In the lead up to the General Election in May, young people and staff from YMCAs across England are calling on politicians from all parties to consider the needs of young people, the future generation.
The 30 page manifesto, ‘We Believe’ which draws on the experience and opinions of young people across the country, highlights a series of recommendations across five key areas for change: accommodation, family work, health and wellbeing, training and education, democracy and youth engagement.
Recommendations range from a need to build more affordable housing, through to proposals for a ‘Help to Rent’ scheme which could help more young people negotiate the challenges of saving for a deposit and costly monthly rents as well as better mental health support and incentives to encourage companies to take on more young apprentices.
Denise Hatton, chief executive, YMCA England said: “Young people represent the future of our country. In our work, we constantly find ourselves supporting young people who are keen to learn skills, pursue job opportunities or who, once someone takes time to listen, reveal big plans and ideas for how they would like to contribute to society. However, limited educational opportunities, a lack of suitable jobs and an inflexible welfare system can leave young people feeling cast aside and unsupported. With a just a little bit of extra help to help them on their way in life, the young people of our country would be able to give back so much.”
Josh, 18, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, is currently seven months into a joinery apprenticeship with YMCA Teesdale, after finding job opportunities limited and school a struggle: “When I left school I wanted to be a plumber or a mechanic but there were no opportunities at local businesses. Instead I tried to go back to sixth form but it just wasn’t for me. I needed something with a more practical focus. I felt so lucky when the YMCA apprenticeship came along, but I think that lots more young people like me could also benefit from this type of training if they were given the chance.”
To pledge your support for the YMCA manifesto, and call for more support for young people, simply visit: www.ymca.org.uk/webelieve. The widget will then give the opportunity to share the pledge with your networks on Facebook or Twitter.
To download a copy of the full manifesto, visit: www.ymca.org.uk/manifesto.