excited about the prospect of partnering with organisations to recruit and support young people who want to make a difference in their communities. We will train and mentor them in community organising principles and practice and together support them to bring about change that makes a positive impact.

“We want to work with diverse youth organisations who share our passion to develop young people as citizens and equip them with the skills to listen, understand, motivate, analyse, strategise and to lead and organise action which changes lives.”

Young people recruited as part of this programme will take part in accredited one-day courses on community organising principles and skills, as well as coaching and mentoring. They will also get the opportunity to meet other teams of young community organisers at a two-day national residential event.

COLtd will help each of the ten partner organisations to recruit ten young trainees. Young people and staff will receive a package of support worth £7000 including dedicating training and mentoring, quality assured courses and small grants to cover the cost of travel.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 30 July 2018 and youth organisations that wish to apply for this opportunity should click here

ENDS

Notes to editors: for details of the full Youth Programme please click here

For more information about Community Organisers Ltd and the work of community organisers across England please visit: www.corganisers.org.uk

Media Contact: Chris Twells (Communications Officer) 07712 516818 or email chris.twells@corganisers.org.uk