On Tuesday 16th May, we held our Spring Youth Worker Forum and first ever Membership Renewal session for our members at the Abbey Centre.

We welcomed those working with children and young people across the borough to shape and co-design training opportunities and qualifications within Westminster as part of a new programme to strengthen youth work in NW London. The second half of the morning focussed on members reconnecting with one another; identifying which YWF services they valued the most; sharing ideas around themes including youth voice and fundraising; together with a refresher on our membership offer and an introduction to the YWF team.

You said, we will do: key highlights/actions coming out of the session

• Funding support: YWF will run a workshop around fundraising support for small organisations. To find out about funding opportunities, please follow our Twitter, Instagram, and signup to our newsletter via the home page.
• Organisational support: Members asked for signposting to organisational mentoring services – we recommend Pilot Light, Link Up London, Clore Social Leadership, as well as identifying informal opportunities through the YWF membership community.
• Training: YWF will organise specialised training for members around SEND support, serious youth violence and youth voice.
• Facilitating partnerships and funding: YWF to host a networking and showcasing event for Growth Partners and YWF Grantees.
• Space: Members asked for signposting for those needing support finding premises. Grosvenor and the Westminster Foundation are creating a new charity hub in Victoria, find out more about Fivefields here.

For our support to be most effective for our members, it’s really important that we have up-to-date information around organisation so we can better understand the work you do and the wider offer for children and young people across the borough. It helps us facilitate partnerships and funding and tailor our services, which we’ve heard is so important in enabling our members to provide the best services for young Londoners.

That’s why we’re asking every YWF member organisation to complete a membership renewal form by Friday 28th July 2023. It’s a chance for us both to reconfirm our commitments to one another.

You can complete the form via the link below, only one individual from each organisation needs to complete the form.

We encourage everyone working with children and young people in the borough to sign up for our newsletter via www.youngwestminster.com and to keep a look out on our social channels Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn. It’s the best way to ensure you’re receiving all the funding, training and networking opportunities on offer.

What can you expect from membership? You can find out more via our dedicated Members Hub on our website.