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32 Covid-19 Support Work
Hooks 4 Change: Find your pathway By Jaya Gordon-Moore
‘Hooks 4 Change’ is a project set up by Fearless Youth Association this year, aimed to increase social mobility and social capital for young people (age 14-18) from poor socio-economic backgrounds across Nottingham. We believe that many young people want to get involved in more opportunities in this city, but do not know where to go and who is offering what – we plan to help guide them. ‘Hooks for change’ is a criminological concept arguing that people stay away from crime when they are exposed to ‘turning points’ in life. As we all know, young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities suffer the most from educational inequality and lack of social mobility, ever-widening the gap of achievement and representation across institutions and powerful positions. Not only are people from these communities stigmatised by racial bias, but they are more likely to be from impoverished areas which also has a direct correlation to educational attainment and social mobility. Furthermore, young people from these communities are more likely to be victims of crime, and less likely to have access to opportunities inside and outside of school to change their position. It is important to address this injustice because it has the potential to not only show institutions the importance of elevating these young people, but also offers them a chance to grow, move away from potentially dangerous situations, and help them explore opportunities available for them. This was not only an opportunity for young people in Nottingham to access the support they need, but also a chance for organisations to promote the amazing work they are doing. As we all know, it can sometimes be difficult to reach the people we need to help the most,
one of the aims of these packs is to bridge this evergrowing gap. This is not only an opportunity for young people to get involved in more in their city, but also an opportunity for you to reach more of the people you are aiming to help. It is so important that community organisations collaborate and do not compete, sharing resources and allocating needs is the way forward. We all specialise in particular areas and so it is important to highlight this. What we did With the help from a range of organisations in the city, we managed to design and distribute ‘Hooks 4 Change’ packages across Nottingham to those from these disadvantaged backgrounds. Offering them: • • •
A comprehensive brochure highlighting a range of opportunities from a number of organisations across Nottingham. Mind map / Goal setting prompts and activities to help guide young people on their development journey Stationery and Notepad
To increase access, the opportunities brochure is also available on www.issu.com. Simply scan the QR Code on this page, or go to: https://issuu.com/mojatu/docs/ fearless_youth_association_hooks_4_change_project How to receive a Hooks 4 Change package If you or your organisation is interested in ordering some packs, please do email us : jaya@fyaonline.com A big thank you to all the organisations involved, and Peace First for helping fund this project.
