Valuing Young People at Xmas

It’s InspireChilli’s 'Team Young People' Xmas party this week, a chance to put aside Election night fears and celebrate the talents and potential of young people.  What a year it’s been. Even with limited resource, we’ve produced some wonderful achievements to look back on.

The young people have been directly involved in the research and development of a major new funding opportunity to invest in 18 months space, time and support for young entrepreneurs and activists from disadvantaged backgrounds to make positive transitions in their lives – due to be launched in the new year through two funders. 

 The Team also played an important role as the wise judges for the Room for Young People inspiration awards in November, recognising the achievements of young people and staff across the supported housing sector. 

Some of the team have worked with me to use their skills on specialist projects – in particular, Ranae Kaira who has contributed her excellent graphic design work on materials ranging from my training cards on asset-based approaches to a postcard that stimulates conversations between staff and young people. 

Most of all, the Team have kept me grounded and thoughtful as they help me to understand the different way that young people see our world and their hopes on how to change it.  We’ve had some stimulating conversations about the type of leadership they value (relevant for Election night given their preference for someone who can be ‘Accountable and honest’ and ‘Respectful to and curious about other people’ which not all potential PM’s can do). We’ve also explored more abstract ideas for innovations of personal value, such as having ‘Memory glasses that automatically record happy moments in life’ or having ‘Moral purpose printed in the form of nails that never grow out’.

The Team has grown over the year, as I have sought to invest in new people’s work – from someone exploring a more energising approach to developing young people’s employability skills, to another who is trying to overcome the challenge of period poverty  to invest in the education of young girls in Africa. More from them in 2020.

Sometimes people ask me if the young people I work with have ever really experienced any disadvantage, as if their ability to think and do somehow breaks our stereotype of what is acceptable. Other people ask me how I can justify spending money from my business on supporting young people instead of investing in myself. I could reply to both by moaning how short-sighted and mean society is, but all I can think of is how much inspiration and reality I would miss out on by not working with my Team in the way I choose to.  It’s not only the right Advantaged Thinking thing to do; it’s the best.  Valuing young people's insight and energy is something for every day of the year.