Young Lambeth Cooperative

Having determined the value of a young people-led cooperative and looked at the implications of its seven foundation principles, young people then began to think through the organisational requirements to help make this happen. They used an established organisational change model called 7 S, looking priorities for action on each.

On Wednesday, 70 young people from across Lambeth came together to give their views and opinions on what the new Young Lambeth Cooperative (YLC) should look like and how it should run.

The event and process is truly innovative and a first in the UK. From next year, a new cooperative organisation, with young people as its members, will take control of a multi-million pound budget and be legally responsible for the commissioning and delivery of children and youth services in the borough.

The event asked young people to ‘take a stand’ on what services were like in Lambeth and then explore what life was like for them using big graffiti posters covering areas such as safety, health, relationships, education, play and opportunities.

After that they got stuck into the detail on cooperative principles and their key messages on the YLC. 

Here are a number of key messages that emerged from the event:

This is a big concept to understand and believe
Grappling with the idea that young people will be legally responsible to the delivery of the services they use through control of a multi-million pound budget is difficult to comprehend. Many young people have heard glossy words from Councillors before on ‘being heard’ and ‘having their say’ but this is a genuine first where such power is being handed over through a cooperative model in Local Government. It is hard to make this seem real and young people might need support to fully comprehend the opportunities that comes with moving from being a consulted group to a group of decision makers. 

Young people want to participate in a meaningful way
The delivery of vital services for children and youth is a big deal, but young people at the event were clear that they too meant business and are prepared to deal with big contracts, manage large pots of cash and fully participate in a cooperative organisation with maturity and seriousness – and a bit of fun too.

Values are important, but so are the details
The cooperative values were seen as vital to the success of the YLC and without them being supported, fostered and embraced by everyone ‘the building will collapse.’ Self responsibility, democracy and equality were seen as important with no one being able to blame other people to lack of action or bad decision – everyone is charge. One young person say, “You can’t say you don’t care.” The complexity of running an organisation needed to be sorted out with nuanced approaches to voting, decision-making and sharing the benefits.

Life can be improved with young people in charge
We have to fully accept the principle that those who use the services are those best placed to make decisions about them. It is not that ‘youth are the future’ or the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ it is that they are experts by experience and are best placed to decide how services should be run given their direct contact with them. This doesn’t mean they aren’t supported; indeed it is vital they are empowered to make informed decisions, but recognising young people’s knowledge and expertise is what will define the success of the YLC.

A report and film will be produced from the day and help inform the planning and building of the cooperative over the coming months. This will contribute to a Cabinet report with the cooperative process being championed by the Leader of Lambeth Council, Councillor Steve Reed.

Having explored the four main service models and determining the key strengths of a cooperative structure, the young people looked at the founding seven principles of such an organisation and what these might mean to them. While more work needs to be done, the young people’s immediate thoughts and ideas show their understanding and commitment to a new organisational model for planning, orchestrating and delivering services for children and young people.

“A coop is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their community’s economic, social and cultural needs and aspirat5ions through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”

·        “We’re young, we know our needs and we can make the best decisions that affect us. The organisation is for us, so we know what we want.”

Cooperative foundation principles  

1: Membership of the coop is voluntary and open

·        Open to young people especially teenagers

·        We think there should be age limits but we don’t know the age

·        It should be voluntary because people’s strengths and weaknesses are different

·        There is no requirement to membership and no one feels inferior

·        There should be support for those who need it in order to take part as members.

2: Controlled by the members

·        Young people have more power and responsibility

·        A sense of control over their environment

·        Voices are heard

·        More optimism because they will be trusted

·        More positive outcomes in and for society

·        Sense of respect within the community

·        In charge of decision making

·        Improvement on street-safety and parents’ perceptions of their children’s activities.

3: Members control the money and share the benefits

·        Feels good, because we’re in control and spending the money

·        People’s voice – influencing how the money’s spent

·        Young people reap the benefits

·        Young people spend the money on what young people feel is important.

4: No one can take us over

·        Sense of liberty

·        A good sense of democracy

·        Independent organisation.

Other thoughts

Time spent by those involved:

·        Once a week

·        Not too much!

Possible priorities for activities:

·        More sports

·        Archery

·        Creative things to do (like drawing and photography)

·        Dance and drama

5: Training for everyone to make the coop work and to share what it’s doing

·        Confidence in speaking

·        Needing to know and understand what young people want and needing to get along with young people

·        Having a say for all ages and making sure this happens

·        Good training and having good qualifications

·        Other things we may need later like knowing the laws and rules about how to run things.

6: Being and active part of the coop movement

·        Once you’re involved, you’re involved!

·        Being committed

·        Having your say

·        Changes

·        Being a part of the growth

·        Getting up and making a difference

·        Community being in charge rather than the local authority

·        If you don’t agree with something you have to come and make a change.

7: The coop brings long lasting benefits to the community

·        Opportunity for the whole community including young people to get involved and have their say

·        How is the coop going to benefit in the long term?

Having established with young people their priorities for change and the urgent need for action to improve services to achieve these outcomes, young people used the remaining time to build the future, exploring what a new umbrella organisation led by a youth membership across Lambeth would look like. 

In planning for the future, the young people first explored different models of service running a service or organisation, noting their various strengths and weaknesses and likely opportunities and threats as a model in the future. These findings are presented in sequence, running from local authority ownership and control to young people ownership and control.

At the same time, the roving reporters asked some young people this important question.

“What do you think about children and young people having more control over services and activities which are provided for them?”  

 "I think it’s a brilliant idea. Getting all young people together means bridging the gap between different postcodes and young people not feeling safe with each other.” (Jeremiah Emmanuel, Deputy Youth Mayor)

        “I think it is a good idea. However, I think it needs to be an idea that is thoroughly thought through.” (Keanna Williams, Lambeth Member of UK Youth Parliament)

·      “I think that young people should have the role of being a leader so that the young people are their own leaders.” (Treasure Oyelade, Lambeth Youth Council)

Before being able to think about the pros and cons of young people taking more of a say in decision making and leading their own organisation to improve services and outcomes, the group needed to explore first what their priority needs were in Lambeth as these would presumably be key areas to focus on within any new emerging organisation.

This was a large group activity to explore the things that matter to young people in the Borough. The whole group added traffic light post-its to large graffiti posters about aspects of their lives: being healthy, staying safe, having the things I need, enjoying and achieving, sex and relationships and helping others. Green indicated good, orange was for ok and red (pink) was for rubbish - poor.

While there are many areas of green that represent things going well, areas of red and orange were notable on having a say, safety at home and the neighbourhood and on gaining access to information on sex and relationships.

A team of roving reporters working with DigitalMe also asked some of those taking part what their priorities for change were for young people in Lambeth.

·        “That young people in Lambeth have the voice that they need.” (Treasure Oyelade, Lambeth Youth Council)

·        “More opportunities for young people and advertising these opportunities more.” (Keanna Williams, Lambeth Member of UK Youth Parliament)

·        “A range of things for young people. There’s not one thing that could be fixed in the lives of young people in Lambeth. There are so many things.” (Jeremiah Emmanuel, Deputy Youth Mayor)

Young Lambeth cooperative - young people’s event

Wednesday 4 July 2012, 5.00pm - 7.30pm

Karibu Education Centre