Terrence Higgins Trust - Young Leaders Project
National Lottery Awards - Terrence Higgins Trust - Young Leaders Project, England-wide is one of 10 Lottery-funded projects in the Best Health Project category of this year's National Lottery Awards, in association with FemaleFirst.co.uk
The UK has the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections and under-18 conceptions in Western Europe. After consulting with groups of young people, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) decided that the best way to address the issue was by giving young people the skills to educate each other.
all too often young people are seen as 'the problem' when it comes to sexual ill-health. Young Leaders demonstrates that with the right support young people hold the key to the solution.
The resulting Young Leaders project, entirely Lottery-funded, has received a very enthusiastic response. The project is peer led and is managed by a National Board of young people. In turn, THT recruits young people aged 13-19 who work in teams of 12 in seven English regions to form local grant giving boards.
THT gives young people the expertise to manage this process and offers them accredited training. Once trained, the regional boards invite their peers to make applications for funding to develop their own sex education projects and award small grants to the best projects. "The decisions are all made by the young people," says project manager Gareth Davies, "and they’ve got a very rigorous marking system."
Often the amount of funding requested is very small, but the results can have a big impact. The projects have been varied but are all based on issues that are relevant to young people at that time.
"Some projects have been based on what you would generally expect, such as contraception and sexual health, whilst others have looked at more specific issues such as negotiating safer sex in a relationship."
The regional boards represent a wide cross-section of young people, and they make sure they reach all sectors of the community. This includes targeting young parents, black and ethnic minority communities, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and people with physical and learning disabilities. People in this last group are often overlooked when it comes to sex education, says Gareth. Young Leaders has given them a voice.
The young people involved also gain project management and communication skills, with opportunities to attend regional and national conferences and to work with young people from different parts of the country. "The sense of being part of a national project is one of the things young people say they most enjoy", Gareth explains.
Gareth added that "all too often young people are seen as ‘the problem’ when it comes to sexual ill-health. Young Leaders demonstrates that with the right support young people hold the key to the solution."
