God’s heart has always been for the common good and a world where humans can flourish physically, emotionally and spiritually. At the core of the Archbishops’ Young Leaders’ Award is a vision to inspire young people to recognise that they have the power and potential to shape a better world. The recent riots have brought to the forefront the need to offer our young people a different model of what it means to live in community with one another and to create an active culture of justice and responsibility.
A recent Youth voice census 20241 by Youth Employment UK captured the views and experiences of more than 5,200 young people aged 11-30 across the UK, about the barriers perceived by young people for their future development and growth. It highlights how ‘anxiety, safety, discrimination and the cost of living' were the biggest issues for young people surveyed. ‘49% of young people said that they do not feel safe where they live’. One of their recommendations is to ‘ensure that opportunities to access youth provision, sports, volunteering and other forms of enrichment are accessible to young people where they live.’
https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/youth-voice-census/results/
Similarly, a recent report by Young Minds2, highlights how ‘81% of young people believe that wider society has an impact on mental health’, with ‘93% of young people worrying about loneliness and isolation’ and ‘71% negatively impacted by public attitudes.
Those who work with children and young people, will be well-aware of the difficulties faced and the impact on well-being, agency and sense of hope. As Educators we have a responsibility to look for ways to strengthen young people’s vision, purpose and aspiration and to seek to build community both within school and within the local area.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-impact/deconstructing-the-system/
How do we go about doing that? Our experience centres on developing leadership and character education programmes that include social action. Facilitating social involvement helps to develop young leaders who are passionate about making a difference to the lives of others, to be supported to question why injustices and inequalities exist and to play their part in addressing both social and environmental issues at their root cause.
As young people build habits of servant leadership and become fervent about where they want to influence change, their confidence, resilience and empathy can grow, empowering many to act independently.
“Every person that ever made a difference was once a young child with a dream to change the world.” KS2 young leader
Hearing from our schools, we have seen the double-benefit of social action time and again, where the both the individual, and the communities they serve, are strengthened with socio-economic barriers broken down.
KS1 pupils at St Michael’s Church of England Primary School were full of compassion for people seeking sanctuary and decided they wanted to help them, potting plants to raise money for the local charity BRASS (Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers). They also contributed to a school ‘book of welcome’ creating a class poem entitled ‘We will Welcome You’.
“Kindness is about what you say and what you do. I like helping other people. I kept on trying and I didn't give up to reach my goal.” KS1 Young Leader
KS2 pupils at The Cathedral Church of England school decided they wanted to change discrimination in society. They researched a variety of famous people who had faced discrimination, because of their race, gender, physical disability or additional learning needs and how they overcame this in order to lead successful lives. The children led an anti-discrimination assembly to the whole school - sharing the importance of respecting and valuing everybody despite our differences.
"I'm really proud to be able encourage others not to discriminate." KS2 Young Leader
Students at Olive High School in Burnley supporting the homeless during Ramadan serving hot meals to the homeless and creating winter warmer packs which were then distributed to local homeless shelters.
“The Action projects have allowed me to help the community and increased my understanding of what the needs of my community are.” KS3 Young Leader
For young people serving others is not solely about what they do but who they become in that process. May we build habits of servant leadership, where educating for wisdom and knowledge, hope and aspiration, dignity and respect, community and living well together are foundational principles that enable our children and communities to flourish.
How can schools help young people in their care to recognise their personal vocation, individual worth and unique giftings and to develop vision, passion and boldness?
How can School leaders support children and young people to build positive relationships that sustain and encourage and allow them to connect with community?
How are school leaders encouraging young people to be agents of change? What opportunities are provided for young people to take ownership and responsibility for their actions, which can transform the lives of others?
The response to the summer race riots highlights the critical role that peer support networks play in advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice (EDIJ) within schools. These networks, designed to support long-term EDIJ strategies, which are essential for school leaders committed to creating inclusive environments.
https://www.cefel.org.uk/DPSN/
At the core of the Archbishops’ Young Leaders’ Award is a vision to inspire young people to recognise that they have the power and potential to shape a better world.
AYLA and Community Schools - An interview with Acomb Primary School
Archbishops' Young Leaders Award is now available for all Welsh schools
