annual report 1st april 2008 to 31st march 2009
Our street, Fournier Street, E1 with some of our team
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Contents Chair‟s introduction ...........................................................................................................................3 Director‟s introduction ........................................................................................................................4 Mission and Aims ..............................................................................................................................5 Governance and Structure ..................................................................................................................5 Summer Programme .......................................................................................................................10 The Venues ................................................................................................................................10 Creative Industries .......................................................................................................................10 Art and Design ............................................................................................................................11 Fashion and Textiles ....................................................................................................................11 Carnival Dance and Textiles:. ..........................................................................................................12 Film, New Media and IT ...............................................................................................................12 Music.........................................................................................................................................13 Performing Arts ...........................................................................................................................14 Study & Explore ...........................................................................................................................15 Work Zone ..................................................................................................................................16 Cookery, Tourism & Hospitality ......................................................................................................18 Sports & Fitness ..........................................................................................................................19 Girls Only Courses .......................................................................................................................22 First Aid......................................................................................................................................23 The 2008 Summer Programme Showcase, 27th August 2008 ..............................................................23 Reel Change ...................................................................................................................................24 Nang! ............................................................................................................................................24 Job Ready Programme .....................................................................................................................25 WWW! (What We Want) ...................................................................................................................26 Music Space 3 ................................................................................................................................27 London Borough of Tower Hamlets Extended Schools commissioned programme with THSU ....................28 Accrediting our work ........................................................................................................................28 Youth Ambassadors Scheme ........................................................................................................29 Dare London ...............................................................................................................................29 Involving Young People in our work ....................................................................................................29 Peers Motivators Scheme .............................................................................................................30 Summer Uni London ........................................................................................................................31 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................34 Operational Partners 2008-9 ............................................................................................................35 Funders 2008-9 .............................................................................................................................36 Financial Review..............................................................................................................................37 Future – the next 12 months ............................................................................................................39 Brand Development .....................................................................................................................40 Contact Details ...............................................................................................................................40
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Chair’s introduction On behalf of all the trustees of Tower Hamlets Summer University, I am delighted to present our annual report for 2008/9. As you will read, the 13th year of our activity has seen the continued excellent delivery of innovative and exciting courses for young people in and around Tower Hamlets and the further expansion of the Summer Uni model across London. The report really demonstrates the staggering amount of work that THSU staff and volunteers undertake and shows that this quantity has in no way affected the quality of what they do. The numbers speak for themselves: 32 Summer Unis across London running a total of 1,255 courses for 28,000 young people; and in Tower Hamlets: 102 courses for 1,800 young people in summer alone, a significant rise on 2007. This all shows that THSU continues to reach out to more young people, providing them with unique opportunities for informal learning, volunteering and engagement that are so essential to the positive development of their lives. As anyone who works with young people knows, numbers tell only a small part of the story. Reading through this report I continue to be impressed with the range of new activities and programmes, the amount of care and thought that have gone into their preparation and planning and the clear benefit that they will have for the young people involved. Job Ready is one such project that identifies a real need and provides fun and accessible techniques for addressing that need. Working with young people who have been out of employment or training, Job Ready introduces and de-mystifies the subtle skills and attitudes required to successfully gain employment. From CV writing to dropping street speak and dressing appropriately for interviews, Job Ready plays an essential role in “filling in the gaps� left by other employment training courses that makes a real difference as to whether the young person can find employment. That the programme has been delivered in partnership with corporate partners and that it offers placements at a range of different industries, adds real quality to its offer. Similarly, Reel Change has been an exceptional project that works across London engaging young people to find out from other young people on how best to serve the youth of London. Reel Change was highly successful, raising significant interest from press across London and further afield. I warmly encourage you to visit the Reel Change website www.reelchangefilm.org to see the products of their work. For thirteen years we have served the community, making learning exciting, fun and important to the lives of young people, raising aspirations and playing our part in realising their ambitions. Through our project commissioned by London Challenge, Summer Uni London, and the additional support from the Jack Petchey Foundation, young people across London are able to benefit through our knowledge and experience in Tower Hamlets. They are able to influence the development of programmes in their borough based on our tried and tested THSU model. They are supported and encouraged to share their ideas and ideals with other young people through London-wide arts and sports activities and events, organised by our charity. Our model is statistically proven to reduce youth crime and contributes to crime reduction London wide. The partnership opportunities are being encouraged and developed between the voluntary sector, local authorities, business and industry and to think that this is being co-ordinated and delivered by our small east London charity is proof that we are leaders in the field. I am immensely proud that we are able to lead by example without losing our core focus on local young people. Summer Uni continues to expand, its success gaining a national interest. At the same time, the core summer courses simply get better and better in terms of their innovation, design and delivery as well as in the incredible range of partnerships, from across all sectors, that they attract. I salute the tireless staff team at THSU and together with the trustees we look forward to the ongoing success of this remarkable organisation.
Rushanara Ali Rushanara Ali, Chair of Trustees
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Director’s introduction Welcome to our 2008-9 Annual Report. This is our thirteenth year of providing innovative and dynamic programmes for young people in this wonderfully diverse borough. Raising aspirations for our young residents within Tower Hamlets, and way beyond the borough boundaries, is our foremost concern and during the year we have had some great achievements, which I invite you to read about in this report. The importance of positive activities is well documented; among other things, the participation of young people in such activities is shown to reduce their involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour, increase their self confidence, encourage them to engage in further learning and improve their attitudes towards drug and alcohol use. It is during the long summer holidays when these activities are needed most. The holidays can be an impediment to young people‟s learning, particularly for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and are a time when levels of youth offending increase. Yet where Summer Unis run diversionary and aspirationraising activities, the crime rate can be reduced. In a recent DCSF poll, Summer‟s Coming!, 64% of people questioned said that there are still not enough activities for young people to do over the summer holidays. THSU‟s own experience is that some courses are over-subscribed more than twenty times; Over 6000 student applications were received for the 2,070 course places on the THSU 2008 programme. What Summer Uni does is bring together, develop and build on the existing provision. Our ethos, innovation and development ensures our programmes are popular and relevant to young people and therefore have a greater impact. Summer Uni addresses the real needs of young people and the local area by providing relevant, accessible, excellent quality activities at a time of year when they are needed most. Seeing the charity grow and meeting all the young people who take part, sharing their and my team‟s enthusiasm for all their achievements, gives me great pleasure. I whole heartedly thank all our funders who continue to support our work; all our partners for their great contribution to our delivery; all my staff team who show such dedication and passion for their work; all our young volunteers who work with us to make it happen; our professional volunteers who provide crucial advice and guidance to us; and all our young participants who make our programmes come alive. Our plans for the next 12 months will focus on delivering on our strategic plan, ensuring our capacity to continue the innovative delivery of our core programmes in Tower Hamlets, support our Summer Uni partners across the capital, develop our brand to enable confident expansion beyond London and work with potential new partners nationally who may be keen to adopt and roll out our ethos, values and models of working. It‟s both an exciting and challenging time!
Sarah Davies Executive Director
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Mission and Aims Tower Hamlets Summer University (THSU) was established primarily to tackle the high incidents of crime among young people aged 14-25 during the summer holiday period. Piloted in 1995, THSU is celebrating its fourteenth successive year in 2009 and is firmly established locally as an organisation with a strong identity and appeal for young people. Pioneering innovative approaches to independent learning, the organisation has gained respect nationally as a model of good practice in the field of study support and out of school hours learning. The charityâ€&#x;s vision is that all young people should have the opportunity, outside of the formal educational environment, to get the best out of themselves and their peers, and to put that back into their local communities. The mission of THSU is to partner with local communities to empower young people to make informed positive choices about their lives, by offering quality courses delivered by experts in their field. The charityâ€&#x;s aims are to: Promote independent learning Raise achievement Promote racial tolerance and good community relations Increase access to educational opportunities through creative partnerships between all sectors, statutory, voluntary, business and industry Involve young people in the organisation's development A programme of free courses and activities combining academic and vocational study, performing and visual arts, music, sports, information technology, new media, peer volunteering, personal development and entertainment takes place in the summer and at other times of the year.
Governance and Structure Registered Charity name:
Tower Hamlets Summer Education Ltd. The charity is known as Tower Hamlets Summer University and is currently rebranding to FUTUREVERSITY
Registered Charity number:
1048822
Registered Company number:
2017713
Registered office:
Ground Floor, 24-26 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE
Trustees for the reporting period Rushanara Ali Chair Devinder Cheema Resigned 26/02/2009 Nancy Cleary Lancelot Comrie Gary Davies Deputy Chair Kam Fung Treasurer Rex Hall MBE Libby Hills Janet Morgan John Porter Barnaby Shaw Resigned 12/12/2008 Steve Sipple Jimmy Tam
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Staff Team during the Report Year Sarah Davies Executive Director Management Team Paddy Chatterton Liz Jewell Anh Ly Vicky Selby Janan Smith
Programmes Director Development Director Operations Director Strategic Director (from October) Project Director (to October)
Programmes Team Maruf Ahmed Abdul Azim Jenny Cater Emma Crouch Julia Harriman Liz Millar Rosie Murdoch Syeda Razzak Joanne Whalley
Enrolment Officer (summer only) Business Co-ordinator Programmes Assistant Team Administrator Arts Co-ordinator Nang! Co-ordinator part time Reel Change Co-ordinator Enrolment Officer (summer only) Reel Change Administrator
Youth Projects Team Abdulla Almamun Lola Ahonkhai Jakir Hussain Emmerline Smy Mohammed Yahiaoui
Youth Projects Officer Peers and Careers Co-ordinator Trainee Outreach Worker Accreditation Co-ordinator Job Ready Officer
Summer Uni London Natalia Carrizosa Oliver Dawson Raj Desai Sally Quail Erika Sanger Mark Waghorn
SUL Administrator Grants Manager SUL Manager Grants Manager London Network Co-ordinator London Network Co-ordinator
Working across the charity Sally Abrahamson Events Officer Graziella Doardo Finance Officer part time Denise Drake Web Officer Stuart Gill Information Manager Danny Greenwood Development Manager part time David Levantis Marketing Officer Mulimba Namwenda Office Manager Company Secretary and Executive Director of the Charity: Sarah Davies Auditors: Ramon Lee and Partners, Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2DW Banks: The Co-operative Bank, 80 Cornhill, London EC3V 3NJ CAF BANK Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ Solicitors: Allen & Overy, One Bishops Square, London E1 6AD Governing document: Memorandum and Articles of Association. The charity is constituted as a limited company.
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Policy Statement Tower Hamlets Summer University has the following policies: Child Protection, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection, Maternity/Paternity, Locking Up Procedure and Emergency Fire plan. These are reviewed annually. There was no incident in the last 12 months that required us to implement disciplinary or Child Protection or other procedures against any person or to take action on any issues that we were directly involved in. Patrons Yasmin Alibhai-Brown A. Dee (Artful Dodger) Professor Sir Deian Hopkin Dizzee Baroness Kennedy of Shore Gerard Lemos Dame Marlene Robottom Baroness Pola Uddin of Bethnal Green Dr Benjamin Zephaniah
Overview of the year to date In the year since April 2008 over 2000 individuals took part in THSU programmes: Summer Programme THSU offered 2,023 course places on 152 courses in subject areas including IT, work & careers, study & explore, performing and visual arts, music, fashion, sports, health & fitness, cookery & hospitality and journalism. Courses ranged from one day (6 hours) to five weeks x 25 hours in length 5,828 individuals enrolled, demand far outstripping what the charity could offer 1,749 individuals attended the courses (some attending more than 1 course) 65% female, 35% male 7% identified themselves as having additional support need Year round programmes Reel Change involved 100 young people from 28 London boroughs. Reel Change provided a platform for young people to express themselves on issues affecting the lives of young Londoners and for them to canvas thoughts on how the Mayor‟s £79m London Youth Offer should be spent. Over 1000 young people took part in a Reel Change‟ survey on what they like about London and how things could improve 12 new young people were recruited to join the year round Nang! team of 14 and 3 issues were published and distributed widely throughout London 34 young people took part in three 12 week Job Ready programmes, giving young people employment skills through training, mentoring and work experience 30 young people received 10 www! (what we want!) bursary grants to carry out photography and film projects on issues close to their heart, from October through to March 78 young people took part in Music Space during the year supporting 12 bands and 30 young producers Holiday and half term extras 75 young people who were in year 10 (14/15 year olds) from five secondary schools in the west of the borough, took part in the Easter „raising aspirations‟ programme 128 young people attended the autumn half term „extended schools‟ programme which took place in four secondary schools in the north, south, east and west of the borough 16 individuals attended our new SII Introduction to Investments in Canary Wharf in February, a first accredited module towards a Securities & Investment Institute qualification Volunteering 35 young people volunteered to become peer motivators to support the summer programme 78 young people became THSU Youth Ambassadors 10 young people took part in Dare London Over 100 corporate volunteers supported our charity during the year 7
THSU retained its Advanced Quality in Study Support (QiSS) status and won two awards: Put it Down, a film about knife crime made by two talented young filmmakers on www! won a BT Seen and Heard Award in June 2008 and was featured on the BBC London website Hear Me Out, a film made by Reel Change film-makers, won the Belfast Cinemagic Film Festival for best youth documentary in November (see www.reelchangefilm.org) THSU supported 31 borough co-ordinators to run their Summer Unis during the year ensuring every London borough ran a Summer Uni in 2008 and continue their programmes in 2009, based on the successful THSU model. Additionally THSU is supporting a pilot Summer Uni in Oldham, Manchester, in 2009. Attendance and Statistics
2,023 course places available over the summer programme 5,828 individuals enrolled for the available courses 1,749 individuals attended the courses 65% female, 35% male 7% identify themselves as having additional support needs Ethnicity:
Age: 1% 11% 27%
Under 13 yrs 14 - 18 yrs 19 - 25 yrs 61%
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Geographical location:
3%
Tower Hamlets
4% 3%
East London 9%
North London
9% 51% 21%
South East London South West London West London Outside of Greater London
Training/Employment: 4% 3%
In education
9%
9% 3% 72%
Employed full time Employed part time Registered unemployed Unemployed not registered Volunteering
Young performers at the Summer Showcase held at Rich Mix 9
Summer Programme This year saw the largest ever summer programme of activities provided by THSU with an additional fifty courses on summer 2007, to try and meet demand from young people. We ran 145 courses and 1,749 individual young people attended those course places, though as you can see from the statistics a staggering 5,828 individuals tried to enrol. Since 2006, we have more than doubled both the number of courses we are offering and young people we are engaging with over the summer yet demand far outstrips what we can offer. THSU are incredibly proud of these numbers, however we are also aware that such an immense programme stretched us almost beyond our capacity. It was an incredibly busy summer and quite exhausting for all the staff team and volunteers. For 2009 we will aim to run no more than 125 courses, some for longer hours as requested by participants, and ensuring maximum attendance on all, so that we can continue to serve the same number, if not more, of young people. 2008 summer courses included many of the “old favourites” that continue to run successfully, as well as introducing many new courses from the suggestions of the young people, Youth Ambassadors and tutors. Our thanks as always go to our partners and funders who work so tirelessly with us to make the summer special for the youth of Tower Hamlets and beyond. The Venues A total of 33 venues were used this year, the largest number of venues we have used and reflecting the largest summer programme we have run to date. Although this was an impressive feat, we found that running such a widespread programme in so many venues put significant pressure on the Programmes team and Peer Motivators, who had to travel continuously from course to course. The spread also made it difficult to create a sense of occasion, with the courses spread out all over the borough potentially diluting the impact of the „togetherness‟ the summer programme provides young people. Following the summer, the Programmes team have been doing a series of mapping exercises, looking at the geography of the borough and planning how best to place next year‟s summer courses. The plan is to find four easily accessible hubs placed strategically across Tower Hamlets where a large number of courses can take place, as well as to use various satellite venues for venue-specific courses across the borough and the City of London. This would ensure that every young person in the borough has a hub near to where they live and within easy transport links. Summer Arts Programme Creative Industries This was a new section in our programme, instigated by requests from students for more vocational taster courses. The range of courses was a result of new relationships built throughout the year - with organisations such as Channel 4 and BBC London. Most of the one day courses were oversubscribed and many young people stated that they would have liked them to have lasted longer, demonstrating that this new section is successful, popular and should continue (with longer courses of course!). Behind the Scenes at Channel 4: This course had a huge waiting list and was extremely well-received, thanks to the well planned, inspiring and accommodating approach of Channel 4. Students were introduced to the brand and different departments at the company in a fresh and youth-friendly presentation. They worked in groups to create new TV ideas which were pitched to commissioning editors at Channel 4. Free refreshments and goody bags went down well too! One student was talent-spotted to draw some artwork for the Edinburgh Festival, after she illustrated her group‟s ideas. The day incorporated students from both Southwark and Tower Hamlets Summer Unis. Get into Radio: The students enjoyed this one day course immensely. It was a good mix between theory and practical activities, with the students creating group audio pieces for the BBC London website about a topic they were interested in, from how people judge each other by their clothes to „east end‟ life. The tutor had a great rapport with the students and was keen for them to contact him if they wanted to create pieces for his site. One girl has already been in touch and may do work experience there. The programmes are available to hear at www.bbc.co.uk/london/london_local/ Get into Architecture: The facilitators on this course delivered a very thorough insight into working as an architect. The day was well planned and included inspirational computer presentations, a hands-on activity 10
and a visit to their architect office in Shoreditch. After the course, one quiet student claimed he now wanted to be an architect. Event Management: This course grew out of the need for young people to be actively involved in running our main Summer Showcase event. The provider was excellent with the young people and inspired them throughout the 5 weeks. The event itself, however, was slightly chaotic!
“Had a great time, would do it all again!” - Porscha Setting up a Creative Business: This new popular course was delivered by Cultural Industries Development Agency. Despite the room being too small and extremely hot, the students loved this highly practical course, learning networking skills and making new friends. The guest speakers provided a real insight and allowed students to ask questions relating to their own business ideas. Get into Fashion Retail (visual merchandising): A new partnership with Timberland Boot Company on Fournier Street and a visual merchandising proposal from Red Border Fashion triggered the idea for this course. Ameet, Store Manager for Timberland was extremely helpful, generous and accommodating in allowing us to put up a window display for 4 weeks and is keen to work with us again. The students enjoyed his talk about how he styles the store. Young Curators (how to organise an exhibition): The visual arts organisation Iniva ran this unique and innovative course for the second year running, which culminated in the creation of the Best of Art exhibition at Rich Mix from 28 Aug – 13 September. The exhibition showcased the best visual artwork created by young people attending Summer Unis across the capital and was attended by none other than the renowned artists Gilbert and George. The students, working together intensively for 5 weeks, got a lot out of this programme and one student has already received a work placement from Iniva. Although expensive to run, this course looks set to continue for the future.
Young exhibitors and their work, THSU Best Of Art, Rich Mix, 2008 Art and Design Creative Exploration of Islamic Art: Geometrical Patterns: Though Islamic Calligraphy was extremely popular in the past, it was poorly attended this year (as much by the tutor as by the students!) We will ask the Youth Ambassadors whether they think we should run this course again next year. Stencil Graffiti Art: The tutor was great with the young people on this popular course and some really bold artwork was created. Contemporary Sculpture: The tutor led a week inspired by the Cy Twombly exhibition at Tate Modern. After a trip on the Monday, students made sculptures and plaster casts using junk materials. Experimental Drawing and Painting: A wide range of artwork was created from prints to sound drawings and the students really enjoyed the variety. The artwork was featured at the Best of Art. Fashion and Textiles Summer Hands On Fashion (accredited course): Some really interesting work was created this year by students aged 15–21 on this three week fashion programme. Inspired by the Victoria & Albert exhibition Sport and Fashion, the young people chose to design an innovative „sportswear‟ range using the Beijing 11
Olympic and Paparlympic games to inspire their patterns and designs. The collection created was modelled at the showcase and will be modelled at Alternative Fashion Week. Catwalk Modelling: Funded by „A‟ Team Arts, this course was well attended, with students having the opportunity to model the fashion work created by summer students at both the THSU showcase and Alternative Fashion Week Street Fashion: Another well attended year for this innovative course, run by ex students Zoe and Waine. The work incorporated ideas of recycling, stencils, graffiti, painting, sewing and illustration. Creative Sewing: Ever successful, with full attendance and some creative designs produced. The students really enjoy the sense of achievement at learning the craft of sewing from scratch to a point where they can make their own garments Jewellery Design and Making: Polly Wales once more delivered an innovative jewellery course, drawing on the fantastic resources of the London Metropolitan University jewellery workshop. The artwork created – using felt, beads, vinyl and metals – was of a quality that could be sold. All the pieces were chosen by the Young Curators to show at the Best of Art exhibition. Carnival Dance and Textiles: This was our first year to partner with Carnival company Kinetika. The two courses they ran for us – Carnival Textiles and Carnival Dance – had to be combined due to lower student numbers than anticipated. We are looking to see whether the courses should remain combined for the future.
Film, New Media and IT Film Academy: This 2 week course run by Shake Ur Arts was well attended with the students focused and enthusiastic. One mother was very impressed that the tutors had been able to engage with her son, whose behaviour had proved challenging in mainstream education system. The result of the course were short films that the students had storyboarded, scripted, filmed, acted in and edited themselves. It was unfortunate that a potential partnership with Queen Mary University did not work out due to timing. If it had happened, we could have borrowed state of the art equipment and editing facilities for free. Here is hoping for next year. Music Video Production: Led by XStream East, students worked with a young local music rap act to create a music video from start to finish, learning how to film on location and even featured in the video.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed this course due to the style of teaching. I have learnt so much” – Annabel Photoshop and Digital Photography: The tutor on this course, Emily Allchurch, is a professional fine art photographer and inspired the students by allowing them an insight into the way she works using digital collages. A very successful course, the images produced were extremely innovative and potentially of a quality that could be sold. Photoshoot: A popular new course designed for young creatives to model themselves for self-promotion, targeted young people interested in photography and styling. The course instead attracted a lot of models-inwaiting, which was quite challenging for the tutors, who, against the odds, managed to enthuse most of the students and challenge them creatively. A 12
more clear explanation of this course will be given in the brochure for next year. Video Game Design: This new course was a huge success and so in demand that we had to turn people away. The tutors were professional and helpful throughout and the focus of the students in the room was impressive (especially as 3 students had to pair up on machines). The Media teacher from Central Foundation Secondary School observed the course with a view to buying the bespoke software for the school. Web Design: The lead tutor on this course is an ex-student who has assisted with teaching before and this was his first real teaching opportunity. He rose to the occasion and was professional, calm and organised. The class was full and each student created their own website, to be hosted on the THSU website www.summeruni.org Graphic Design: Run for the second year, with the aim of creating artwork for the Summer Uni London Spotlight Magazine, the students responded to the brief in numerous innovative ways. In just five days, the students learnt the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and produced the magazine which has been distributed into every London borough. The course was extremely popular and we had to turn people away. Music DJing for beginners: This course was as ever popular with students learning all the tricks of DJing from scratch. Some came early to help set up equipment and the venue ensured they could all sit where they could watch each other mix. Although the tutor unfortunately had his decks stolen the night before the course (!), Community Music kindly lent us their equipment for the week. Band in a Week : Running for its second year, Band in a Week was one of our most successful courses in 2008. Working with three tutors, three new bands were formed focussing on the young people‟s musical interests. Many of the participants had never played a musical instrument before! By the end of the week, they had created and performed a new track. The final songs were so good (especially one about knife crime) that we had them recorded.
“Keep it up!”- Muazzin Beats from the Streets: This popular course allowed a diverse range of students to create new tracks from scratch, using Logic Pro 8. There were some issues with the venue and a poorly tutor, nevertheless the course was a success. Gospel Choir: We piloted this course for the first time this year after student requests. The participants had a great time, as the two tutors were excellent and inspiring. We will look to see how we can develop this course in the future as we are keen for it to continue. Talking Trash: This course was difficult to recruit for until we changed the name to Funky Beats. In the end, we got a good group of students who were led by new providers. The workshops included drumming with junk materials, collecting sound loops in the Spitalfields area and creating vocals for a new song which was performed at the Summer Showcase.
Funky Beats
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Performing Arts Circus School: Run for the second time (this year with Islington Summer Uni instead of Newham) the students had an amazing time using the resources at The Circus Space in Hoxton. From trapeze to juggling, they fearlessly performed what they had learnt to friends and family on the last day. Street Dance: This year we ran two half day courses for the week, one for older and one for a younger group, which worked well. Both courses were well attended and the new tutor, Christina, was excellent. Bollywood Dance: „A‟ Team Arts provided for this tutor and the course was very popular and well attended. The participants wowed the crowds at the Summer Uni showcase and will have the opportunity to join the „A‟ Team Arts Bollywood dance group which meets and performs year round. Drama Skills Week: After a slow enrolment process (perhaps due to the course title), this course was full and the talent on the course was exceptional! The tutors cited the course as one of the best they had ever run, with a really magical mix of young people. Instead of building towards a final show, the week introduced students to lots of different acting styles and techniques, improvisations and games. Move-in-Vision: This course idea was developed as a strategic move by Chisenhale dance studios to work with key arts organisations in the borough. However, the abstract nature of the course title, coupled with the lack of promotion by the organisation and the out of the way nature of the venue, meant there were few enrolments. The four young people who did attend got a great deal out of it. We will look at other potential courses to run with these partners that may be more attractive to young people in the future. Moving Voices: Half Moon Young People‟s Theatre ran another great summer school for 14-25 yr olds with moderate to severe physical and sensory disabilities. The peer motivator on the course was fantastic and noted it as a life-changing experience. We chose not to run a specialist course for the 11-13 age range this summer due to lack of demand last year and the cost of the course.
Moving Voices @ Half Moon young People‟s Theatre Comedy Writing and Performance: This course was the most challenging arts course this summer! Although the tutors had run the same course a few years previously with no problems, this year the mix of students was an explosive combination. The coordinator had to police the course quite heavily to make sure that the students remained motivated and that the materials generated were appropriate! Collage and Photography: We were approached by the Women‟s Library to run a girls only course about the portrayal of women in the media. A bit of a wild card course, it proved very popular. The students created magazine collage artwork which will be part of a contemporary exhibition about women in the media.
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Study & Explore Space and NASA: As you might imagine, this is always an incredibly popular course, especially as it involves “experiential learning”! This year course went well and students particularly enjoyed visiting the Greenwich observatory. The wide age range (11-18) had worked well in 2007 but this year the older students recommended that an older group is run, which we will look at for 2009. Intro to Arabic Language: Young people who attended this course had little or no skills in speaking or writing Arabic. At the end of the course, they were able to hold basic conversations and to do some writing. An impressive feat, thanks to a very well educated tutor in the subject area. Students suggested there should be a provision for those who wish to progress from a basic level and also to do it as part of a qualification, all of which we will look to develop. Intro to Philosophy: Run by our partners the Royal Institute of Philosophy, this course attendance was very strong throughout. Feedback from participants was positive with many having found the experience truly enlightening! Islamic Shariah: We piloted this course to explore the barriers to and misconceptions about Shariah law and to develop an understanding on how it can be applied in the everyday life in Britain, without it courting extreme attitudes. We felt it important to make it clear that the course was welcome to all, whatever their cultural or religious backgrounds. However attendance was low, perhaps due to the serious nature of the course. It is also quite a theoretical subject and the tutor could have found more ways to make it interactive. We will explore with the Youth Ambassadors whether they feel there is a continued need for the course. Intro to British Sign Language: The course ran well last year and this year the learning experience was even better. In 2007 students recommended that the tutor be a deaf person, so that they gain more of an insight into the need and use of the language. We found one such tutor and the learners thrived. The Money Apprentice: This 3-day course teaches young people effective money management. It enjoyed very high attendance, which clearly demonstrates that managing money is something young people take seriously. It was also delivered in a very fun and interactive style.
“I would recommend this course to friends and family”- Mustapha Public Speaking: Young people learnt great skills in speaking and presenting themselves publicly. First Aid (5 days): This year First Aid was delivered under a new partnership with a local company, Life Skills Solutions. The course, as ever, was well attended although some students did feel the course was longer than necessary. With changes in law, in order for a student to be certified with a 3-year qualified certificate, they have to undertake examination with external assessors. All students passed, including a young girl who was physically unable to perform some of the procedures. The examiners were so impressed with her level of understanding of the different laws associated with First Aid at Work that they gave her the qualification. First Aid (1 day) x 3: As a direct response to Youth Ambassadors‟ suggestions, we decided to break one of the two 5-day First Aid courses into 3 separate 1 day courses, which still results in a valid 3 year qualification. We were able to maximise the course uptake and doubled the number of participants from previous years! We are now looking in detail at the optimum length for this course area.
“The course was well run at a good pace and (there were) excellent responses to questions. Thank you!”Rokesana
A-Level Maths Bridging Unit: Due to demand for more curriculum related subjects, the course was redesigned this year and aimed at A-level students. As a result it gained full attendance. Students were punctual and fully engaged in a very interactive programme. “It was a fantastic course. It really helped me”- Ahmed Intro to Medical Science: A professor from Oxford University supported by medical students yet again delivered a brilliant introduction to the world of Physiology. It was the most popular course this year and over 30 young people thoroughly enjoyed the expert advice on what the field of medicine entails and the routes you can take to get there. 15
Change the World in a Week: Aimed at engaging participants into living more sustainably, this was a first for the summer programme, run in partnership with the Otesha Project UK. There were some exciting workshops though numbers were not high. It is an important subject area and we will look at ways to redesign and promote the course for next year. Forensic Science (Oxford Brookes / Summer University Exchange): This 2-day non residential exchange entailed one day in Oxford and the second in London, the course exposed young people to 3 different higher education institutions, including Queen Mary, London Met and Oxford Brookes. They explored forensic science and conducted actual genes test investigations. Young people also took part in recreational fun activities including the Jack the Ripper Walk in the City of London. THSU bought together three other summer universities to deliver a similar programme with Oxford Brookes. Driving Theory: The ever popular Driving Theory course attracted the most enrolments. It was very successful this year with students being disciplined and attending consistently throughout the five days.
Studying and Exploring Work Zone Journalism (Nang! magazine): We use the summer to recruit new young journalists to this highly successful year round project. This summer Nang! was run by two young tutors who used to be extremely capable students themselves on Nang!â€&#x;s editorial team. It was attended by students, aged 14-25, with varied ability in writing. The tutors structured the course well and kept it dynamic, including giving talks and exercises on writing and interviewing, and also touching on other aspects of publishing, such as print advertising and distribution. Team outings included meeting journalists at The Guardian and The Observer and having a tour of the Westferry print works. As the course progressed, students planned the autumn issue of Nang! and many submitted articles at the end of the course for the issue. Cornwall City & Sea Exchange: The Cornwall City and Sea Exchange project, now celebrating its second successful year, enabled a group of young people from rural Cornwall and central London to explore a diverse range of career prospects and opportunities presented by organisations and companies from the maritime industry. The ten day programme also provided an unusual opportunity for the two groups of young people from very different backgrounds and home lives to meet socially, to build confidence and exchange life experiences. The aim of the City and Sea Exchange Project is to recruit a number of young people who live with the seas, oceans and inland waterways at their doorsteps, both in the city and rural landscapes, to explore, experience and raise awareness of the maritime sector and increase an understanding of opportunities open to them for careers in this exciting and developing industry. We are delighted about the success of this course and look forward to running it again next year, it is a real highlight for us with partners including the Baltic Exchange and Lloydâ€&#x;s of London bringing extra magic to the experience.
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Dusk in The Lizard Making Spaces into Places: This course geared itself to the planning aspects of the Olympics, delivered by Planning Aid for London. Young people had the exciting opportunity to visit the Olympic site and see the construction in action. PACE (Youth Work): The tutor for this exciting introductory course on youth work said that this was one of the best courses he had run this year. The young people were enthused and really took the course seriously, learning about careers in Youth Work and how to progress in this field. Working in the City: The Brokerage once again ran this popular course, allowing young people to explore a wide range of opportunities in the City of London and increasing aspirations for young people to work in firms such as KPMG and Morgan Stanley. The Apprentice Meets Dragons' Den: The first time running this course and it had maximum attendance (the popular title may have helped!). The course was highly practical and interactive, aimed at giving young people many of the skills needed for the working and entrepreneurial world. It involved the students collaborating on a business idea and how to attract investment for their ideas from a panel of established entrepreneurs. This course is very relevant as there is currently a large emphasis on business enterprise in the media, which is encouraging young people to innovate and be successful in business. Highly likely we will continue the course in the future. Intro to Trading Standards and Consumer Rights: A one day programme delivered in Tower Hamlets Town Hall, to explore consumer rights and trading standards. Young people also looked at the careers and routes into this area. How to Start your own Business: Young people learnt how to create their own business plan; developing products to sell. They created greeting cards to sell on a stall at Greenwich market where they generated a significant profit and, as such, a good attitude to becoming successful in the future. The facilitator was excellent and we will definitely run this course again. Careers in Telecommunications: Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing and changing industries in the world. This course focused on one particular aspect, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), which is set to radically change the way we communicate in the future. The course taught students how to set up VOIP systems and more generally what opportunities for employment there are in the telecommunications industry. Investment Banking (Barclays Capital) x 2: Barclays Capital yet again put on a brilliant programme to inspire young people to get into the banking industry. This year saw the most number of young people attend, who learnt about the business of Barclays and even shadowed traders on the trading floor. Legal Eagles (Allen & Overy LLP): The course at Allen & Overy was remarkable. Young people gained a good insight into the legal profession and were encouraged to think about pursuing a career within it. 17
Around the Courts: The course content was very good with young people visiting the Blackfriars Magistrates Court, Bow Magistrates Court, the Old Bailey and others. They also met with one of our local Members of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament. Intro to the Railway Industry (National Express): Young people got the opportunity to explore the railway industry and the broad range of career opportunities within it. They went to Norwich to visit the depot there and to meet some key workers in the industry. The participants were encouraged to apply to jobs within the firm, having interview practice and support in filling in job application forms. Taster in Law (Clifford Chance): Young people got a real feel of what itâ€&#x;s like to be a lawyer for a day. Hosted by the community department in Clifford Chance, they had the opportunity to meet partners and practicing lawyers throughout the day. Lunch was provided and numbers were great. Overall, an invaluable course with great students! Cookery, Tourism & Hospitality Cookery Residential Participants absolutely loved this course as it allowed them go away for three days to an Organic Farm in Essex and learn about cooking, farming and organic practises. The experience allowed young people to learn how to use natural organic ingredients to cook various meals from all around the world. It was handson and helped young people to try new dishes and to stay away from fast food. International Cookery (Junior): Exploring 5 different dishes from different cultures, young people got hands on and produced some great dishes, including pasta and traditional sponge cake. Good turn out and good enthusiasm.
Budding chefs on International Cookery Curry Heaven (Junior): Exploring Indian cookery, students learned about the different herbs and spices and were inspired and more confident to produce and experiment with dishes. Young people were encouraged to take their food home and share with their friends and family which added to the sense of achievement that individuals had. International Cookery: As well as cooking different dishes from different cultures, the young people aged 1425 covered aspects of food hygiene. Dishes included Mediterranean and Thai cuisine. Caribbean Flavour: A very popular new course that explored the variety of Caribbean Cookery. Young people were very happy with the tutor who is from the Jamaica herself. The course was visited by one of the cookery programmes two funders (Hilton in the Community) and the feedback was really positive. Curry Heaven: Participants aged 14-25 gained confidence in cooking traditional Indian dishes and became familiar with different aromatic spices for use in curries. They all served a three course authentic meal which encouraged independence and confidence within themselves. Chinese Cuisine: New for 2008, students designed and made a variety of popular Chinese dishes and also developed basic hygiene practices to ensure foods are made safely. Discover London (Junior): This course involved the participants in a two part experience; theory and visits. Theory sessions included exploring the royal family, history and heritage of London. Visits included views 18
inside the Buckingham Palace, London Dungeons and river walks, all by travelling on the London underground and buses. Uniquely, this entire course was facilitated and run by very competent and enthusiastic young people. Learn to fly a Boeing 747: Students gained an understanding of the aviation industry and how an aircraft works with the most interesting part being the experience in a flight simulator. Despite it being a brilliant opportunity for young people, the numbers were surprisingly low. The recruitment was good but students did not turn up on the day. We are looking at the location of the venue (London Met Uni, Tower Hill) and our marketing materials to ensure that we were clear in our instructions. Telephone Techniques (accredited): Students taking part in this course gained a Welcome Host accreditation by demonstrating knowledge of effective techniques for listening, voice control and questioning. They enhanced their telephone, marketing and sales techniques and developed self confidence in using the telephone for work and personal use. Although an expensive course in comparison to others, it‟s very worthwhile and invaluable. Tourism & Customer Care (accredited): Another nationally accredited course, students gained knowledge on the importance of providing a high standard of customer care. They had exciting opportunities to visit locations of principle tourist attractions within Southwark and the West End. The course raised young people‟s aspirations of being an ambassador for their city, by having a deeper understanding of activities and events that take place in it. Young people that took part now will have progression routes into careers around hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. Sports & Fitness Archery: A popular activity with 18 students enrolling. The newly qualified tutor, recruited from the Fencing Association, developed his confidence as the course went on, introducing some interesting practical activities. Badminton: An extremely popular course, which led to over-enrolment on the day and as such not enough nets for students to use. We will ensure that this does not happen again. Despite this students went on to compete in our London wide Festival of Sport winning both gold and silver medals! Basketball: This year basketball was very popular with students going on to take part in the Festival of Sport at the end of the week and winning silver. The tutor was fantastic and gave some top coaching tips, leading to the medal! A big age range worked really well in this sport. Bodyworks: 10 young women attended this course around the art of massaging. It is an intense course and the students are able to put in practice what they have learnt in the week by offering free massages on the Friday. Community Sports Leaders Award (accredited): This took place outside of the summer programme due to pre-arranged dates on the deliverer‟s side. The course, designed as an introduction to sports coaching and leadership, was excellent, with great progression routes for students. Participants got the chance to carry out their 10 hours sport leader volunteering on our summer sports courses. Cricket: High quality tutoring and facilities were provided by the Island Community Cricket Club at Millwall Park. The course included practise and a few games as well. Attendance was variable and although the course was advertised for ages 11-18, the oldest student was 14. We will look at making it a younger age range for next year. Students were at different skills levels but they had all individually progressed well by the end of the week. Fencing : Growing in popularity from last year, students learnt the basic techniques of fencing before competing in tournaments with each other. Football: There were issues with the age range (11-18) being too great and as such we will look to narrowing the age ranges and having two courses next year. Those students who did attend the course however thoroughly enjoyed it, largely down to a fantastic coach. “Our coach was the best!”- Stella Go Kart Racing : The course was full with the 10 spaces being filled very early on in enrolment. However on the day, over 20 young people turned up to take part, many of whom had not enrolled at all. This could 19
have caused problems but the situation was fantastically handled by the venue and staff. The students had a great time and they have all been sent medals. It is likely however that we will not run Go Kart racing for next year. It is no doubt a fun course, however it‟s expenses does not justify the minimal learning outcomes and students gain few new obvious skills. Horse Riding : Popular as ever and, despite the rain, students were enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn the basics of horse riding. Because of its immense popularity we are exploring ways to ensure that the course is not too over-subscribed and more young people can get the chance to attend. Kayaking : As an addition to the sailing course, kayaking got its own dedicated course this year with a new partnership at Urban Adventure Base. We ran mixed and girls only courses. Interest was very high and attendance rates good so we will definitely look to running it again next year, possibly with a girls only course included again. Kick Boxing : This is a great course as students learn many skills and also the focus and restraint needed to perform well in the art. As a way of channelling aggression and learning self-control, kickboxing works perfectly and we will certainly continue it next year. Multisports: Run over three weeks for the young age range, 11-13 year olds, Multisports was organised and run by George Green‟s School on the Isle of Dogs. Thanks to their recruiting efforts the course was full and students were kept busy with a wide range of sports being taught each morning and afternoon and they all gained a great deal from it. Outdoor Adventure Residential: A sports residential was included this year at the request of the Youth Ambassador steering group. It covered a variety of activities and ended with a three day survival expedition in Essex. Participants thoroughly enjoyed it and made friends with people they wouldn‟t usually mix with. This is a great course that students gained a lot from, so we will look to run it again next year. Rock Climbing: Another popular course, this year two courses were run for mixed and girls only. There was an issue that the climbing wall at Mulberry school was not considered challenging enough by the students! As such we moved the course to the more challenging (and terrifying) wall at Mile End! Sailing: With a huge increase in numbers attending the course from last year, students were integrated in to the Docklands Sailing Watersports Centre main Youth Afloat programme. Students experienced a variety of water based sports in addition to sailing and were given a membership to the DSWC youth programme, which ensures continued free access for a further year- a great progression route which we will try again next summer.
Canoeing during the sailing week and Rock Climbing “It was one of the best things I‟ve ever done!”- Anisa
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Self Defence: Students who attended the course were involved and dedicated, sparring with each other and practicing the many techniques taught by the tutor ensured all who attended learnt effective defence techniques. This is an important skill for young people, we will look to continue it again. Skateboarding: A new initiative, again working with Urban Adventure Base who had recently bought new skateboarding equipment. Bad weather hampered the courses attendance but students on the course loved it and made incredible progress over the five days. Another one for 2009.
“This course was totally awesome. I wouid do it again next year” - Said Swimming: Brought back in after demand from students and Youth Ambassadors, we ran two courses, one mixed and one for girls only. St. Georges Pool was the only venue we could find and with a large street facing window this caused a little concern with the girls. The instructor was very good, guiding students at different levels. One girl had never swum before and by the end of the week was swimming without a float! Table Tennis: If at all possible, this grew in popularity from last year. The students played in pairs / fours and participated in a tournament at the end of the week. They learned about the rules of the game and the basic strokes such as forehand, backhand, drive and push shots. Tag Rugby: The students on the course enjoyed learning about the sport, some from complete novice level. We will ask students and Youth Ambassadors about whether they feel this is a sport that is popular enough amongst local young people as enrolments were low. Tennis: We struggled to find a venue this year, eventually securing some courts in St. John‟s Park owned by a local organisation who offered them for free. This was very kind of the organisation, however there were issues with some of the publicity that they created for the course not being clear. Also, there were not enough courts for the numbers of students enrolled, which meant that some students dropped out after a while. Despite this, numbers were good with students learning all the basics and playing in tournaments. We will make sure we find suitable courts in good time for next year. Trampolining: Our main issue was that only one trampoline was actually available on the day meaningt the course could not accommodate more than 10 people (29 originally enrolled). The students really enjoyed the course however, largely because the tutor was so fantastic and handled the lack of trampolines magnificently. All students learned some acrobatic moves by the end of the course. Next year we will ensure that there are enough trampolines to cater for the students. Weightlifting: The sign up for this course was good however nightmares on the underground and bus routes to get to the venue had a detrimental affect on the attendance. The tutor was fantastic and had considerable health and safety knowledge, ensuring a great experience for those who did get there. Yoga: The group was taught how to stretch all the muscles and to breathe properly as well as how to warm up and cool down for each session. The students said they felt really relaxed when they finished the course and understood the importance of balance and breathing. ZEN: This was a partnership course with George Green‟s School, providing opportunities for those with special needs to learn a range of sports, including basketball and kayaking. The school had amazing facilities and tutors to run this multi-sports course. Facilities included 2 mini buses to transport the young people to and from the venue and a newly built hydro pool especially for the use of young people with disabilities. This is an important course to offer, ensuring that we are engaging with all young people including those with special needs. However we found it difficult to recruit for and need to ensure that the course is communicated effectively to the targeted young people. We are also looking at whether we can include a paralympic element to the Festival of Sports and are talking to potential partners about this. Summer Uni London Festival of Sport: This London wide Festival of Sport is organised by THSU and we invite the attendance of all Summer Unis across London. It is a fantastic event that encourages fun, competitive sporting amongst young Londoners and helps to develop interest and excitement in the Olympics, healthy living and sports in general. There is a continuing issue with where to locate the festival, so that it does not exclude those travelling from far away and we will look to find as central a location as possible for next year. This year it was located at the Brixton Leisure Centre and though Croydon young people won the overall prize, THSU students managed to win medals in both badminton and basketball and some special prizes on the day for taking part in additional activities.
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Girls Only Courses In partnership with Mulberry School for Girls, THSU delivered a number of girls-only courses for 2008. This is in recognition that some girls living in the borough are, for a number of different reasons, unable to access mixed gender courses on offer from THSU. The decision to run these courses in partnership with Mulberry came late in the planning calendar, nevertheless working closely with the school the courses were successfully planned, marketed and delivered, with 305 course places being attended out of the 351 on offer. THSU recognises the importance of running girls-only courses. At the same time, we pride ourselves on our open door policy, whereby all young people, no matter what their background, are equally encouraged to attend courses of their choice. The wide mix of young people we attract as a result is something that we are particularly proud of. We will continue to offer girls-only courses for the future however will make sure that this is balanced with the widest possible range of courses for both genders. Hair & Beauty x2: These two courses offered 16 places each to two different age ranges, 11-13 and 14-25. Both were well enrolled and had full attendance. The courses covered safe skin care, beauty therapy, henna decoration and progression routes for young people wanting to work in this field. Sports: We ran a broad range of sports for the girls only programme, including multi-sports for 11-13 year olds and for the 14-25 year olds: Badminton, Football, Self-defence, Archery, Basketball, Rock Climbing, Fencing, Swimming, Horse Riding and Kayaking. All were fully attended except basketball and the horse riding and kayaking were 150% full! The students were especially keen on taking part in the sports courses that are not normally offered by the school itself. Cookery: Both the cookery and Thai fruit carving courses had attendances well over 100%. The students produced some fantastic dishes to take home and some impressive centre pieces out of fruit. The cookery rooms were great and had all the equipment we needed. DJing: The DJ course started slowly with just 2 students on the first day. 7 students attended the rest of the week. The tutor was extremely impressed with how quickly the students picked up the skills needed. Intro to Mendhi and Islamic Calligraphy: With 100% attendance for the Mendhi course and more for the Islamic Calligraphy, both courses were extremely busy for the tutors, who ran out of inks and had to obtain additional materials for the course during the week! A big success. Jewellery: This course required the students to have lots of patience as they made pieces of jewellery out of beads; some of them extremely small. Many of the students made a few pieces each and all of them were displayed at the final THSU summer showcase. Creative Film Making: The students wrote the story board, decided on who were the actors and who worked behind camera etc, and went out and about in the local area filming before editing the final cut. The school has fantastic computer equipment and software enabling the students to produce and edit their film, which was shown at the final showcase with very some proud girls watching. Go Kart Racing: As anticipated, the course was very popular. There were only 10 places which were quickly filled 30 minutes before the course was due to start. Floral Design: This new one day course attracted 8 students who learnt about colour and using flowers in patterns and shape to different effects, through to make bouquets for different occasions, using fresh flowers from a local florist. Fashion x 2: One fashion course was due to take place at London Metropolitan University whilst the other was at Mulberry, however due to a last minute venue issue, Mulberry school kindly hosted both courses, so we had two fashion courses running at the same time at the school. Both courses had originally 12 places however the tutors managed to accommodate up to 17 students on each course. The students produced bags and outfits which were displayed at our final showcase. Pottery: The planning of this course had a rocky start as the school had no equipment or tools. Luckily the tutor is a freelance ceramics teacher and had all the tools and equipment needed, including a portable potter‟s wheel and the students produced beautiful pieces of work, which were displayed at our final showcase. The pieces that weren‟t taken home are now being utilised in our office – particularly the milk jugs! 22
First Aid: As always, very popular, with students being turned away on the first day as there were only 12 places. This course offered students the full First Aid at Work certificate, valid for 3 years. The students learnt about resuscitation, wounds and all the injuries that can happen to adults and children, treatable with first aid, before taking a written and practical exam on the final day.
First Aid The 2008 Summer Programme Showcase, 27th August 2008 This was the second THSU Showcase at Rich Mix which provides an excellent opportunity for the students who attended THSU courses over the summer to perform and display their skills and work that they developed during their courses. For the first time the event was coordinated by a team of Events Management students who attended our new Events Management summer course. During the three-hour event the excited crowd were treated to performances from eight courses including the Band in a Week and Talking Trash. There were displays of work by the arts courses such as Jewellery Design, Street Fashion, Mendhi and Pottery. Patron Dizzee Rascal attended the show, showing his support for the Charity and the young people. This added a real buzz to the event – almost to the point of a mini riot, with Dizzee having to make a quick and safe exit before being mobbed. There with issues with the technical provision provided by the venue, and rehearsals, which could have been better organised. This would have averted the potential boredom experienced by some young people whilst waiting their turn and prevented them running round the venue prior to the showcase. All lessons to be learnt for the future, and overall it was a great success with over 300 young guests!
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Projects through the year and Pan - London THSU‟s activity is neither consigned to Tower Hamlets or to the summer! As you will read, the range of projects that run throughout the year and across London, clearly demonstrates that at THSU we are constantly innovating new ways in which to reach and work with young people. Always reliant on a number of different funding sources, the year round projects are sometimes one-offs, which can be challenging in terms of developing proper progression routes for the young people and ensuring that the projects integrate into the core summer work. From January 2009, as part of a major strategic development initiative, THSU will find means to ensure that year round projects are sustainable and on-going, complement our mission and fully tie in with our model for involving young people. Reel Change This project was initially commissioned by Ken Livingstone, then Mayor of London, to consult with young people on how the Mayors Youth Fund, £79m, should be spent. We were assured when embarking on the project that a change of Mayor would not change the aim of the project. In reality, the new Mayor had a different idea. Whilst the project progressed from strength to strength, it became clear that the findings from the young people themselves would not necessarily fully inform the new Mayor‟s decisions on youth policy. Disappointing as that is, the project has been of tremendous value to the young people involved and has gained significant media attention and analysis when its results were released in November. Reel Change involved 100 young people from 28 London boroughs, using various media and consultation methods to find out from other young people how they felt funding and youth policy should tackle the numerous issues that they face on a daily basis. These methods included: mobile film making, web design, event management, a questionnaire (responded to by 1000 young people), a short documentary, editions of Nang! Magazine and a final website: www.reelchangefilm.org featuring two films, one the Making Of, all about the project and Hear Me Out, a 12 minute documentary on knife crime. Channel 4 hosted a private event celebrating all the projects achievements in August and screened Hear Me Out for the first time.
The Film Crew and some of their research, where another teenager lost their life The results of Reel Change were announced and the official release of Hear Me Out took place in early November, shortly after the Mayor released his new youth strategy. The project and the film in particular received significant media attention from, amongst others: Evening Standard, ITV and the BBC. The short film Hear Me Out has also recently won Best Documentary category at the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People in Belfast. This was a tremendously successful project and publicly demonstrated THSU‟s ability to produce ambitious, large-scale youth-focused projects. It has encouraged us to give serious consideration towards developing a pan-London arm of THSU (different to Summer Uni London, where we facilitate and support other Summer Unis however do not manage their programmes). Nang! Another busy year for Nang! youth magazine, producing three issues since April. We kicked off with a recruitment drive which formed part of the Reel Change project. Applicants came from all over London for interviews and 12 new young people were recruited to join the team, working alongside its more experienced members. A new young editor and her deputy led the team in producing the Spring issue of Nang!, supported by our new Project Co-ordinator, Liz Millar. Nang!‟s print run was reduced slightly and the distribution list was re-organised and made more cost-effective. The team felt there was a need to start afresh with the Nang! website too, so a group meet regularly with a trainer to re-design it. The website is 24
currently being reviewed with THSU‟s other websites and will go live next year. The Summer issue of Nang! was partly produced in-house on new equipment and distributed in August. Meanwhile, Nang!‟s annual three-week summer course started at the end of July. This year, it was run by two new tutors who used to be the editor and deputy editor on Nang!‟s editorial team and was attended by students, aged 14-25, with varied ability in writing, photography and other skills. The course was very dynamic and included activities such as meeting journalists at The Guardian, a tour of Westferry print works and a Q&A with a journalist from The Observer. Students also produced most of the Autumn issue of Nang!, which was distributed in October. The team meet every Wednesday evening in THSU‟s basement to discuss ideas for the magazine and learn about journalism, interview professionals who come in to share their experiences and answer questions, and plan who is doing what for the next week, agree deadlines, etc. Apart from helping young people to produce a brilliant magazine, the main focus for our new co-ordinator has been to make Nang! a more rounded experience for its team. New editorial roles have been established, a fashion department has been created - which hosted a model casting evening in October – and there are plans to purchase more equipment and bring the design fully in-house. We‟re currently creating an advertising policy and looking at our pricing, with a view to generating some income, favouring organisations with a charitable and youth focused agenda. Not only will this support Nang! it will give the young people involved a good insight into how magazines and newspapers are largely supported through selling advertising space. We are also beginning to explore whether Nang! could be turned into a social enterprise, without losing its magic. In addition, we are ensuring we develop design training, accreditation and progression routes as part of the Nang! experience.
Artists Gilbert & George being interviewed for Nang! magazine Job Ready Programme Following a highly successful pilot series last year and with funding from London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Network Housing, THSU is in the process of completing the first of three Job Ready Programmes scheduled for 2008 and 2009. The Job Ready Programme is a 12 week programme, including two weeks work placement experiences, for young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) and who are finding it particularly challenging to gain the skills necessary to successfully gain employment. The programme teaches many of the necessary skills to successfully compete in the job market. Using a variety of teaching methods, resources and practical exercises, it includes CV writing and submitting successful job applications, interview preparation and techniques, understanding the workplace and forming professional relationships, understanding finance and tax and understanding equal opportunity law. More than this, it enables the student to reflect over their previous experiences and begin to recognise the skills and aptitudes that they already have which will be of interest to employers. The two week work placement is a key element of the programme, being for some of the students the first professional work experience of their lives.
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The pilot year was incredibly successful, with 80% of students going on to employment or training within 6 months of the programme. This caught the interest of Network Housing who have offered funding towards the Job Ready Programmes for this year. The 2008 autumn Job Ready Programme suffered a significant set back when our corporate partner, Lehman Brothers, who were providing mentors, were due to work with us on the delivery of the programme and provide some work placements, collapsed the week before the programme started. As well as being a complete shock (for our corporate volunteers and the rest of the world) it meant some swift re-planning of the programme. Despite this major challenge, the Job Ready Programme has been successfully completed and included Credit Suisse stepping in to host an Interview day and some fantastic placement opportunities for the 20 participants in sectors and industries that included: City & Islington College, Network Housing, Bwark media company, Kier Group, Rich Mix and London Metropolitan University. Already one of the Job Ready Students has enrolled onto a course at the LSE and another has been offered further experience at their placement. This Job Ready Programme has been accredited by Open College Network (OCN), enabling the young people involved to get official recognition for the work they have done. THSU will continue to refine the accreditation process to ensure that it gives real benefit for the students, whilst not detracting from the ultimate aim of getting the young people into employment or training. The next Job Ready programme will begin in February 2009 and will be delivered in partnership with the Burberry Foundation; focusing on careers within retail. This partnership looks to be very exciting, with Burberry offering placements throughout its business in London; giving the students a real insight into the varied careers that retail can offer. WWW! (What We Want) This pilot project was one of our particular highlights for 2007 and 2008. Funded by Mediabox, WWW! allowed us to award 10 grants of £500 to young people who had the passion and commitment to make their own media project (film, photography, online project) based on a subject of their choice and relating to their lives as young people. Each grant gave an additional £2000 worth of expert tutors‟ support, advice and resources. The project was launched in Summer 2007 and the projects took place through the autumn and spring, ending in March 2008 with a major showcase at the Genesis Cinema in Stepney Green. In total over 150 young people were involved in the project and the showcase was attended by another 100 young people, as well as professionals from the media industry. The quality of the final products was staggeringly high and has attracted awards and interest from the professional media industry. Some of the highlights of the projects were: This is London - a exhibition of photographs taken and presented by a 14 year old, with the aim to capture the many different faces and cultures of London. The quality of the art work was exceptionally high and led to the young person being offered a placement for a local newspaper. Put it Down - a film about knife crime made by two talented young filmmakers. This film went on to win a BT Seen and Heard Award in June 2008 and was featured on the BBC London website. It swiftly became clear that this is an exciting project, works well within the mission of THSU and as such should continue for the future. The project gives young people a voice and platform to express their thoughts, aspirations and concerns, whilst at the same time offering them the support and training they need to ensure that their projects are delivered to a high standard. Many of the young people involved are already moving on to gain placements in major media organisations (Channel 4 included), employment in the media industry and further training to refine their skills. The second WWW! is currently underway and we await with excitement its results in April 2009. Our thanks to our media partner, Shake Ur Arts, for their fantastic mentoring and support for the participants on this project! Manga Art developed for www!
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Music Space 3 Following two successful pilots in the last year, we have launched a year round music programme for young bands and music producers, offering grass roots practical support to young music makers, including rehearsal, recording, music video making, gigging opportunities and careers advice from industry professionals. From September 2008 to June 2009, Music Space will offer a 30 week programme to 12 bands and 30 producers who would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn and play together. In addition, we are offering a year round „graduate‟ programme to all participants. The new Music Space will help up to 80 young musicians develop their talents and work with industry experts to advance their musical career. There are three terms planned from September and each term will have the capacity for four bands and 10 young music producers. Each group or individual will produce a compilation and perform at gigs and music festivals such as Underage Festival in Victoria Park and City Showcase. Launched at the start of October, Music Space 3 held its final showcase concert at the Brady Arts Centre in Whitechapel on the 9th December. Working in partnership with the CM (ex Community Music) THAMES (Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service) and Brady Arts Centre, this programme supports talented young bands and music producers who struggle to find the equipment and space to rehearse and develop their music. We have a wide range of different bands attending the programme, one even describing themselves as “Heavy Metal Rock with a sweet sound of country”! The Thrash Metal Hip Hop is my personal favourite
(Sarah Davies editing)
Top left Zombies for Hire; Top right Mercuric; Bottom left Purple Socks; Bottom right Tuesday & the Titans
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London Borough of Tower Hamlets Extended Schools commissioned programme with THSU Summer Uni Easter Special- Raising Aspirations The Raising Aspirations project aimed to do exactly what its name suggests: raise the aspirations of young people living in Tower Hamlets, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, suffer from low selfesteem and consequently are low in aspiration. A second aim was to break down some of the cultural and racial tensions that unfortunately still exist between different ethnic groups living in the borough and specifically attending five different secondary schools in the west of Tower Hamlets – Swanlea, Morpeth, Raines, Oaklands and Bethnal Green Technology College. The five day programme took part in the Easter holidays, funded by Tower Hamlets Council under their Extended Schools programme. Delivered in partnership with Youth Enterprise London, the programme targeted a7 young people from each of the schools, from Year 10 – the first GCSE year. The target group were highlighted by their heads of year as being capable however not engaging well with the GCSE curriculum. The programme aimed to demonstrate how their learning now relates to real life. It consisted of two parts, both designed to marry a fun out-of-school experience with the learning of skills and aptitudes that would equip them for the future. The first three days provided young people with invaluable experience and insight into business, enterprise and management, with the intention to encourage ambition and possibilities amongst the young people. Split into teams of seven to eight young people, participants came up with a design for a new business venture, made a prototype model of their one-off product, worked on a development & marketing plan and presented to a panel of judges who gave feedback and voted on a winner. The judges not only looked at the innovation of the idea, they were keen to see confident presentations – number one were the boys from Bethnal Green Technology College who designed a portable football game in a box – an upgraded „Subutio‟. The teaching used fun, practical techniques to look at share trading, consumer rights and the concept of “supply and demand”. The final two days aimed to reward the participants with fun, outdoor team building exercises that included jet-skiing, raft building and 4x4 driving. These exercises were, as you might imagine, very popular amongst the young people, however they were also important in raising their self-confidence, team skills and in providing experiences that took them out of their day-to-day lives. With a total of 75 young people involved on the programme, this was an ambitious and large project. Overall it was a great success and delighted the Extended Schools team who had commissioned the work. It also played an important part in breaking down territorial tension between young people from Globe Town and the neighbouring Brady Street. Their reaction on seeing each other on day one had been, “if I knew they were coming, I wouldn‟t be here!” October half-term Extended Schools Projects The October half-term schools projects was commissioned by Tower Hamlets Council in September. This gave us very little time to organise the programme so we approached it as an extension of the summer programme; running a number of different courses in four secondary schools across the borough. The courses covered a wide range of different areas, after consulting with the schools, from business to music, sports to arts, and were well attended because of the school‟s involvement in recruitment and our team‟s presentations to targeted year groups. A total of 128 young people attended. Many of the courses were highly engaging and successful, however internally it was felt that more preparation time would have enabled us to properly plan the courses, working with young people to determine which courses would be most suitable. The Extended Schools contract also covers the February half-term and Easter holidays. With more time, we can better plan the nature and structure of the courses we will run for these two programmes. We have recruited a temporary Extended Schools Projects Officer to oversee the programmes and are currently talking to London Borough of Tower Hamlets to ensure that more notice is given to us, in the awarding of similar commissioning for the future. Accrediting our work THSU have accredited aspects of its work before and this year has seen an organisational decision to make accreditation key to our core work and another major offer for the young people who attend our courses. With thanks to funding from City Bridge Trust, we have appointed an Accreditation Co-ordinator to initially support, guide and advise the Peer, Job Ready and Youth Ambassador Programmes in regards to accreditation, with the aim to then look at our other programmes and accreditation. 28
The Accreditation Coordinator, Emmerline Smy, has already written a tutor and learner manual for the current Job Ready Programme, which has become the first programme to be fully accredited. These manuals can now act as templates for the Peer programme and the Youth Ambassador programme as appropriate. The Accreditation Coordinator recognises the potential within the organisation to develop and implement accreditation throughout its programmes and is beginning to work with other teams within the organisation. Additionally she will look at the potential for quality assurance, accreditation and benchmarking as potential income generation. And finally, Emmerline is helping to look at internal quality assurance measures across the charity, to ensure evaluation of our internal systems and processes, in order to identify what is done very well and possible areas for improvement. Implementing standards and providing guidance creates a valuable platform for sharing best practice. The process ensures that THSU‟s aims, values and mission are being met and that we are meeting our targets and planning for the future. Quality assurance also provides assurance to our stakeholders, partners, investors, funders, staff and users of THSU. Involving Young People in our work We would not be where we are without our absolute commitment to involving young people in every aspect of the work we do. From deciding on courses for the summer, to helping to run the courses, to helping us recruit staff, young people play a fundamental part in our day to day decision making. Three programmes in particular reflect this commitment, all now regular aspects of our work: Youth Ambassadors Scheme This scheme started in September 2007 and enjoyed significant success in its first year, recruiting over 90 young people from across London to become our „ambassadors‟. The programme trains and supports the young people to develop many organisational and team skills by involving them in various projects undertaken by the staff at THSU; including: Deciding on courses for the summer programme Helping to create marketing materials for the programme Helping to manage THSU‟s events Advising Summer Uni London on their work to expand Summer Unis across the capital In return the Youth Ambassadors receive training, accreditation, take part in residentials and other opportunities signposted to them; from volunteering opportunities to work experience at Channel 4 to opportunities for working in theatre. The first year of the programme was evaluated in September 2008 with excellent results. Out of the 90 Ambassadors who were asked how they would rate the course, not a single young person rated it as anything less than good! The Youth Ambassadors scheme will continue this year, with the generous support from Barclays Capital with both funding for the scheme and corporate mentoring for the participants. We‟re aiming for it to become fully accredited.
„As a Youth ambassador I have made a lot of new friends, and it was really inspiring programme because it allowed us to develop our self and got me thinking how an organisation like Summer Uni really cares about what we say and how important we are to them.‟ Shahien, Youth Ambassador Dare London This programme runs in partnership with the GLA and London Youth, with our cohort of young people representing young people from Summer Unis across the capital. Altogether 30 young people from our three partner organisations focus on advising politicians, civil servants, other third sector organisations, etc, on youth participation and engagement. Currently Dare are independently working on a conference and campaign, putting forward young people‟s views around knife crime to the youth services and rewarding those projects that they feel successfully tackle the issue, using innovative means. The potential of Dare London is clear to all. It involves a group of highly motivated and independent young people who are great at forming and expressing opinions which shed a youth perspective on the complex issues that London faces. In 2009 we want Dare London to become a key part of our offer to young people and provide attractive progression routes for our Youth Ambassadors and Peer Motivators. 29
Peers Motivators Scheme The Peers Motivator scheme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to be involved in the marketing and delivery of the summer programme, whereby young people support THSU staff to “spread the word” of the programme and help tutors to deliver the courses themselves. As in previous years, the Peer Motivator programme was promoted through Tower Hamlets secondary schools, the THSU website and brochure, an advertisement in Nang! magazine, local libraries and in writing to past Peer Motivators. Most interest in the programme came from word of mouth, attracting approximately 50 expressions of interest in the programme from young people. Learning from last year, where having too many Peer Motivators proved problematic, THSU decided to limit the Peer group of 2008 to 25 Peer Motivators, plus 6 Team Leaders. Young people who were interviewed and those considered to be suitable for the programme were invited to participate in initial training, focussed on transferable skills, such as communication, conflict resolution, teamwork and leadership skills. The entire Peer Motivator programme, including training and involvement on the summer programme, ran from 28th July to 22nd August 2008, culminating in a “Peer Prom” social event. Peer Motivators volunteered at 27 sites, supporting the delivery of the THSU courses for young people. They were responsible for registering students onto courses, providing support to course tutors and young people, helping to set up and manage the sites and for moving equipment and resources when required. However, the main function of Peer Motivators is to act as positive role models for other young people and be good ambassadors of THSU. They provide encouragement to young people on courses, respond to issues of conflict where they may arise and liaise between site managers, tutors and the THSU office. The behaviour of Peer Motivators was excellent this year, with positive feedback received from course tutors and the THSU Programmes Team. They were enthusiastic and professional in carrying out their duties and were approachable and supportive towards other young people. The Peers scheme is already accredited and our new Accreditation Coordinator is exploring how the process can be improved for summer 2009; making accreditation a more obvious benefit to the young people involved – that‟s not always their prime motivation to volunteer. We are also looking at how to involve the programmes team more readily in the Peers training, so that the Peer Motivators have a clearer idea of what is needed from them for the summer. With the regular Peer Coordinator, Lola Ahonkhai, currently on maternity leave, Rosie Murdoch ties up her work on Reel Change and will join the Peers Team as its Manager and to oversee the Peers Motivators scheme for 2009.
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Summer Uni London Last summer, 26,932 young people participated in the Summer Uni programmes offered by all 32 London boroughs that were awarded the Summer Uni Grant or Project Grant in the 2nd and 3rd funding rounds. It is not at all surprising that so many young people chose to sign up to Summer Uni when you realise the variety of the 2,291 courses on offer; circus skills, air cadets, cookery, Go-Karting, philosophy‌ the list is endless! The Summer Unis evaluation of their programmes provide overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that young people enjoyed participating in Summer Uni and that in doing so they made new friends, developed new skills and left refreshed and excited about what their future holds. The Summer Uni model was met with enthusiasm by the local authorities with its flexibility and ethos of being youth-focussed and youth-centred fitting perfectly within their strategies and targets around children and young people. However there is no doubt that the Summer Uni Grants, administered by us on behalf of the Jack Petchey Foundation and London Challenge, provided the incentive to put the model into practice and for many local authorities, the results were staggeringly successful. The fact that all London Boroughs were involved was also a fantastic achievement and the main aim of our Business Plan. Joined-up working within the local authority and the development of partnerships with other organisations in the boroughs ensured that any gaps in provision were addressed and duplication of provision avoided. This approach resulted in an increase of funding available. We estimate that the 32 Summer Unis spent well in excess of £3.5 million on their Summer Unis, which is over twice the value of the total Grants awarded! This means that on average the Summer Unis were doubling the amount of match funding they were required to commit. For young people, the Summer Uni Grants meant that it was easy for them to access the wide range of free provision on offer in their borough and across London. The Summer Uni Grants enabled new Summer Unis to lay solid foundations for their provision, and for the established Summer Unis it enabled them to strengthen their existing programmes, providing much needed funding to develop new and innovative projects. We will be working hard with the Summer Unis to build on the successes of 2008 to ensure the legacy of the Summer Uni Grants lives on for years to come. Capacity Building the Boroughs We continued to capacity build local authority and voluntary sector based Summer Unis, in particular on: The importance of involving young people in planning, design, delivery and ongoing evaluation to meet the ethos of SUL in delivering diverse Summer Uni programmes to all young people across London. How to embed, sustain and further develop Summer Uni provision to meet priorities from the Jack Petchey foundation (JPF), the sole funder for this particular round of funding. How to complete grant application forms successfully, monitor finances and compile budgets accurately; how to be creative in finding match or in kind funding, especially from within local authority boundaries, and present them to funders for easy review. The importance of planning ahead to capture quantitative and qualitative data to be able to report back to funders on how the Grant was spent, demonstrating impact and providing explanations for any failings or discrepancies. We have continued to offer our usual services, such as seminars, consultancy and advice, and strived to improve them, including commissioning our web developers to conduct further database developments for the benefit of the SUL network. Having achieved our primary Business Plan aim of having each London Borough set up a Summer Uni during summer 2008, we can very clearly see that the Summer Unis require even more help in order to become sustainable and more effective. The extent of help required continues to broadly fall into three categories: 1. Well established Summer Unis who are experienced in managing their programmes, budgets, marketing and in raising the profile of their Summer Uni. Some also have a track record of fundraising and attracting financial and political support from the local authority. However, most struggle to attract sufficient funding, either through funders being unwilling to fund a local authority or through lack of sufficient capacity or fundraising skills.
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2. Newly established Summer Unis who have demonstrated huge potential in making their Summer Uni a permanent feature of their local authority‟s services to young people. Many of these Summer Unis are vulnerable since their start-up funding was for only 1 year and could not be used to fund a co-ordinator post. Several are still finding their place within the local authority and trying to drum up political support for the Summer Uni. 3. Established and brand new Summer Unis who have poor communication skills, are under-staffed or suffer from low local authority support. Whilst they may run extremely popular or worthwhile programmes, they may fail to communicate their objectives, successes, statistics or finances in funding applications, monitoring reports and at local authority steering groups. To note are the ongoing Integrated Youth Support Service restructures with blocks on recruitment until structures are finalised and seasonal engagement and high turnover of staff within some local authorities. We have supported all types of Summer Unis, ranging from those within Youth Services and Extended Services to Third Sector organisations, offering them a service that helps them become sustainable. The most effective way of doing so has been in administering the Grants – it remains a very powerful way of engaging the Summer Unis and obliging them to commit to conditions that are imposed for their own benefit. It cannot, however, be delivered without the SUL staff team and SUL‟s additional support structures, such as one to one coaching, use of the SUL website and database, invitations to seminars, network meetings and other London-wide events, use of the brokerage service, support with gaining QiSS quality assurance kite-mark and access to best practice and innovative projects such as Job Ready, managed by our charity.
Participants on Moving Voices at Half Moon Young People‟s Theatre Snapshot on activities run by some of the Boroughs in receipt of a SUL grant in 2008 Barking and Dagenham identified gaps in provision and as a result worked in partnership with the Metropolitan Police in providing a boxing course as well as providing angling and bushcraft courses for the first time. In addition, the Volunteering, IT and Beauty courses were particularly targeted at young people with disabilities. Barnet Summer Uni strengthened links with the Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) steering groups in planning the activities and helped to increase the profile of Youth and Connexions Service across the council. 25% of attendees received accreditation. In Bexley the grant helped to develop increased community cohesion as a result of the diversity, attraction and innovation of the projects. Bexley have now ring fenced funding from Extended Services to continue with Easter and Summer Uni for at least two years. Bromley provided 900 course places to young people. The Summer Uni programme enabled learning opportunities and access to programmes and opportunities that would usually not be on offer. These included stable management, film making, music and DJ workshops, motorcycle mechanics, circus skills and Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) skills training. 32
Camden Summer Uni offered young people the opportunity to engage in activities linked to the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) accreditation. Croydon Summer Uni was successfully delivered in partnership by Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA). They made real progress towards achieving integration of delivery between the statutory sector and voluntary organisations for young people in the borough; this was made possible through collaboration between partners and the use of a common marketing tool. In Ealing, the grant enabled a wide range of new courses/activities to young people in more venues spread out across the borough. It allowed them to concentrate on the geographical spread of opportunities available to young people, and enabled them to address and improve on the lack of provision in specific areas in the borough. Due to the increase in opportunities made available across the borough in different venues with a variety of providers, more than double the amount of young people made contact with the Youth Service this year than in 2007. Enfield Summer Uni and Middlesex University were an example of successful partnership working. The University organised a student information pack to pass to all students, which contained Maps, access instructions, code of conduct and facilities available for learners. They also operated a dedicated coach and „meet and greet service‟. Courses included Arts and Creative Media including Stop Motion Animation, Film Production, Video Production, Textiles in addition to Live Performances. The most significant impact of Greenwich Summer Uni was the increased reach to young people not previously known or engaged with the Youth Service. This was largely made possible because the Summer Uni Grant allowed for wider, open access to the programme. Of the 877 registered young people, 756 were new contacts to the Youth and Play Service. Hackney was funded for a drama course that culminated in an all singing and dancing showcase event that attracted parents and members of the community. A DVD of the performance was also produced. Hammersmith & Fulham developed an Arts Extravaganza to ensure that there was a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of arts activities throughout the summer period, involving many new partners and engaging young people from across the borough to share and discover interests in the arts. Harrow Summer Uni helped to develop a network of partnerships and ongoing relationships with other organisations and councils that can be used in the future, not just for Summer Uni Harrow but also throughout the Children‟s Services to improve the outcomes for children and young people. Havering Summer Uni targeted their activities at older young people by providing courses around the opportunities available both in the world of work and further education. Hillingdon expanded their „FIESTA 2008‟ summer activity programme for young people. There were significant increases in the number of learning programmes provided, the number of learning places provided, the number of learning hours provided and the range of curriculum activities provided. Hounslow ran inclusive activities for all young people in the authority, with central co-ordination of information allowing them to signpost more specialist provision, i.e. to the Play Team who provide activities specifically for young people with special educational needs. Both Islington and Kensington and Chelsea used the funding to develop their peer motivator schemes. In Kingston, a much more comprehensive programme was offered to young people, giving them the chance to gain new skills and try new experiences. Summer Uni also engaged with young people who had not previously accessed Council services. Kingston also built new relationships with other organisations who can offer services to young people. The Summer University grant helped Lambeth to target and concentrate resources to the 14 -19 age range and provide much needed courses that had a learning and accredited outcome. Lambeth Summer Uni ring fenced funding to young people that do not historically engage in holiday activities, and young people that tend prove difficult to engage in mainstream activities. Lewisham ran a 2 week programme for young people with Special Educational Needs run in partnership with the Roundhouse. In Merton, the Summer Uni Grant assisted the borough in developing stronger partnerships between different departments and agencies. It also enabled Merton to pilot a diverse and attractive local offer of purposeful, engaging and exciting positive activities and places to go, that responded to young peoples‟ needs and supported their personal development. Newham ran activities for young people with complex needs using a provider with an outdoor adventure and personal development focus. 33
Redbridge had a high demand for courses so they increased their capacity to give more young people the opportunity to participate. Their peer motivation scheme was a great success. Richmond put on additional provision in deprived areas of the borough to targeted young people, whereby they attracted participants theyâ€&#x;d never seen on activities before. Southwark increased the number of courses to 85, increased the number of places on accredited courses such as the First Aid course and extended the offer of activities to include maths and science refreshers and a dance programme targeted at young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) aged 12-25. Sutton significantly increased the opportunities available for young people over the summer with the wide range of courses on offer and possibilities for accreditation. It reached a larger proportion of the youth population enabling them to gain information on their needs, interests and explore the best methods of engagement. It also improved joined –up working with agencies providing services for young people across sectors. Tower Hamlets Summer Uni developed its summer programme and helped to establish year round projects such as Job Ready, Music Space, Nang! Magazine and www, a project that encourages young people to apply fro small grants for activities such as film making etc. Wandsworth used the funding for the film, media and digital arts strand of their Summer Uni programme. Westminster were able to run many more activities than would otherwise have been the case. They engaged with a significant amount of young Westminster residents who had not previously engaged with the Youth Service. Some of these young people gained accreditations which they would not otherwise have had the opportunity to. Conclusion As is very clearly demonstrated, the boroughs were able to continue or to kick start quality summer activities and target their activities to specific groups of young people, or towards particular outcomes and outputs to address local needs. Looking ahead, we have a clear vision for SUL which involves building on the services and the 32 borough strong network that we have established in our first two years to continue to improve the courses and activities available to young people across London. A major focus will be on monitoring and improving the quality of those courses and activities, with greater emphasis on value for money in the context of that quality. We have secured further funding to be able to ensure our high standards are met by all Summer Unis. The SUL network is developing further and beyond London. Plans for national expansion are gathering pace with interest from a number of interested parties outside London. The whole Charity is undergoing a rebranding exercise to ensure that existing and future young people, parents, carers, tutors, providers and partners are aware of who we are, what we do and what we represent.
Two young artists displaying their work at the SUL Best of Art Exhibition 2008
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Operational Partners 2008-9 „A‟ Team Arts Account 3 Women‟s Consultancy Allen & Overy LLP Ashlyns Organic Farm Baltic Exchange Barclays Capital BBC London Bethnal Green Technology College Bishop Challoner School Bow Arts Trust Brady Arts Centre Brokerage City Link Cass Business School Central Foundation Girls‟ School Channel 4 Chisenhale Dance Space CIDA Circus Space Clifford Chance LLP CM ContinYou Corporation of London George Green‟s School Green Candle Dance Grant Solder Sports Agency Half Moon Young People‟s Theatre Iniva Kinetika Latimer Films Lehman Brothers LIFT Lizard Outreach Trust Lloyd‟s of London London Borough of Tower Hamlets Children Services
London College of Fashion London Metropolitan University Mile End Stadium Millwall Park Minx Creative Morgan Lewis Morpeth School Mulberry School for Girls National Express Oaklands School Otesha Project UK Oxford Brookes University Oxford University Planning Aid for London Playground Entertainment Raines Foundation School Rich Mix Cultural Foundation Rolling Sound Roundhouse Royal Institute of Philosophy SAFE Seven Mills Primary School Shake Ur Arts Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design Speakers Bank Splash Arts Summer Uni London Swanlea School Tower Hamlets City Learning Centre Tower Hamlets College UFA Urban Adventure Base Women‟s Library XStream East Young Enterprise London Youth Empowerment Scheme Zamir Telecom
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Funders 2008-9 Allen & Overy Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust Barclays Capital Britannia Building Society Foundation Burberry Foundation Capital Radio Help a London Child City Bridge Trust Clifford Chance Credit Suisse Deutsche Bank Federation of London Youth Goldman Sachs Capacity Building Programme Greater London Authority Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation Henry Smith Charity Hilton in the Community Foundation ITV Jack Petchey Foundation London Borough of Tower Hamlets London Challenge London Development Agency Morgan Stanley Foundation Network Housing Group Paul Hamlyn Foundation Savoy Educational Trust St. Katharine & Shadwell Trust The Baltic Charitable Fund The Goldsmith's Company Tower Hill Improvement Trust Worshipful Company of Shipwrights A BIG thank you to all our funders!
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Financial Review Summarised Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st March 2009 Unrestricted funds £ Incoming Resources Donations Grants receivable Other income Total incoming resources Resources expended Fundraising & publicity Direct charitable expenditure Management and administration Total resources expended
Designated funds £
Restricted funds £
2009 £
2008 £
2,000 1,653,403
45,101 1,914,777 33,827 1,993,705
26,345 353,799 35,356 415,500
1,655,403
28,345 2,007,202 35,356 2,070,903
4,069 118,239
1,880,812
4,069 1,999,051
3,764 1,758,302
17,716
18,349
17,716 140,024
1,880,812
2,020,836
1,780,415
Net movement in funds before transfers Transfers between funds
275,476
(225,409)
50,067
213,290
(5,088)
5,088
-
-
-
Net movement in funds after transfers Surplus, brought forward
270,388
5,088
(225,409)
50,067
213,290
160,563
11,935
349,341
521,839
308,549
Surplus, carried forward
430,951
17,023
123,932
571,906
521,839
The statement of Financial Activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 1985. Continuing Operations None of the charity‟s activities were acquired or discontinued during the above two financial years. Total recognised gains and losses The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than the above movement in funds for the above two financial years. Summarised Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2009 2009 £ Fixed Assets Tangible assets Current Assets Debtors Cash at Bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2008 £
£
75,108
£ 49,828
606,425 717,170 1,323,595
293,007 702,630 995,637
(826,797)
(523,626)
Net current assets
496,798
472,011
Net Assets
571,906
521,839
430,951 17,023 123,932 571,906
160,563 11,935 349,341 521,839
Income Funds Unrestricted funds – general Unrestricted funds - designated Restricted funds
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These summarised accounts have been extracted from the full audited accounts of Tower Hamlets Summer Education Limited for the year ending 31 March 2009 and they may not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity. For further information copies of the full audited accounts can be obtained from Tower Hamlets Summer Education Limited, Ground Floor, 24-26 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE. Telephone number 020 7247 7900. The full audited accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on the 8th September 2009 and have been submitted to the Charity Commission. Auditors report on the summarised accounts of Tower Hamlets Summer Education Limited for the year ended 31 March 2009. We have examined the summarised accounts, which have been extracted from the full audited accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009. In our opinion the summarised accounts are consistent with the full audited accounts. Ramon Lee and Partners Registered Auditors Chartered Accountants Kemp House 152-160 City Road London EC1V 2DW
Fashion Fusion
Flower Arranging
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Future – the next 12 months The focus of THSU‟s activities over the next 12 months will be on ensuring the continued success of the core delivery of activities to young people, supporting the London wide network of Summer Unis and developing the structures to support the expansion of the model outside of London to enable thousands more young people to benefit from the model. All staff of the charity are involved in planning and delivering the objectives on the strategic plan, reviewing progress against targets on a monthly basis. THSU is developing its Quality Assurance Kitemark, ensuring young people are at the heart of assessing the quality of THSU and other Summer Uni programmes through a new Youth Assessors programme. The charity is working on the structures for its License model and reviewing the capacity needed for supporting the license, to enable sustainable expansion. During 2010 and 2011, THSU will canvas all existing Summer Unis to become License holders to deliver their programmes to the THSU quality and ethos. The charity has reviewed and is refreshing its brand in order to protect itself, its intellectual property, the new license and the quality of programmes. Core THSU programmes: The charity recognises that its core work is its strength and this is most effective when delivering courses during the holiday periods, especially since this is traditionally the period that young people associate with THSU. The charity is planning a range of programmes in 2009/10 during the spring, summer and autumn. These include: The very popular Summer Programme for 11-25 year olds will run at a variety of venues throughout Tower Hamlets and the City of London, offering up to 130 courses in subjects as diverse as Careers in the City, Photography, Driving Theory, First Aid, Maths, Arabic, Cookery, Fashion, Film Making, Calligraphy, Introduction to Medicine, Investment Banking, Law, CSI, Tourism, Archery, Rowing and other Olympic sports, to name a few. Up to 40 Peer Motivator Volunteers will be recruited to support the delivery of the summer programme. Job Ready is a successful 12 week programme run 3 times per year. In 2010 THSU aims to expand the programme to six per year, recruiting up to 16 young people per programme, who are not in work, education or training. Each Job Ready partners with a City company and covers a range of Job Ready skills - Communication; Making the most of yourself; Setting Targets; Finance & Budgeting; Skills Review; Career Development; Job Applications; Research; Successful Interview Preparation. Training takes place over nine weeks followed by two week work placements and final week evaluation and progression guidance. Year round programmes for 11-25 year olds will roll out a range of art, sport and career based courses and activities beyond the summer including the multiple award winning Nang! youth magazine and the Music Space project.
www! (What We Want!) skills development and small bursary programme will begin in the autumn, giving a platform for young people to express themselves on issues affecting their lives through the media of film and photography. The Youth Ambassador scheme will continue to develop with a corporate staff mentoring programme included in the years timetable. This scheme actively involves young people in improving and developing the charity and its projects. Youth Ambassadors are recruited and trained to hold their own team meetings, run their own projects and become experts in events and marketing, representing young people in their local community and helping THSU to reflect the needs and wants of young people. Dare London is run by THSU as part of its Summer Uni London programme. In partnership with London Youth and the Greater London Authority, up to 30 young people are trained and supported to become ambassadors, advisors and campaigners for youth issues across the capital. Development: Given THSU‟s success and the charity‟s commitment towards raising the aspirations of as many young people as possible, the charity is continuing to identify and develop „warm‟ partners nationally to pilot their own SUs in future years. THSU is looking ahead to an even more exciting future, with the support of all our funders and partners. 39
Brand Development THSU has been hugely successful, with rapid expansion in recent times. This success and expansion has brought both challenges and opportunities, particularly in the realms of branding and communications. Our two brand objectives will be to strengthen and develop the brand of THSU, as its own provider of services in east London and to develop a brand that is equipped to accommodate the plans for growth outside of London.
Sarah Davies Executive Director Tower Hamlets Summer University | Ground Floor | 24-26 Fournier Street | London | E1 6QE Office line: 020 7247 7900 Fax: 020 7377 9793 email: sarah.davies@summeruni.org Web addresses THSU: www.summeruni.org Summer Uni London: www.summerunilondon.org Reel Change: www.reelchangefilm.org
Contact Details
Tower Hamlets Summer University Ground Floor, 24-26 Fournier Street, London, E1 6QE Telephone: 020 7247 7900 Fax: 020 7377 9793 email: info@summeruni.org web THSU: www.summeruni.org and Summer Uni London: www.summerunilondon.org Summer Uni London is a project of Tower Hamlets Summer University Registered as Tower Hamlets Summer Education Ltd. Registered company number: 2017713. Registered charity number: 1048822
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