In 2022, we piloted a Community Collective model as part of our commitment to becoming a participatory grantmaker and as a result of our 2019 consultation which told us local people wanted us to prioritise our grant funding on young people. We invited five local organisations to participate in the community collective model: Escape Arts, New Meaning Foundation, ILEAP, Lifespace Trust, and Warwickshire Pride. These organisations were chosen because they have a proven track record of working with young people in Stratford-upon-Avon. We also committed an initial £100,000 towards this collective – ensuring that it had the foundations to build something meaningful from the start. Stratford Youth Collective operate the Stratford Youth Hub, a central hub for professional youth-focused initiatives, programmes, and services. It provides a safe and inclusive space for young people to engage in a range of activities, including arts, education, personal development, work experience, training and community engagement.
We asked Sarah Cowley-Catchpole, SYC Youth Work Manager to let us know the difference the collective is making to young people in the town.
"Stratford Youth Collective is going from strength to strength, as a youth-led charity we have developed and grown fuelled by the needs and ideas of local young people. In the last year we have worked with almost 300 young people, through our youth clubs, targeted youth intervention groups, One You, our service for young people unable to attend mainstream education, holiday HAF program and outreach.
In September 2024 we celebrated our 1 year anniversary in Stratford Youth Hub on Birmingham Road. We are in the heart of town with the majority of our young people coming from Stratford upon Avon town, as well as many who live in surrounding villages and towns too. We are so proud of the diverse and inclusive safe space that we have co-created with young people, enabling and empowering young people to mix and make friends with all members of our community, creates a more cohesive and accepting community in the future.
What makes SYC unique in Stratford upon Avon is that we are an open access youth service, any young person aged 8-18 years can drop-in and join. The only criteria is a desire to give it a try and abide by the code of conduct created by young people so that everyone feels respected and safe.
Youth Work has always had a huge impact on the lives of young people, with youth workers delivering quality interventions and diversions through the values and principles of youth and community work alongside young people. Starting where they are, building trusted relationships based on mutual respect, and voluntary participation, youth workers are there to guide, support and empower young people as they navigate adolescence in such difficult times.
Until Stratford Youth Collective was co-created with young people, there was no open access youth service in the town, now more than ever as the lives of young people and the challenges they face become more complex, potentially creating further difficulties into adulthood it is vital that youth work is funded as a priority for all young people. We are very grateful that Stratford Town Trust responded to this need when highlighted in their 2019 community consultation and hope that the community continue to see the importance of youth work into the future,"