Coventry's Week

Thanks to Coventry for sending in extensive details of their Youth Work Week activities.

An event is being planned for Coventry City Centre on Saturday 1 November to celebrate young people's contributions to the Every Child Matters agenda.  Young people will be showcasing work that highlights 'staying safe' using graffiti board displays and musical performances that promote an anti-knife crime message. There will also be the launch of an anti-knife crime poster campaign with posters created by local young children.

Young people taking part in a local 'Goodie in a Hoodie' initiative, will also be there promoting positive images of young people, highlighting their ‘positive contribution’ and preparing for their role in Takeover Day later in the week.  A group of successful Duke of Edinburgh Award participants will be there to showcase the expedition work that they have 'enjoyed and achieved' throughout the summer.

Coventry’s SHADOW team has established six young people's health focus groups in secondary schools across the city and will meet during Youth Work week to discuss the standard of health education in schools.  On Takeover Day on 7 November each SHADOW team member will be shadowed by a young person, which will include attendance and involvement of a Health 'Turning The Curve' event hosted by the Children and Young People's Champion. 

The City has its own Democracy Project and during the week it will be taking four young people to attend the Children's Workforce Development Conference in Birmingham, while a further eight are to take over the running of the council’s Consultative Forum – based on a theme of ‘young people - saints or sinners?’. Another group will be covering Takeover Day events for the Coventry Evening Telegraph

Wood End Youth Centre is organising a visit to another regeneration area to meet up with young people and learn from their experiences. Youth workers are working with the police to help young people team up with officers and local councillors on Takeover Day for a walk, during which young people can talk about their experiences and concerns about their area.

Other local youth centres will be inviting councillors and parents along to show what young people are doing at their clubs, while the President Kennedy Youth Club are planning to promote the International Youth Conference for Peace and the 2020 vision campaign promoting messages of peace and a petition against nuclear weapons.