Glasgow’s re-established Young Champs Group met for the first time recently.
The Champs group is open to children and young people who are currently ‘care experienced’ in the city and are 16-26 years. This includes young people living with foster carers, in residential care, and those living in kinship care with extended family and friends.
Glasgow’s Promise Participation workers Sam, Chizy and Kieran run the group supported by staff members from Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).
The Champs Group also has a steering group made up of Fostering and Adoption representatives, Kinship, Host Family and other HSCP colleagues and team leaders.
At the moment, seven young people are involved and they meet every two weeks on a Wednesday evening.
It’s still early days and the young people are getting to know each other in a fun and relaxed way. They play games, eat food, and have active discussions about various aspects of care experience which are led by the young people.
Chizy Lingham, Promise Participation worker said: “I feel proud of our group already. There’s a variety of great personalities and I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow and develop.
“This is what Glasgow needs – to hear the voices of our children and young people, and for our young people to feel empowered and emboldened to speak to power and effect positive change within our care system.”
Longer term, the Champs Board’s plans are to:
- To have an effective and active feedback loop.
- To have young people feeling empowered and confident.
- To have a well-established platform for the voices of children and young people to be heard.
Frances Maguire, Independent Review Officer, Glasgow City Council said: “Children and young people’s participation shouldn’t feel like an add on, it’s re-imagining our systems and what needs to change for all of us who support that ‘system’.
“It’s important that the voices of young people and the principles of participation are embedded into our systems. To show that our children and young people feel valued, heard and to give us a measurement on how we are doing. It’s about being seen and respecting inherent value.’
Interested in getting involved? The Champs Board would love for you to get involved. The next meet up is on Wednesday 10 April at MYBNK, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD.
You can arrive any time from 5.30pm, for a 6pm start and it finishes at 7.30pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
Please feel free to reach out to any one of the Promise Participation Workers via email: