Our
Community projects
Unloc’s community projects put young people at the heart of change, giving them the chance to get involved, learn new skills, and make a real difference where they live.
Through purposeful youth-led programmes, challenges which address local agendas, and collaborative events, participants build confidence, create connections with peers, and discover their leadership potential.
It’s all about taking action, trying new things, developing citizenship and shaping the local community, while showing the world what a changemaker looks like.
The History of The Council of Portsmouth Students (CoPS)
Student Voice and Participation has been a formal part of the Culture of Education in Portsmouth since the Portsmouth Learning Community Project ran in partnership with Sussex University between 2002 and 2007. There were three elements of that project: School to School Learning, Assessment for Learning, and the Student Voice and Participation. In the Student Voice and Participation element, students from all secondary, primary and special schools were engaged on many levels within their schools and in the wider community; projects included: Students as Researchers, Students as Partners in Curriculum Development, and Students as Associate Members of Governing Bodies, as well as encouraging all students to become active participants in school councils.
In the spirit of the Learning Community, the Council of Portsmouth Students (CoPS) was set up following on from the first Student Voice Day in 2003 when secondary school students came together to share ideas on how they could make their schools better. They felt it would be valuable to have a cross city student council where students from different schools could meet regularly to discuss ideas of common interest and concern, and take action together. CoPS is primarily a forum for sharing their experiences of education matters and as a way of offering solutions to any concerns that they identified. Ideas and solutions were often identified from within the Learning Community schools network; examples include: anti-bullying strategies, the development of student radio, student feedback to teachers on lessons, and student involvement in teacher and head teacher interviews. Many of these improvement ideas have become part of the landscape of schools locally and nationally. At the time, the local authority also had the resources to develop a Primary Council of Portsmouth Students (PCoPS) and replicate a significant amount of Student Voice activity in Primary Schools – most significantly in the area of Assessment for Learning.
Members of CoPS and the Student Voice Alumni were so well established that they were able to use the funding cuts in 2011 as an opportunity to develop a social enterprise project to ensure the continuation of CoPS and to develop further opportunities for young people to engage and develop their own enterprise initiatives.
Unloc continues this work with all schools in Portsmouth in partnership with school leadership teams to ensure that the foundations of participation that they learned and experienced through school councils, assessment for learning and CoPS remains in place for future generations of Portsmouth Students.
Youth Board
- A representative, diverse group of 20 young people from across Hampshire and IoW (over 50 applicants in 2024)
- Influences and shapes HIOWH services
- Advances its own projects to improve health and wellbeing
- Single point for consultation with young people
- Feeds into the CoG, AGM and other key trust processes, such as Chair recruitment
Health and Wellbeing Roadshows
- 6 immersive events across Hampshire and IoW, reaching 500+ young people
- Young people leave as Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors for their school and community
- They learn about local services, input into service design and help HIOWH staff develop their offer on topics including vaping, vaccinations, healthy relationships, healthy eating and mental health
Council of Governors
- Two young people from the Youth Board supported to be full members of the CoG, bringing young people and decision-making closer together
- Unloc supports with election, induction training, ongoing support pre and post CoG meetings, and overarching safeguarding responsibility as the appointing body
- Future election and selection of young CoG members
Micro-Grants
- An innovative project to fund and support a group of five young people from across Hampshire and IoW to carry out community-focused preventative social action projects on health and wellbeing
- Using small-scale funding (£500), we support young people to deliver their own grassroots social action projects over a 3-month period, including mentoring and wrap-around support
The Oxford Health Youth Board is growing to include three regional Boards made up of young people from across Oxford Health’s region – spanning Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Bath & North East Somerset. The Youth Board gives young people in every region that Oxford Health operates a collective voice to share their views and make a meaningful impact on the services in their area.
Previously known as the Head Boys and Girls Network, this programme gives current student leaders (Years 10 and 11) and aspiring leaders (Year 8) in Portsmouth schools access to specialist leadership development workshops and resources. The Network includes a series of in-person events held in central Portsmouth.
Students will develop their:
Skills
- Questioning and problem solving
- Goal setting and action planning
- Reflecting and reviewing
- Making and taking decisions
- Communication
- Public speaking
- Facilitation and presenting
- Team working and delegation
- Managing relationships
- Networking
Knowledge
- Project planning
- Project management
- Public speaking
- Stakeholder management
- Team dynamics theory
- Community engagement
- Student voice
- Models of representation
- Leadership styles
There are 4–6 places available per school for each event. Sessions begin at 9.30am and finish at 12.30pm. Teachers may stay or leave students with us. Lunch is not provided, though students are welcome to stay for informal networking and to eat their packed lunch until 1.30pm.
To book students onto these events and to find out more, please visit:
https://unloc.online/events/portsmouth-student-leadership-network
If you have any questions, please contact Faith Mahoney:
faith@unloc.org.uk
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet (PYC), facilitated by Unloc and supported by Portsmouth City Council, seeks to represent all young people in the city, amplifying their voices and driving positive change. You can see our Youth Voice and Representation diagram.
We are led by Portsmouth’s Member of UK Youth Parliament (MYP) who is a youth representative elected in a citywide vote every two years, with the most recent elections having taken place in March 2024. For more information about the UK Youth Parliament, please see the National Youth Agency’s website.
Unloc has long championed, supported and invested in Student Governors across the FE sector. We’re excited to be taking that support to new heights, as we kickstart our new and improved offer – the Student Governor Changemaker Programme.
The programme not only prepares students for their roles as governors, but takes them on a personal development changemaker journey. We won’t just throw knowledge at them; but instead really support student governors on their next steps, whilst empowering them to be the best they can be in their roles – both as governors and future leaders.
We are looking to provide the most comprehensive and expansive personal development programme possible, by giving them access to four amazing opportunities showcased below.
Click here to visit the student governor hub for more info + bookings
The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge brought to you by Verizon Business and Unloc is an annual event that seeks to find cutting edge young talent across Europe. Each year we look for 5 young tech-entrepreneurs with ventures that are creating a positive social impact and advancing society. The overall challenge winner will receive a £10,000 / €11,000* grant, a mentorship package and pro-bono support to accelerate their business idea or start-up including a series of Unloc-led masterclasses.
For more information please visit https://youngentrepreneurschallenge.com/
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