Get involved with HeadStart
If you live in Kent and are 10-16 years old, you can get involved with us through SpeakOuts. You don’t have to be the loudest or most confident person – if you want to make a difference to young people’s lives in Kent we want you to get involved!
Together we can help shape the HeadStart service and improve the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of young people in Kent. This type of working together is called coproduction and it is interwoven in many ways throughout our project.
If you want to get involved with any of the activities below, you can contact us.
Speak Out @ HeadStart
If you live in Kent and are between 10-16 years old, you can get involved in one of our SpeakOut groups. We have resources, young people and trained staff available to help you to develop your skills, meet new friends and teach you more about resilience.
SpeakOuts are fun and interactive sessions where we get your input into the HeadStart project and allow you to make decisions about and take ownership of certain aspects of the service. As well as having a huge input into how our project runs we do fun activities, meet new people, build strong networks and gain useful skills.
Through attending SpeakOuts, young people have participated in fun activities that build upon their skill base, within these groups young people are involved in a variety of activities, such as:
- peer reviewing of grant applications
- learning presentation skills
- speaking to stakeholders
- participating in and helping to design resources and events relating to our project
- team building activities/icebreakers
- training opportunities and more.
There are groups of young people throughout Kent that meet regularly in the across the county to help make key decisions about improving young people’s resilience and wellbeing. At these sessions you’ll come up with new ideas that we can use within HeadStart to best support young people. You can join one of the area groups and then progress through to the central Speak Out group.
If you are involved in SpeakOuts, every year we take you on a training residential to:
- learn about HeadStart
- take part in outdoor activities
- learn about representing young people
- learn about resilience
- take part in some real decision-making opportunities.
As you grow in confidence you could also become a young leader and young volunteer and start taking the lead more in sessions.
Training
Build up your CV and your skills with us! We offer the following types of training:
- Recruitment and selection
How to write questions for an interview and then take part in interviews for new staff members for HeadStart. If you complete the 1 day qualification you will receive a level 2 Laser accredited certificate (GCSE equivalent) - Commissioning training
Ever wanted to have a say it what services are best for young people? Then receive training to sit on one of our commissioning panels where you get to help decide which services are delivered in Kent. - Pay It Forward panels
Like the thought of being able to make a difference in local communities? Why don’t you get involved in one of our Pay it Forward panels? Young people can apply for £250-£1,000 to improve resilience and wellbeing in their communities. You will receive training to sit on the panels and take part in the decision making process.