Young People vote for projects to be funded via Hackney Youth Opportunity Fund
Ambitious young people who successfully bid for a share of Hackney's £200,000 Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) showed off the results of their projects at a special event.
Last year the YOF supported more than 50 projects, involving over 2,000 young people who took part in thousands of hours of activities, from music and sports to coaching, media and residential trips. Young people are invited to bid for the fund twice a year, and bids are judged by an independent panel of young people.
The event was held at Young Hackney's Forest Road Youth Hub and was compered by comedian Kat B. It aimed to promote the Youth Opportunity Fund, the projects it funds and to encourage young people to join the judging panel.
This is a unique opportunity for young people in Hackney to tell the Council how we should be spending some of our Young Hackney budget; the ideas come from them and the decisions are made by them, so it really is their project. Hackney’s young people are full of ambition and talent so it's always a thrill to see which projects put forward bids and which ones succeed. I'm sure the event at Forest Road has inspired some equally as exciting bids.
Some of the groups to benefit from recent YOF funding were chosen to entertain visitors. These included the dance group Splash Crew, rap duo KJ and singer Zoe Sadler, from the Anna Fiorentini Performance Troupe. The evening closed with a performance from MOBO award winner Akala, who sang an a capella set.
Other groups and projects to benefit from the latest round of YOF funding include:
· Laburnum Boat Club - canoeing trip to Slovenia
· North London Muslim Community Centre's Taekwondo classes for girls
· Young Hackney Forum Foods event later this month
· Frampton Community Church young people's trip to Zimbabwe (part funded)
· A band for young people at the Huddleston Centre
· World for Girls - a residential for young Orthodox Jewish girls
Groups are able to apply for up to £5,000 of YOF funding. Some of the largest awards last year included a new under 18’s club night at the Hackney Empire café and a video for use in police training sessions looking at the issue of stop and search from the perspective of a young person.
Applications are open to groups of three or more young people aged 8-19 years, who live, work or study in Hackney. Groups will be asked to present their ideas to a panel of young people who, with the support of Young Hackney staff, decide which projects to fund.
The next round of funding is open for applications and the deadline is 23 September 2013. For more details and to download an application form, visit www.younghackney.org and click 'Get Involved'.