January to March
The first weeks of 2014 saw the Youth Charter’s preparation, planning and presentation of the agency’s signature report, launched at the House of Commons in 2013 and re-launched at the Future Champion’s Soccer Tournament in Soweto, South Africa. The Youth Charter’s Soccerwise programme has provided a 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy contribution to the Gauteng Government.
The report presented a 21-year journey with the social, cultural and economic issues of the bidding, hosting and legacy benefits of major games.
The report’s launch in Soweto reflected the South Africa influence to the work of the Youth Charter and in tribute and recognition of the late President Nelson Mandela’s impact on the Youth Charter journey.
The launch of the report also coincided with the launch of the Premier League’s presence in South Africa at the British Council’s Premier Skills Programme.
As part of the Youth Charter’s lobbying and policy advocacy work, a number of 2012 Games Legacy Report themed policy submissions were made to the following select committees:
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Education Select Committee inquiry on School Sport following London 2012
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Youth Charter to the House of Lords Select Committee on Olympic and Paralympic Legacy
500 reports were also sent out to public / private, third sector, sporting institutions globally with a further 200 electronic copies distributed.
The Youth Charter’s highly successful international student intern programme saw the latest cohort of graduates complete their 6-month placement with the agency with completed dissertations on project management successfully realised.
Julie Jande, Jessica Ijeoma and Seun Olalusi contributed to the Youth Charter’s future international programme of work Float Like a Butterfly Social Coach Leadership Programme, which will aim to engage, equip and empower young women through cultural activity and provide life skills that can lead to social enterprise.
The programme also aims to develop healthy and positive relationships between young men and women again through the cultural activity and social enterprises that will result from the unique strategic partnership between the Youth Charter and the Muhammad Ali Center and Institute.
April to June
During the second quarter of the year, the Youth Charter concluded its organisational restructuring by bringing on a number of new Trustees to help take the agency’s future work forward.
The Board announcement will take place at the end of September and represents and exciting blend of public, private, third sector and youthful wisdom, knowledge and experience to compliment the existing trusteeship.
In the year of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter engaged the young people of Glasgow, Manchester and the Commonwealth as part of its on going legacy activity.
The Youth Charter’s Community Campus model was outlined and presented with valuable input and contributions made from an equitably diverse and inclusive audience locally, nationally and internationally.
Strategic partnerships are also being strengthened and established as part of the Youth Charter’s future programmes of work. As part of the Beyond 2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda the agency’s social coach Leadership Programme is now being taken forward as part of a unique strategic alliance with the Muhammad Ali Center and Institute and the Kola Aluko Foundation.
Final discussions are also taking place with the Milestone Foundation to take forward a youthwise programme as part of digital multi media mobile lifestyle experience.
Youth Charter Games legacy recommendations have been presented to a number of the sport, arts, physical activity and participation agencies with collaboration and partnerships to:
Skills Active, Public Health England, UKActive, Loughborough University and the British Council.
We would also like to thank the ActiveNet conference, which not only received the Youth Charter’s legacy proposals, but also raised £1,500 from conference delegates.
July to September
In July the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games saw the Youth Charter build on its ten year 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games legacy programme of work with the launch of the Glasgow 2014 Legacy Forum Report. Further consultations, seminars, engagement sessions were contributed to, facilitated and supported within the 2014 Glasgow local organising committee, city council, community, third sector, governing bodies and youth organisations.
August saw a challenging time in the Youth Charter journey to date with the loss of 18-year-old Rhyan Wilson. The loss was a reminder of the considerable work that still needs to be done in a more collaborative and collective effort by the Sport for Development movement and sector. The Youth Charter provided a number of interventions as well as support of the many young people who were affected and traumatised by this loss. RIP Rhyan.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy road map reflecting the Youth Charter’s future programmes of work were given a considerable insight and boost with a visit of the Sierra Leone government and delegation to the Youth Charter HQ. The discussions covered the current Ebola crisis and the social, cultural and wider societal environmental impact to young people and the wider community.
In September, the Youth Charter launched the Soccerwise report at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester with the Class of ‘92 and guests from South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire. The ‘Beautiful Game’ has played a major role in the work of the Youth Charter. This ground breaking report attempts to chart that incredible journey from the gangster activity of Moss Side to all five continents and how education, health and human development through a soccer ball can be achieved. The Youth Charter’s work is presented with case studies with some of the biggest names in the game and biggest clubs in the world.
October to December
October saw the Youth Charter contribute to Manchester Metropolitan University’s cultural strategy with a considerable end of year planning, presentation and proposal programme and development of its legacy project, the Community Campus.
As the Youth Charter 2014 year of activity came to a close, a number of the Youth Charter family passed away. Dame Mary Glen Haig, our founding Trustee, Chair of Trustees and President and Olympian, who exemplified the Youth Charter philosophy, mission aims and objectives and lived a full life to the age of 96. Dame Mary left a legacy that will be unmeasured in the wisdom, experience and leadership inspiration from the streets of Moss Side, Los Angeles, Soweto and the world. She was the angel on our shoulder.
Piet du Plooy, a former rugby player, sports administrator and humanitarian served the 23-year journey of the Youth Charter in his homeland of Namibia. Piet contributed to the post apartheid South Africa vision for sport conference in 1993 and was a constant and valued personal and professional presence of all things spiritual, moral and ethical. Piet contributed greatly to the challenges and opportunities faced and his sudden passing will see him remembered in all the Youth Charter continues to do.
Terry Allen left us all too soon and his contribution of many years in the arts, diversity and inclusion agenda has left an indelible mark and impact on our artistic projects and programmes. In the latter years of his contribution, Terry headed up the Youth Charter China desk with the 2011 Universiade in Shenzhen seeing his remarkable energies to bring together diverse interests to a common aim of positive outcomes. In particular, the Social Coach Leadership Programme and Youthwise presentation at the Shenzhen volunteer programme has provided a legacy of hope and opportunity.
The Youth Charter year has again provided an extraordinary journey of all things social, cultural and holistically practical. Challenges have been turned into opportunities and with limited resources, but invaluable contributions by the loyal network of volunteers continued to exemplify a continued effort of remarkable achievements. As we are sorry for those who have left us and we are thankful to those who continue to support us, our work will continue, not despite of, but because of those who have the least opportunity to feast on the role of sport and the arts as the social and cultural human right to develop in life. RIP to all the young lives disaffected, disadvantaged and tragically lost...