Something for the younger ones

Wondering what to do during the sumemr holidays? are you aged 8 – 13?  Fancy some free fun activties?

We’ve got lots planned to keep you busy this summer.

Wed 1st and Wed 8th August 12.30 – 2.30 – Poetry sessions – Learn how to write poetry, make up fun rhymes and learn new skills…

Wed 15th and wed 22nd – Music sessions – Work with our DJ and sound mixer and turn your words into tracks…

Wed 29th – Finally put it all together and come up with your own song!!!

You’ll meet new people, learn new skills, gain qualifications and most importantly – HAVE FUN!

All Activites are run at the meadows youth centre on Ridyard Street in Worsley Hall, Wigan.

If you’d like to get involved contact the childrens rights officer Amy on 07825315974 or email her on a.calter@wiganmbc.gov.uk

See you there!!!!

Voices for Choices

 

Voices for choices train social workers

A few months ago we underwent a 3 day training course called train the trainer for total respect. The training looked at how young people could help professionals improve their ability to listen to and include the views of children and young people they are working with. Over the 3 days we learned how we could use our experiences, good and not so good to help us change services provided for children in care for the better.

This week we delivered the training package we developed to the newly qualified social workers in Wigan… The training went really well and although we were nervous we really enjoyed the experience and can’t wait to do it again!!!

This is what the social workers we trained said:

What did you enjoy most about the session?

• The ‘there’s no place like home’ task really made me think about things
• young people’s openness and honesty
• The relaxed atmosphere
• The exercises and interaction between young people and participants
• The fact that young people took the lead role of the training

What did you learn from todays sessions?

• Importance of young people’s voices, views and opinions on everything
• To make more effort to include young people
• A reminder to see things from their point of view
• The importance of listening to young people and encouraging young people to have a voice
• How a young person feels when they are being observed and talked about with professionals
• That young people have ways of communicating with management through voices for choices
• To be more creative when talking to young people

What could we do to improve the session?

• Everything was excellent. I have not stopped talking about the training to everyone I work with. EXCELLENT – well done
• Nothing. it was a fantastic learning opportunity from real people
• Get some boys to join, even though all the girls were ACE!!
• Continue and recruit – excellent organisation and partnership

Our competition design entries

Members of Voices for Choices recently entered some our designs into a competition by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England which we told you about back in October.

We’re very happy to announce that the deisgn below, by one of our members came in third place!!

Here’s a couple of our other entries:

Your chance to win a Nintendo DS!

The Who Cares? Trust is running an online survey as part of a wider project to understand the journey looked-after children and care leavers take from school into further/higher education and work.

There have been some really big changes recently – things like the ending of EMA and the rise in tuition fees. We want to tell the Government exactly what these changes mean for looked-after children and care leavers and we need your help.

We need your views!

We are really interested in hearing the views of young people and the professionals who support them.

We need you to help get the survey out as widely as possible by passing on the survey link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/opendoorsopenminds-yp) to the young people you work with.

It’s quick (10 minutes max) and easy to complete, and we will respect the confidentiality of all young people who respond. The survey will close on 18 December 2011.

We know that filling in a survey may not sound like the most exciting prospect to some young people, so as an incentive all young people who provide an email address (so we can contact the winner) will be entered into a prize draw to win a Nintendo 3DS and games bundle!

Start the young people’s survey now…

Children’s Rights Logo Competition for Children & Young People

A group of charities and the Office of Children’s Commissioner is running a nation-wide competition for children and young people to create a logo to mark the 20th anniversary of the UK agreeing to follow the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (The UK ratified the treaty on 16 December 1991).

The winning logo will be used in a year of action, beginning next month, to celebrate the anniversary and seek greater rights protection for children and young people in England. We hope you will join us!

The competition winner will:

• Have his or her design made into a professional logo by a design agency

• Receive a £100 gift voucher

• Get to stay overnight in London with his or her family or carers*

• Spend time with Maggie Atkinson, the Children’s Commissioner for England

*Based on a family of 4 or a group of four children and young people and 2 adults.

Organisations working with children and young people, including the Government and local councils, will be encouraged to use the children’s rights logo as part of their work and commitment to promote and protect children’s rights.

The closing date for the competition is: Sunday 23 October 2011 at 8pm. Competition rules and more information: http://www.crae.org.uk/protecting/right-year-for-children.html

Voices for Choices art competition

The winner of the Childrens rights arts competition was Isabelle Bennett aged 9 and Katie Benn aged 10.

!Congratulations!

They won a Thornton’s chocolate bear and will get their design printed

David wins our competiton

Voices for Choices ran a competition recently and David was our winner.

Here’s Voices for Choices member Darrion Ball presenting David with £15 worth of high street vouchers.