Young People
We’ve worked with over 50 young people to award £900,000 in funding youth work in Camden since 2018. Through our Future Changemakers Fund and the Youth Futures Fund, we’ve given opportunities to hundreds of young people and are breaking down barriers with Camden’s institutions.
Background
The sole focus of Future Changemakers are young people; the panels are made up of 16-25 year olds, who have complete control over the fund criteria and application questions. The funds raised and distributed are awarded to initiatives and organisations dedicated to safeguarding and empowering Camden’s younger generations.
In February 2018 three young men were tragically stabbed in Camden, two of them fatally. Camden Giving’s response to this is the Future Changemakers programme.
Since it was first launched in 2019 the Future Changemakers panel has been an annual staple in our funds. The panel is made up for a group of passionate 16-25 year olds living in Camden
We firmly believe in putting power into the hands of those who understand the challenges best, so who better to decide youth service funding than Camden’s young people.
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The inaugural Future Changemakers fund in 2019 saw 10 young people fund 9 projects including:
AYBI
Coram’s Field
Fitzrovia Youth in Action
hFoundation
Pro Touch SA CIC
SYDRC
Urban Community Projects & Somers Town
The Winch
The £83,512.02 funded, benefitted 908 young people around the borough.
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The second cohort of the Future Changemakers decided on a list of issues they identified as being the issues faced by young people in Camden.
Drugs and Racism
Hate Crimes
Lack of Trusted Role Models and Adults
Poverty/ Exclusion of Young Men/ Subsequent Affiliation with Drugs/ Knife Crime
Polarisation of Education
Year 2 saw £115,449 being awarded to 14 organisations:
Action Young Boxing Intervention
Coram’s Fields
Pro Touch SA CIC
Project 10:10
QCCA
Sir Hubert Von Herkomer Arts Foundation
Small Green Shoots
SYDRC
STORE CIC
hClub Creative Foundation
Sapphire Foundation
Unloc
YourBikeProject CIC
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Year 3 saw £121,112 distributed to 13 organisations
Fitzrovia Youth in Action
Head Held High
STORE CIC
Eat Club
C4WS
Diginnova Foundation
Survivors Can Shine CIC
Sobriety Films UK CIC
Buri Academy
KCBNA
Skills Exchange Project CIC
St. Pancras Tenants and Residents Association
Music Studio Programme
This cohort identified their key focuses to be:
Youth services being severely underfunded and having low reserves
A bigger fund would allow for more collaborative work between groups
Future Changemakers can sustain the WMCK work
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Year 3 saw £281,698.96 distributed to 16 organisations:
YBY Learning Ltd
Creators House
Local Village Network
Somali Youth Development Resource Centre
Urban Outdoors London
London Infinity Elite
Kings Cross Brunswick Neighbourhood Association
Coram’s Fields
Old Diorama Arts Centre
Small Green Shoots
Survivors Can Shine C.I.C
Action Youth Boxing Intervention C.I.C
Pro Touch SA
Camden United CIC
Fitzrovia Youth in Action
NW5 Project
The novelty of this year’s fund was that it also included an additional ‘staff wellbeing’ grant which was available to any organisation is they so wished to spend on their staff to improve or cater to their wellbeing.
This cohort welcomed proposals which centred safeguarding and empowerment of young people in Camden as their focus as well as the their key focuses to be around:
Opportunities
Mental Health
Prevention of Racism and Violence
Sports
Police
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On the 12th of September 2019, Camden Giving hosted a Future Changemakers debate, bringing together 70 people from all walks of life to celebrate the pilot fund programme and share their thoughts on improving youth safety in Camden.
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Corams Fields
Somali Youth Development Resource Centre
St Mary’ Community Centre
Kings Cross Brunswick Neighbourhood Association