The BIG Challenge competition is now open...

BIG Challenge gives YOU the opportunity to tackle the BIG problems that face our communities today. After a fantastic first year, Big Challenge 2 has arrived!

If you are aged 16 to 25, you have the chance to apply for part of the £60,000 prize fund to tackle this year's challenge. This year’s theme was chosen by the Youth Leadership Team, who worked together to agree on a topic that they felt was meaningful to young people across the UK. Your Chance, Everybody's Change This year's Big Challenge theme chosen by the Youth Leadership Team focuses on bringing communities together. Here is their challenge to you... Many cultures, many individuals, how can you create unity in your community? Make the change, let the Big Challenge be your Big Chance!

For your chance to apply to and to read more about the BIG Challenge visit the website: www.bigchallenge.org.uk 

Prime Minister Launches the Youth of Today – The Leaders of Tomorrow

Gordon Brown today launched The Youth of Today, a major youth leadership programme for young people aged 13-19, aiming to increase the quality, quantity and diversity of opportunities for young people as leaders of change in their communities.

As the Prime Minister joined a group of young people participating in a lively leadership debate in Wolverhampton today, Gordon Brown outlined his full support for The Youth of Today: “This afternoon’s youth leadership discussion is testament to the powerful voice young people have in their communities. The Youth of Today will enable more young people to have their voice heard through a dynamic partnership of leading charities that will help increase the quality of opportunities for young people. I want to see many more young people have the opportunity to be seen and heard as leaders in their communities, central to solving community problems and active in engaging their peers in bringing about change.”

Children Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls said “ Today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders and ‘The Youth of Today’ is a programme unlike any other where the focus is on young people getting to grips with leadership roles. “The additional places on offer are for young people from all over the country and there are 2,000 varied opportunities from shadowing Ministers for a day, to getting involved in the development of ‘The Youth of Today’ programme directly. “I have met young people who effectively demonstrate leadership by being role models to their peers, through campaigning to encourage positive perceptions of young people in the public eye or by leading change in their local communities. ‘The Youth of Today’ programmes offer young people the chance to shine and demonstrate their leadership talents’’

Funded by the DCSF, The Youth of Today is led by a consortium of leading organisations previously known as the National Body for Youth Leadership. This includes The National Youth Agency, British Youth Council, Changemakers, Citizenship Foundation, Prince’s Trust, UK Youth Parliament and The Young Foundation.

Changemakers' Adam Nichols, speaking on behalf of The Youth of Today, said: “The new name was chosen by young people wanting to take action to change negative perceptions about youth in society and is characteristic of all The Youth of Today programmes, which are led by young people as well as being for young people. We can’t afford not to support The Youth of Today and as always I have been bowled over by today’s debate. The next generation is already contributing to society in so many positive ways.”

For more information on The Youth of Today, please visit the website.

East Londoners are invited to join Sed*8 magazine

Sed*8 is the new streetculture magazine and youth training program for East London. Written by and for young people, Sed*8 will be more than just a magazine but a movement. Young East Londoners a given a real opportunity to get involved in the creative media.

Sed*8 will run workshops and mentoring programs throughout Summer 2009 to train contributors in journalism, photography and graphic design. By taking part in the Sed*8 workshops, you can become the contributors and editors of East London’s newest streetculture bible.

WHEN: Workshops will run from July to September and will be weekly, 3-hour session on Mondays or Tuesdays from 6-9pm.

WHERE: The Blue Hut, 40 Provost St, Hackney, N1 7NZ.

For more information and to sign up go to www.sed8magazine.com or contact Steph Hegarty at info@sed8magazine.com.

Changemaker up for Young Thinker of the Year

Barbara Soetan, who has worked with Changemakers as a Young Advocate for the advocacy stream, as a Youth Leadership Team member for the Big Challenge and who is currently working as part of our leadership programme at the Local Government Information Unit, will be taking part in the nerve-wracking finals of the Third Sector Young Thinker of the Year at the Lancaster House Hotel on the 23 June 2009.

The Young Thinker of the Year is part of the Young United Kingdom and Ireland programme, designed to develop new talent in the workplace and the community. Entrants are between 19 and 32 years old. Barbara was put forward for the award by Changemakers.

Barbara comments: “I am delighted to have been chosen. Changemakers has a good reputation so I think the fact that they nominated me stood me in good stead. And to win would be just overwhelming! I have never won anything in my life. I’ve done such a variety of volunteer work, and I’ve really enjoyed it all and learned such a lot. As the competition involves public speaking I am viewing it as practise, because I am hoping that my future career might involve quite a lot of that! I’d like to give a voice to all the people that do all kinds of youth and volunteering work but aren’t given the opportunity to shout about it.”

Adam Nichols, Chief Executive Officer of Changemakers, comments: “We have been incredibly impressed with the energy and commitment Barbara displays in her volunteering. She’s an invaluable member of the Changemakers youth team and we wish her all the best in the competition.”

Celebrating International Carers Week in Birmingham

To kick start the International Carers Week, Erma Lewis - founder of the "Wheelchair Recycling WE CAN DO" charity - welcomed carers to the Cerebral Palsy Midlands Centre for a day of pampering, relaxation and home cooked food in recognition of their sustained work of looking after loved ones. With a long list of attendees including the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, there was a lot of work to do...

Luckily, eight young people (recruited through Changemakers) gave up their day to help with the decoration, cooking and serving of food and generally helping out to make this event a true success.

At the end, the volunteers (some having never volunteered before) received their vThank You certificates from the Lord Mayor himself and received a roaring applause from the attendees. Well done to them!