Summer of Change is part of the Government's National Citizen Service Programme which will be taking place across England during 2012. The programme starts after GCSE exams in June and lasts for 3 weeks. Young people who join will spend two weeks on a residential, one in the country and one in Islington. They will then take part in another week long programme of activities based in Islington before finally volunteering on a part-time basis to deliver their own social action project within the community. The programme is designed to be sociable and fun. Young people can choose a friend they want to be matched with and will meet lots of other young people from across Islington. Participants will also be supported throughout the programme by teams of professionals experienced in youth work and will be assigned their own team coach who will stay with them throughout the project.

A lot! The Summer of Change programme is all about young people learning and developing skills that will help them get ahead. Young people who take part will:

• Develop their leadership skills
• Develop their team working skills
• Develop their self-confidence
• Develop their communication skills
• Meet new people
• Learn more about their local community
• A reference from their team coach

Summer of Change will also:

• Look good on their CV and college or UCAS applications.

Summer of Change will be using the two brand new youth hubs in Islington, so this is a great chance to get and stay involved in what’s going on in the borough during the summer and beyond. As participants will also be working with local organisations and businesses during the social action phase of the project, we also expect there will be opportunities to continue their involvement after the programme has finished.

Changemakers is a national charity that works to unlock the leadership potential of young people. We plant young people in real situations with real problems to learn, as well as lead, and in the process develop a new generation of leaders.

Changemakers are working with Islington Council and Future Foundations on Summer of Change. Future Foundations will be supporting during the away phase in Berkshire. Changemakers will then be leading the rest of the programme with support from Islington Council.

Summer of Change doesn’t start until after Year 11 GCSE exams, so participating won’t affect their exams. It’s a six week summer programme, three weeks of which are full-time (including the two residentials) and the last three weeks part-time. There are three different start dates they can join which are: 9th July, 14th July and the 22nd July. There will also be other events taking place across the borough that they can come along to in the build up to the start, which will be held at Platform, Islington’s new youth arts hub.

All Changemakers, Islington and Future Foundation staff are CRB checked. Volunteers supporting the programme will also be CRB checked before commencing their role.

The staffing ratio for the programme will meet the Government's ‘Education Outside of the Classroom’ guidelines and at various points on the programme, such as during the residentials, exceed this.

The first residential will take place at Wellington College, Berkshire. It’s a world class facility that we use for many of our programmes. The second local residential will be taking place at Islington’s brand new Healthy Living Hub, which is situated in White Lion Street, close to Upper Street.

Young people who want to join are asked to contribute a non-refundable fee. This is to secure a place and to help ensure they are serious about taking part. If your child has a friend who has also signed up to the programme it will only be £35 – they just need to give us the name of the person they know. This is to help recognise the importance of having a familiar peer on the programme and the benefits this brings in terms of confidence about the residential phases. All transport, accommodation, food, materials, support and event costs are covered throughout the six weeks and there will be nothing else to pay. If you would like your child to take part but are concerned about being able to cover this amount, please contact the Changemakers' office or the head of year 11 or 12 at your child’s school to discus our vouchers system.

All meals and food with be provided during both of the residentials. During part 3 of the programme participants will also be provided with lunch and snacks. For all meals, we can accommodate for dietary requirements (such as halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan or allergy alternatives) if we have been advised in advance.

Emergency contact details will be given to all parents and guardians, and will be manned 24 hours a day. You will also be given a contact mobile number for the Team Coach that will be working specifically with your child’s team.

All young people who live or go to school in the Islington borough will be invited to join, so there will be a vast number of young people from all over the borough taking part.

There will be seperate sleeping arrangements for all young participants who join the programme.

Once your child has signed up we will be in touch with more details about what they will need to bring, however there is no specific or costly equipment they will need to purchase.

Wellington College, where the first residential will take place, and both of the youth hubs that we will be using during the programme all have full disabled access. Changemakers is keen to ensure that as many young people as possible take part in Summer of Change, so if your child has any additional support needs please contact us to discuss their needs further.

This will depend on when the holiday is and how long it is booked for. If it is only for a short period that fits into the programming this may be ok, however if it would require missing larger parts or whole phases of the programme this would not be possible. Notice would need to be given in advance however and before the start date of the programme.