Creating sustainable change
The Partnership Council aims to bring about long-term change in inner-city Nottingham and sees getting children involved at a young age as an important part of this process. Engagement initiatives tend to focus on bringing adults and young people into closer contact with service providers but younger children often have little opportunity to have their views and needs heard.
In 2004, the Partnership Council set up the Children’s Forum, building on its previous work in engaging local children in community development. The aim of the Forum is to provide a way for children to shape the improvement of their local community and create sustainable change.
Projects have helped
to improve school
environments
The 12 schools covered by the initiative are in some of the most deprived wards in England. Children in these areas often experience disadvantage and can be at risk of social exclusion. More than three quarters of the children who’ve taken part have been from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Nurturing potential
Children are able to participate in the Forum during the upper years of primary school, from around the age of 8 to 11, at a time when they have a growing sense of community and independence.
Programme Leader Amanda Spruyt says: “The children have a genuine desire to contribute to the community and bring a real fresh perspective to issues and challenges in the local area. The Children’s Forum nurtures their potential by helping them to create change for the better.”
Topics associated with this project
Decision making, East Midlands, Environmental, Neighbourhood, Partnership working, School