Thanks to a grant of over three quarters of a million pounds from the Department of Children, Schools and Families, Speaking Up are replicating their award winning work in Cambridge and bringing their innovative Young People’s Projects to Nottinghamshire. The projects aims to improve the lives of 1,750 young people aged 13-25 over three years by:

• Establishing a Youth Parliament for young people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities (Speaking Up Youth Parliament).
• Providing Self Advocacy Workshops and One to One Coaching in Schools and Colleges (Young People Speaking Up).
• Delivering a series of Life Skills Courses planned by young people (Young People Next Steps).

Jenna Hayes, the Project Leader for Nottinghamshire said:
‘It is really exciting to be launching these projects in Nottinghamshire to ensure young people with disabilities have a voice and are involved in shaping their own lives. We are actively involving young people so that they have a say in how the projects run, what they learn and how they learn it. Our projects will help local young people with disabilities become active and valued citizens’.

Lindsey, a young person from Cambridge who has used the Young People Speaking Up service, said:
‘With Speaking Up I felt I was in control myself...I do have a voice, but sometimes, the more people you have, the more loudly your voice can be heard. Without the youth project, young people’s voices can’t be heard and society won’t change’.

Speaking Up are currently recruiting young people onto their projects and working closely with existing organisations in Nottinghamshire.

For more details please contact Jenna Hayes, Project Leader for Nottinghamshire, on 0115 9628278.