Chuka Umunna MP

The government has launched Graduate Talent Pool, an online portal which matches employers able to offer internships with graduates who want to take them up.

The scheme is designed to help prevent recent graduates falling into unemployment in the current economic climate, allowing them to increase their employability by gaining skills and experience through an internship. Whilst the online service will go live later this year, major firms and organisations including Network Rail, Microsoft and Marks & Spencer have already signed up.

Streatham is one of the youngest constituencies in the UK and also has a high proportion of graduates, with the number of young people going into higher education in Streatham having risen by 81.7% since 1997. In the 1980s and early 1990s the area suffered disproportionately from the problem of youth and graduate unemployment. The government is determined that unlike then, the difficult times we are going through now must not result in a lost generation, locked in unemployment and lacking the skills and experience to find work. Alongside the Talent Pool, an additional 14,000 postgraduate places are to be offered by universities, supported by Professional and Career Development Loans.

Chuka, commenting on the announcement, said: “It is crucial that we don’t leave a generation of bright young people behind, as happened in the 1980s. Internships are a valuable way of passing on skills and opening doors to further opportunities in the future”.

For more information about the talent pool and internship opportunities for graduates, visit this site.

To mark President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office tomorrow, we have posted a video below recorded on the day of his inaurguration at Lambeth College.  Here students explain what Obama’s presidency means to them, having heard Chuka, the Guardian’s Polly Toynbee and others address them.

Ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s budget on Wednesday 22 April, two local young people – Phoebe and Shola – tell us what they think about the present economic situation.

For information on the Chancellor’s Pre Budget Report of November last year and how it affects the Streatham parliamentary constituency (which covers Streatham and parts of Clapham, Balham, Tulse Hill and Brixton), click here: Pre Budget Report for Streatham.

Last month, Chuka and Keith Hill MP organised the first ever Streatham Youth Summit.

The event, held at the House of Commons, brought together voluntary community groups and agencies working with young people. In attendance were representatives from youth centres and residents’ associations alongside Lambeth Council’s Youth Service and the Metropolitan Police. The event provided a forum for discussing youth provision across Streatham, demographically one of the youngest constituencies in the UK, giving local groups the opportunity to exchange views, forge new links and raise issues, enabling increased engagement between statutory bodies and voluntary groups.

The Summit was addressed by Keith and Chuka as well as Glen Neil of the Palace Project in Streatham Hill, who described it as an “invaluable opportunity to share expertise and knowledge, and network with other groups in the area working with young people”. Speaking at the event, Chuka contrasted the Streatham he knew growing up, of school fields being sold off and youth clubs closing down, with the funds currently being invested in youth provision by the Labour government. He highlighted the need to make sure “that as much of that money works its way to our local youth groups as possible”; The collaboration and dialogue of the Youth Summit will go a long way towards ensuring this happens.

I am proud to be a trustee of the Lambeth based, Generation Next Foundation, and was honoured to speak at its launch event earlier this month. The foundation exists to empower urban youth, address the lack of activities for young people outside school and, in so doing, undermine gang culture (I am pictured, left, with its founders, Streatham residents Hamdi and Ludvig Bonin).

Generation Next provides opportunities for young people in fashion design, operating its own fashion label, Belvedere Clothing. This means that those involved get a real insight into the industry alongside a financial resource to further their studies, with designers keeping a percentage of the profit made by their designs. The foundation also operates a film production programme, allowing young people to make documentaries on the subjects which matter to them most and at the same time creating a vehicle for positive change. The foundation’s interactive media website gives students the opportunity to upload their work and share ideas.

While providing young people with skills to pursue their ambitions, the foundation emphasises the importance of instilling responsibility, social consciousness and the idea that anything is possible – with hard work. Its other trustees include Martin Offiah MBE, Britain’s greatest ever Rugby League score tryer, Leo Inhenacho, singer with The Streets, and the noted actor and writer Rikki Beadle-Blair.

Too often our young people are belittled and demonised. Crucially, Generation Next’s approach is constructive, encouraging young people to take ownership of their destiny, make the most of their talents and ensuring that their voices are heard. This is why I believe it offers a powerful symbol of hope for the future.

Check out the Generation Next websites by clicking on the links below:
Generation Next
Spotliet

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, and Keith Hill, Labour MP for Streatham, hold the first ever “Streatham Youth Summit” in Parliament for local community groups and agencies working with young people.

The first ever “Streatham Youth Summit” organised by Keith Hill MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Streatham, and Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, took place on 13 March 2009.

The event, hosted by Mr Hill at the House of Commons, was attended by 10 different community groups, senior officers from Lambeth Council’s Youth Service and the Metropolitan Police, all of whom work with young people in the area.

The tragic murders of James Smartt Ford (aged 16) at Streatham ice rink and that of Billy Cox (16) in nearby Clapham in February 2007 sparked a national debate about the state of urban youth and marked the start of a national trend which saw 30 teenage murders in London last year.

Umunna and Hill organised the summit in order to give local groups working with young people the chance to air their concerns, to find out the difficulties they face in running their organisations and to get an overview of the state of youth provision in the constituency of Streatham, which is demographically one of the youngest parliamentary constituencies in the country.

Commenting on the event, Umunna, said:

“I grew up in this area during the 1980s when our school fields were being sold off by Margaret Thatcher and youth clubs were shutting down week on week for want of funding.
“This Labour government is ploughing millions into youth provision so that we can provide more things for our young people to do – Keith and I want to ensure that as much of that money works its way to our local youth groups as possible.”

Mr Hill said:

“I am so proud that we have so many grass roots organisations working with young people in this constituency to raise aspirations and get the very best out of our youth.
“Our young people are bright, dynamic and talented but their energies must be channeled which is why supporting our thriving voluntary sector is absolutely essential.”

The event was addressed by Mr Hill and Mr Umunna, in addition to Cllr Florence Nosegbe, Lambeth Deputy Cabinet Member for Youth, Glen Neil, Project Manager of the Palace Project in Streatham Hill, and Clive Winter, General Manager of the Streatham Youth and Community Trust.

Mr Neil said:

“For a relatively new, small organisation like the Palace, the event gave us an invaluable opportunity to share expertise and knowledge, and network with other groups in the area working with young people.
“For me the key to delivering for young people here is engagement, encouragement, empowerment and enablement, which requires both the groups concerned and the statutory organisations to communicate and work together.”

Mr Winter said:

“We have been working with young people in the locality since 1946.
“The event gave us a chance to set out the issues we face in keeping ourselves going to the politicians, Council officers and the police.
“The main issue for any organisation like ours is the need to secure long term core funding – this is a constant challenge”. 

Better communication between groups working with young people was cited as a necessity by those present. As a result, Mr Hill and Mr Umunna announced they would be setting up a new online “Streatham Youth Network” for those working with young people in the area, which all those in attendance signed up to.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, joins forces with Eddie Izzard and others to promote Labour’s offer of free theatre tickets for under 26 year olds.

Under a new Government initiative, “A Night Less Ordinary”, young people in South London will have the chance to see theatre productions for free, in a bid to increase the numbers of young people going to see plays.

Labour’s free theatre scheme will provide 618,000 free theatre tickets across England for the next two years. Young people in South London will be able to visit over 40 London venues, including the National Theatre on the South Bank, to see plays for free.

Chuka Umunna, who has championed the arts in Streatham and is campaigning to increase youth provision in the area, said:

“We have a strong acting tradition in Streatham. Streatham bingo hall used to be a theatre, several well known actors and actresses live here and our very own Keith Hill, MP for Streatham, even used to share a flat with actor and comedian Eddie Izzard in the area!

“I have seen for myself how positively young people respond to the theatre. I know this scheme will help ensure young people get the chance to experience some brilliant productions and I look forward to working with local schools and colleges to ensure as many our under 26 year olds as possible know about the scheme and apply for free tickets.

“I am inviting young people to find out about the scheme by watching Eddie’s video on my website and to visit the Night Less Ordinary website to learn more about this initiative.”

Actor and comedian Eddie Izzard, said:

“I think free theatre tickets for young people is a great idea, especially as things are getting tough financially right now. I am very pleased that the Labour Party has launched this scheme for under 26 year olds. We have a great British theatrical tradition and I hope people take advantage of this offer.”

Streatham resident and actress, Eileen Battye (pictured with Chuka), also welcomed the initiative:

“Live theatre is unique, and I believe the experience of watching actors give their performances right there in front of you can never be replaced by film, television or DVD.

“In theatre, no two shows are ever the same and the audience has a special role to play. We as actors need and rely on audience responses, especially in comedy productions. And things can go wrong in live theatre too!

“This scheme is a great opportunity to experience the terrific theatre that is being produced today in all its spontaneity.”

The scheme has attracted the support of several other actors and actresses including “Spooks” star, Rupert Penry Jones and Sheridan Smith, star of “Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps” and “Jonathan Creek”.

 
Labour has launched a free theatre scheme that will provide 618,000 free theatre tickets across England for the next two years. Under the scheme young people in Streatham, Balham, Brixton, Clapham and Tulse Hill will be able to visit over 40 London venues, including the National Theatre on the South Bank, to see plays for free. Learn more about the scheme by watching actor and comedian Eddie Izzard’s video below and then visit the scheme’s website here: Labour’s Free Theatre Scheme.
 

There are less than 2 weeks to go, before Lambeth’s young people vote for their new Youth Mayor.

The Youth Mayor is spokesperson for young people in Lambeth and provides a link between the young people, media, decision-makers and service-providers. They will be responsible for allocating £25,000 to projects designed for and run by local young people and work in partnership with the Lambeth Youth Council to highlight and campaign on issues which are important to local people.

If you are registered to vote, you’ll be able to pick your candidate online from the 20th February, or on polling day in Lambeth schools on February 26th.

For more information and to see this year’s candidates visit the Lambeth Youth Council Website.

Carys Afoko

Chuka has put his diary from Obama’s inauguration onto his Facebook page.

Click here to see what Chuka got up to and to share your inauguration day memories.

Also on the Discussion Board is a thread on how to address violence amongst young people. You can join the debate here.

Carys Afoko