Ambition – Delivering Quality Outcomes

Kate Chester, Director of Operations &Jim Minton, Director of Communications and Progammes, London Youth

Ambition’s History

•90 years of experience•Membership organisation•3,500 youth clubs across the UK•350,000 young people•National programme of activities•Quality assurance•Capacity building

London Youth•A network of 400 community based youth organisations•Members in every London Borough•We offer:

• Opportunities for young people – direct and through clubs (sport, leadership, employability, volunteering / social action)

• Voice for young people and youth work in London

• Development – of the capacity of London’s youth clubs and services to support the needs of young people

Supporting clubs and services to improve the quality of what they offer young people is at the heart of this

Quality matters to young people….“I need youth services to help me get ready

for when the opportunities come.”

“Attending a good quality youth service could be one of the things that gives me some of what I missed out

on.”

“I’ve got some big choices ahead, and I want the

services available to me to really help, guide and

support me.”

“Quality services for young people like me have the

potential to change my life for the better.”

“We want to make sure that our youth clubs provide the things that

we young people need”

…. and to the wider community

“I want the lives of students to be as

enriched outside of school as inside.”

“My time is valuable. As a volunteer, I want to know that it's for something worthwhile, and where young people will really benefit.”

“I need to be confident there is a place where my children can go with warm, welcoming people”

“Public money needs to go towards services that

meet young people’s needs, at a consistently

high standard”

“So young people are not bored, and hanging

around being anti-social!”

Ambition/London Youth Quality Mark

•First & only quality mark for Youth Clubs•Safe, fun and youth-led•Suitable for any type of club•Resources & training available•Raising standards •Improving confidence

How does quality mark make a difference?

• Funding: Some trust funders now will support clubs through the quality mark process, and only fund quality marked clubs

• Programme delivery: Youth clubs who are quality marked are more likely to engage with other funded and structured programmes for young people

• Sustainability: a guarantee for funders and stakeholders

• Leadership and management: clubs better manage staff including volunteers

• Young people’s engagement: young people trust and engage with services that they have a say over, and believe meet their needs

• Wider stakeholders: better relationships with police, schools and other partners

Delivering Quality

•National programme of activities•Commissioning•DfE and Big Lottery•Measuring outcomes – Views•Payment on delivery•Demonstrating impact

Skills for Adolescence • U.S Personal & social development programme•Replication of best practice•72 countries•12 million young people•11 counties in UK over 5 years•London Youth already delivering•Training & curriculum•Good fit for Local Authorities

Future plans

•Partnerships•Measuring impact•Trading activities•Capacity building •Advocacy

Thank you

Questions?