Tonight’s the night it really Matters

NEYPF’s latest ‘Matters2Us’ newspaper focuses on anti-bullying

ForumThe second edition of the North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum Matters2Us (anti-Bullying issue) is being launched tonight in Craigroyston Community Hgh School at 5.30pm.

CLD worker Clare Gibson, who supports the group, said: “North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum have put a lot of work into this research, the publication and the launch itself and would really appreciate it if you could let them know if you intend to be there tonight for the launch of the second edition of their version of The Matter: Matters2Us; this issue will focus on Anti-Bullying.

In July 2013, the Young People’s Forum were successful in their application to the Respectme Anti-Bullying fund to produce a second edition of their newspaper, this time asking the question:

‘How would you like to be supported if you were being bullied or see someone else being bullied?’

The group then consulted with over 100 pupils across two primary schools in North Edinburgh, going into classrooms over two days, spending time with the young people and finding out their thoughts on bullying.

The Young People’s Forum would now like to share what the young people who they met with said and would like to invite you to attend the launch of this second edition tonight at Craigroyston Community High School at 5.30pm.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from a local parents group on how they have made a user friendly guide to their schools Anti-Bullying Policy to support parents, young people and the community to understand it.”

If you plan to attend, or require further information, contact Clare.Gibson@ea.edin.sch.uk

bully

The Scottish Government is to introduce guidance to help give pupils better protection online and in the classrooms, it has been announced.

Schools will get advice on promoting the safe and responsible use of mobile devices to protect pupils and staff from the potentially harmful consequences of misuse.

Speaking at the Respectme conference during National Anti-Bullying Week 2013, Minister for Learning Alasdair Allan unveiled the guidance on responsible use of phones, tablets and other mobile devices and an e-safety website. He said:

“We want everyone in Scotland to grow up free from bullying and to have respect for each other. All bullying behaviour is unacceptable but no one reading the recent horrific accounts of cyber-bullying, blackmail and exploitation can help but be outraged.

“It is unrealistic to expect young people to turn away from technology. We need to look practically at what can be done to change attitudes and stop people using these resources for abuse.

“All schools must have anti-bullying policies that are regularly updated to ensure that pupils are safe and protected from potential harm, both within and outside school.

“That is why I am launching guidance to help schools develop and update policies to promote the safe and responsible use of mobile technology in schools along with an e-safety review tool – an interactive way for schools to review their e-safety provision and to develop an action plan for improvements.

“This guidance and tool will help schools find the right balance between the use of mobile devices in the classroom without them causing disruption or being misused.”

Dr Allan also confirmed that a summit of internet providers and anti-bullying partners such as Respectme would go ahead on December 4.

He added: “Technology moves on leaps and bounds very quickly and teachers and parents need support to help keep up with it. That is why my colleague, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell, and I are hosting a summit in December to see what more can be done to help everyone feel that they can go online without fear.”

David Wright, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre at the South West Grid for Learning Trust, said: “It is fantastic that schools across Scotland will have access to a reflective, non-moralising and empowering tool to review and improve their own Internet safety policy and practice.”

National Anti-Bullying Week 2013 takes place from Monday 18 to Friday 22 November.

Advice for parents, young people and schools is available from the national anti-bullying service Respectme www.respectme.org.uk/ and CEOP’s thinkuknow

What’s The Matter now?

Matters 2us invite

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum would like to invite you to the launch of the second edition of their version of The Matter: Matters2Us, and this issue will focus on Anti-Bullying. 

In July 2013, the Young People’s Forum were successful in their application to the Respectme Anti-Bullying fund to produce a second edition of their newspaper, this time asking the question:

How would you like to be supported if you were being bullied or see someone else being bullied?’

The group then consulted with over 100 pupils across two primary schools in North Edinburgh, going into classrooms over two days, spending time with the young people and finding out their thoughts on bullying.

The Young People’s Forum would now like to share what the young people who they met with said and would like to invite you to attend the launch of this second edition.

This will take place on Wednesday 20 November at Craigroyston Community High School at 5.30pm.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from a local parents group on how they have made a user friendly guide to their schools Anti-Bullying Policy to support parents, young people and the community to understand it.

We would be delighted if you could attend.

ForumClare Gibson (Youth Work Organiser, CEC Community Learning & Development) on behalf of North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

 

The facts of The Matter

The Matter is a new way for young people to tell their councils and governments what they think about issues that concern them, and a group of local teenagers unveiled the first edition of their new publication and presented their findings at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre last month.

Commissioned by the Total Craigroyston initiative, six young people from North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum spent six manic weeks researching, consulting, interviewing, writing and producing their very own newspaper – The Matter – to articulate younger people’s views on how their voices can be heard in the Forth community planning process. The teenagers did receive some assistance – The Matter was supported by design agency Snook in partnership with Young Scot and Firstport.

We promised last month that the young journalists would produce their own article about the project for NEN – and here it is:

Matters2us article

Matters2us is our group name for the newspaper that expresses young people’s voices. We as young people got the privilege of becoming the first ever pilot group to have produced a paper with the team called: The Matter. Our deadline was 6 weeks, so you can imagine how strenuous the whole process was!

We were given a client, an editor and a designer to help us produce the paper and went out to explore the Forth Neighbourhood Community and ask a question. That question that was given to us by the client – Tim from Total Craigroyston/Edinburgh City Council – the question was ‘How can young people’s voices be heard successfully in the Forth Neighbourhood Community Planning Process?’

We consulted with roughly 200 young people around the area and out all of the ideas into the paper. With the ideas the young people gave, we produced 3 big ideas and on our launch night we explored these ideas in greater detail with the audience. The launch night was about highlighting the achievement of us making a newspaper and getting it known to the local community more, whilst also letting the public know about our process of the paper.

In the audience were members of the general public from the community, Edinburgh City Council workers, Councillors, young scot, snook and young people. The outcome was fantastic: people want to support us in finding funding to do a second print and  praised us on the work we had done.

We as a group extremely enjoyed this experience and hope to do it again sometime in the future!

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

NEYPF@hotmail.co.uk

 

 

 

What’s The Matter?

Well, The Matter is a new way for young people to tell their councils and governments what they think about issues that concern them and a group of local teenagers unveiled the first edition of a new publication and presented their findings at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre last night.

Commissioned by the Total Craigroyston initiative, six young people from North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum spent six manic weeks researching, consulting, interviewing, writing and producing their very own newspaper – The Matter – to articulate younger people’s views on how their voices can be heard in the Forth community planning process.

And what were their findings? Well, you’ll have to wait for those – the young people have clearly developed a taste for journalism so they are going to write an article about The Matter themselves for the NEN. Watch this space!

The Matter is supported by design agency Snook in partnership with Young Scot and Firstport, who support new and emerging social entrepreneurs in Scotland.

NEYPF event report

Danielle Ward reports on North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum’s (NEYPFs) latest event:

The forum event got into full swing with lots of food and juice for everyone so that everyone could mingle, then we moved onto our presentation which everyone took part in which explained how we done our ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ project. Then we moved onto the more exciting part of the evening which was our vote… which involved each young person having two tables of their two project ideas and everyone that attended got two votes. The young people put so much effort into their proposed project stalls it was really great to see young people being so ambitious and involved in an issue that affects them. At the end of the evening we counted up the votes which decided on our next project which came out on top as privatisation/community cuts. There was also a memo table at the event for everyone to leave comments and a young person primary school age has asked for a younger forum so the forum are also going to be focusing on doing some research into a younger forum for primary aged children. So watch this space…

And a big thank you for everyone who took their time to attend the event; we appreciate the support.

 

Danielle Ward, North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

 

Young People’s Forum to stage ‘barrie’ event!

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) is holding an event to celebrate the success of their ‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ project next week. The event will also provide an opportunity for young people to decide their next project.

‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ was a collaborative project centred around young people’s views on their local environment – the ‘clean, green and safe’ agenda. Among the highlights of the project was a drama produced with young people from Liverpool’s Collective Encounters theatre group, staged at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in September 2009 (pictured). Next week’s event gives the young people involved the opportunity to share their findings, talk about the highs and the lows and participants will also put forward ideas for what NEYPF should do next.

Danielle Ward, NEYPF’s treasurer and support worker, said: ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ in the council means clean, green and safe. Basically what we’ve done is gone around the area taking photos and talking to people, working in groups to develop a general generative themes strategy within these three areas. What people find good about the area, what needs changed and what could do with just a wee re-paint or that. Next week’s event will highlight how we have achieved this. For our future project, each individual young person will have a stall with what they think our next project should be and everyone that attends shall get two votes to choose the project we should do next”.

The NEYPF event takes place at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday 3 April from 4.30 – 7pm. And you don’t have to be a young person to attend!

Young People's Forum to stage 'barrie' event!

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) is holding an event to celebrate the success of their ‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ project next week. The event will also provide an opportunity for young people to decide their next project.

‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ was a collaborative project centred around young people’s views on their local environment – the ‘clean, green and safe’ agenda. Among the highlights of the project was a drama produced with young people from Liverpool’s Collective Encounters theatre group, staged at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in September 2009 (pictured). Next week’s event gives the young people involved the opportunity to share their findings, talk about the highs and the lows and participants will also put forward ideas for what NEYPF should do next.

Danielle Ward, NEYPF’s treasurer and support worker, said: ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ in the council means clean, green and safe. Basically what we’ve done is gone around the area taking photos and talking to people, working in groups to develop a general generative themes strategy within these three areas. What people find good about the area, what needs changed and what could do with just a wee re-paint or that. Next week’s event will highlight how we have achieved this. For our future project, each individual young person will have a stall with what they think our next project should be and everyone that attends shall get two votes to choose the project we should do next”.

The NEYPF event takes place at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday 3 April from 4.30 – 7pm. And you don’t have to be a young person to attend!