Paul McKenzie is part of the Youth Unity team was part of this amazing project and held a series of workshops working with young people who have mental health challenges. Throughout these workshops Paul coached these young people through expressing their thoughts and feelings through art the outcome, this incredibly deep and thought provoking content.
Well done to South London and Maudsley NHS for driving such an important topic and giving these young people a voice.
CAMHS Mentor Volunteer Coordinator Sinéad Brown talks about “Health Information Champions”, an exciting and innovative project that involved young people collaborating with award-winning artists Mark Chilvers and Paul McKenzie. The project was funded by NHS England and Improvement.
“Studies have shown that young people of all communities reported experiencing raised levels of stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Life These Days: A Young Person’s Guide to Navigating COVID 19’ creative arts project was designed as part of a winter response to this finding and aimed to ease some of the burdens caused by the pandemic.
“A group of 15 young people came together to volunteer their time in a bid to facilitate a space where young people could access accurate and timely messages about COVID 19 and enable positive health experiences. Most of the young people involved in the project were current or former users of our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
“This co-designed project included drama games and icebreakers, debates and discussions, homework challenges, and several mini-masterclass training sessions in photography and filmmaking. Each participant involved received a film-kit in the post, which caused much excitement and anticipation to kick start the project.
“The project spanned seven weeks, delivering over a dozen workshops and our end product was over 20 co-produced digital posters each with messages from young people, one 30-minute podcast and short film. View the Facebook album here.
“We closed the project with two celebration parties – one for each of the groups (aged 7-12 and 14-18 years), where young people dressed up, brought party snacks and danced and laughed as we brought the project to a close. Each young person was awarded with a certificate of achievement and an e-voucher to thank them for all of their hard work and effort in creating and sharing uplifting and educational messages for other young people.
“Projects like this remind us that despite the difficulties weighed down on us by COVID 19 communities can still come together to support, create, learn, share, and inspire. The flexibility of remote engagement allowed us to reach young people all over South London. Relatives of participants were able to take part, former service users were involved and even inpatients on acute wards could be part of the project.
“The young people said they felt the sessions helped them to cope with the pressures of COVID 19; they also said they felt that the workshops helped them to have good mental health. The project provided the young people with a place to feel heard and recognised, to have fun; but most importantly, it was a space for young people to connect. It didn’t stop there, parents reported feelings of respite from the project, and clinicians felt that it really acted as a supplement to therapeutic sessions of the service users they were supporting.
“Finally, it is absolutely the case that the impact and legacy of this project will continue far beyond the final delivery date. The young volunteers developed their confidence, built friendships, and nurtured a love for art. All things that truly are invaluable and immeasurable.
“The parent of a child aged seven who took part said: ‘He loved it so much. He got so much from it. It boosted his confidence. His self-esteem really improved and just blossomed over the time. After each group [session] he got more comfortable. It touched my heart to see how much impact you had on him.’
“Isobel Mdudu, our Trust’s Volunteer Services Manager, said: ‘The Health Information Champions project has been wonderful. A big thanks to Sinead who succeeded in making this happen in such a short space of time – an imaginative, creative and amazing way to involve young volunteers.’
Nurjahan Ali Arobi, NHS England and Improvement’s policy lead on youth volunteering, and the project’s lead commissioner said, ‘We are delighted by South London and Maudsley’s progress with Health Information Champions, with 96 percent of participants finding the sessions either calming, exciting or inspiring.’
Source: https://slam.nhs.uk/media/our-blog/health-information-champions/
We can all make an individual pledge to #TakeAStand from 3pm today to Monday 11.59 3rd May a social media blackout to make a stand against discrimination in all forms!! So, when you hear discrimination or see it online make a point to #TakeAStand and call it out or report it.https://www.kickitout.org/
ANTIKNIFE CRIME RAP TUNE MADE BY : MC J.O.K & PROJECT LANDO HUGE THANKS TO : JOE MURPHY FOR THE VIDEO CHARLIE SANDERSON FOR RECORDING VOCALS BELLYMAN FOR INSPIRATION #DROPTHEKNIFEVALUELIFE#CARRYABASKETBALLNOTABLADE SHARE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE LETS GET THIS MESSAGE OUT THERE, KNIFE CRIME IS NO JOKE AND NEEDS ADDRESSING. THANKS, JAY KITCHEN (MC J.O.K)
Please get in touch with us if you would be able to help us leading up the festival and or on the day
We will feed and water you on the day <3 and guarantee you will have lots of fun, plus we can offer a certificate to show you took part which could help with work experience, job references.
There is lots of exciting projects around our festival, as we are here for the long term and we are working to offer training and employment long term.
CONTACT: 07447 446992 ask for Shirley
Youth Unity would like to give a HUGE HUGE thank you to THE BOW BELLS pub, staff and patreons for their amazing support <3 we are heavily relying on the generosity of businesses and the public to make this project last long after the event. We all do this project with nogovernement funding and as volunteers, so please if you want to support and get a stake in the project please reach out.
Knife Crime is continuing to rise and we are working to help young people use sports and music as a better alternative, plus lets not forget there are plenty that are great and we need a day to shine the light on all the amazing young people that of course a chance for families to get together in harmony!!
its greatly appreciated and would’nt expect anything less from a pub in the good old Eastend!! #thanks #donation
Not forgetting our amazing ambassador Léandra Maleix who has supported us from the very start!
Our very own MC CKP will be hosting the live music stage, where he will be bigging up young emerging artists, playing the beats that the young people want to hear … yes we will have grime but it will be conscious music!
The Legendary Mc CKP has won many prestigious awards for his contribution to the Garage scene. His achievements have helped him become a major player across the globe on the underground scene with his unique, versatile style and voice.
His energy, gaining crowd participation and whipping them into a frenzy is second to none.
You have to call Mc CKP the Originator, why? Whose catchphrase’s are these? “OLIE OLIE OLIE”. (That’s right, the first MC to bring that to the club scene). “Give me a sign, if you want a rewind”, (the first MC to summon DJ’s to rewind tunes back in the day when DJ’s didn’t rewind tunes). “When I say!!!!!!!! You say!!!!!!” to name a few. He is all about setting styles and trends amongst his peers.
Few people can lay claim to being the definitive voice of their profession. Mc CKP is definitely one of those people. And most important a genuinely nice guy.
ARE YOU AN EMERGING ARTIST?
MC
DJ
RAPPER
BAND
MUSICIAN
PRODUCER
get in touch for a chance to perform on stage with this iconic legend MC CKP
Alternatively you can send your mix to shirley@youthunity.org and she will work to get back to you for a chance to perform.
No promises, but we will have well known music producers attending on the day, so you never know we may discover the next talent!
Youth Unity are excite and happy to announce that we will have the amazing and incredibly talented 3Will performing live on stage. Will is an xfactor finalist and has the most amazing voice and is a pretty funny guy too …
“The Power Of 3” by yours truly @3willmusic composed by myself and @officialkylewis! #music #afrobeats #singing #production #ghana #africa #blackexcellence #beauty #art #vocals #blackqueen #blackkings #godfirst #jesus #melody #healing #spiritual #romantic #peace #happiness #inspiration
Great news its confirmed that Mi-Soul will be hosting a music area at Youth Unity …
Our very own ambassador JUMPIN JACK FROST will be on the line up joined by other Mi-Soul DJs all giving their time to support the cause … which is all about empowering our youth and showing some love to the community/
The event is free to attend, but you need to register for a ticket!
Mi-Soul will be supporting the event with lots of free advertising, telling everyone to come down for a great family day out for everyone to enjoy!
So we say a huge Thank YOU to Gordon Mac the man behind Mi-Soul for supporting us, it is hugely appreciated
Where it all began at Hackney Marsh
this started as a picnic in the park, bringing organisations together to share ideas etc, and we felt incorporating the football would be a good way to engage the young people along to the event. It was incredibly well received and this is how YOUTH UNITY was born! all from a telephone conversation and passion.
We have always been very lucky to have so much love and support and time donated for free to support our young people and community!
