Channel 4 Learning


Channel 4 Programme Notes
Citizenship - Citizens of the World
Citizen UK
Programme 3
Asif's handing out cash

Aims:
To raise awareness of:



Synopsis:

00.00-03.36
Asif 23, Bradford youth worker. Volunteer with 'youthbank' allocates local grants. Describes troubles in home town in 2001 and community development since.

03.37-08.56
'Youthbank' wants to raise profile. Press interest. Callum makes case for football strips. Are panel convinced? Asif hates disappointing people. Personal life - arranged marriage - waiting for bride from Pakistan. Callum's bid successful.

08.57-14.53
Asif motivated by personal experience of 'youthbank' when younger. Now giving something back. Rashta and three friends bid for London trip. Question over benefit to community. Unsuccessful. Will try again.

14.54-20.45
Vintage bus takes 'youthbank' to community. First stop is community centre. No one turns up. Asif philosophical. Rashta and friends apply again. How panel decides grant awards.

20.46-24.00
Rashta's application turned down again, in encouraging way - needs more work. Jody gets £500 for equipment for neighbourhood project. Involves young people in cleaning up neighbourhood, including used syringes.



Curriculum Relevance:

Major Citizenship and PSHE focus.

England & Wales Key Stage 4

Citizenship

PSHE

Northern Ireland

Learning For Life and Work Area 14-18:

Local and Global Citizenship Strand

Personal Development Strand (Including PSHE and Home Economics):

Scotland

Scottish Executive Guidance: Citizenship, PSD - middle to upper secondary stages.

Background Information:

Community health and wellbeing
Over the past ten years the impact of social, psychological and economic factors on the health and well-being of individuals and communities has increasingly been acknowledged in national policy documents in the UK, reflecting the growing evidence base. Within this context the concept of social capital has emerged as a way of further understanding the relationship between the health of individuals and communities, and the broader determinants of health and well-being.

Social capital
This can broadly be described as the resources within communities that create family and social organisation identified by the following: social relationships, group membership, shared norms, trust, formal and informal social networks, reciprocity and civic engagement. It is suggested that social capacity has a major role to play in community development and that there is a constant need both to build and release capacity that contributes to positive development of communities.

Involving young people
There is a need for all those involved in working with young people to recognise that participation is a fundamental right of citizenship and, to indicate to young people themselves that they are valued for the citizens they are now, not just the ones they'll be in the future. Involvement of young people in the design of public funded services that impact on their lives is now supported in the UK by legislation.

Benefits to young people
Raising awareness - how society works, where power lies, how decisions are reached, ways of involvement, how things can be changed, barriers to change.

Skills development - life skills as well as employment skills: communication, resolving conflict, listening, planning, thinking, co-operating, negotiating, participative appraisal, compromising, budgeting. Technical and procedural skills: newsletters, minutes, protocols, accounts, video, websites.

Enhancing self esteem - being consulted and asked for views is positive, helps confidence, makes people feel appreciated, valued and more likely to respond positively and has potential to encourage mutual respect.

Seeding initiatives
It is important that those involved know how to access local and national grants to seed initiatives. Reflecting developments in funding policy, government departments, national lottery and trust funds will now expect as a matter of course to see that young people have been consulted in projects that affect their lives.

Potential impact on communities and services
Environment - influenced by Local Agenda 21 initiatives, single regeneration budgets, and other initiatives at the local end of sustainability and partnership working, there are numerous examples in the UK of young people's involvement, eg influencing recycling schemes, development of leisure facilities, running allotments.

Community safety - projects often focus on young people's perceptions of crime and its prevention with a move towards young people being seen as part of the solution, not the problem.

Health - increasing number of projects aimed specifically at young people, eg drugs, sexual health. Important to be aware perceptions and priorities do not always model those of adults. In some areas consultation is already influencing GP service provision for under-15s and under-21s.



Activities:

Before viewing

Depending on context, teachers may wish to use list below to focus viewing, or to guide discussion afterwards. See outline for timings.

  1. Local grants as stimulus to involving young people in their communities.
  2. Three bids for grants: Callum, Rashta and Jody.
  3. Personal and social benefits to young people in becoming involved.
  4. Youth worker - perspectives, experiences, motivation, coping with setbacks.

After viewing

Activities - for class or small groups.

  1. Describe:

    a) the origins of the scheme;
    b) the idea behind it;
    c) how it operates;
    d) criteria for awarding grants.


  3. Identify the three bids for grants we see on film? What do students think of:

    a) the bids;
    b) the way each is presented;
    c) the reactions of Asif and the panel to each application;
    d) the decisions made about grant awards.

    How would Callum and Jody benefit personally?
    In what ways would their communities benefit?

  4. Devise a set of guidelines for someone making a bid to 'youthbank' to give them the best chance of being successful.

  5. Discuss the youth worker's motivation for his voluntary youth work. From the film, what might be the highs and the lows? How does he cope with the lows?

Key questions

  1. What would be the benefits of getting involved in applying for a local grant?
  2. What might the risks be? How could the risks be managed?

Follow-up

Research sources of funding available to young people in their local area. Brainstorm on other ways of stimulating interest among young people in getting involved in developments in their communities.

Links:

This web page contains links to other websites that are not under the control of and are not maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

http://www.youthbank.org.uk
Innovative UK-wide grant-making initiative run by young people for young people. Provides small grants at local level for projects initiated and run by young people that benefit the community.

http://www.timebank.org.uk
TimeBank is a national campaign that aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers. Provides opportunities for volunteering throughout the UK.

http://www.do-it.org.uk
Allows young people to access information online about volunteer opportunities currently available in local areas within the UK.



Credits:

With thanks to:

Ordnance Survey
Duffield printers (programme 2)

Narrator: SIMON AMSTELL
Production Co-ordinator: SALLY-ANN ROBINSON
Production Manager: ROSIE PUTTEN
Title Music: BENT EAR
Sound: KEVIN WALSH
Research: JACQUI MELLOR
Dubbing Mixer: MARK WILLETT
On-line Editor: CHRIS TIMSON
Assistant Producer: NIKKI COHEN
Executive Producer: SIMON SCHOFIELD
Series directed and filmed by: CY CHADWICK
Webnotes: IAIN RAMSAY

 Produced by REAL LIFE for 4 Ventures Limited