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Why we exist

Our Story

Lack of TRUST

2% of the UK public trust developers 

7% trust local authorities to make decisions about large scale developments

A 2019 film by Footwork, made with a group of young people on a Hackney estate undergoing regeneration, documented their feelings about being excluded from the process and the impact on the community in which they grew up. Their comments show the potential for young people to be a powerful voice for their community and re build trust in development.

Most people are not engaged in decisions about the development of the places they live.

Our current system doesn't properly encourage decision-makers to develop the future of the area WITH the people who already live there.

Exisiting communities are pushed to one side. Forgotten at best. Blamed and displaced at worst.

 

 

 

Young people are often overlooked when creating future plans for the areas they live. But we know that many are already involved, and many more want to take action on issues happening around them.

So...what are we waiting for?!

My Place exists to change this

What we do

Our Mission

To empower local young people aged 13-18 to be researchers, advocates and leaders for the diverse communities they represent, and support them to build a positive future for their place and their community

Our Vision

A world in which local communities - including young people - have a genuine say in the future of the places where they live, and are able to create change in partnership with decision makers

Our Values

Challenging

We challenge how change currently takes place in communities and push for this to be more inclusive, with local people at the centre

Collaborative

My Place is committed to working collaboratively with people and organisations to achieve a shared vision and create change together

Empowering

My Place recognises the potential of young people to tackle common challenges and works with them as equal partners. We champion young leadership and create space for this to flourish

Inclusive

My Place is for everyone, but we focus on working with young people and communities who are marginalised from decision making

Independent

My Place is independent of the interests and influence of any single stakeholder, political party, or interest group

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Footwork has partnered with London Development Trust and Finsbury Park Trust to deliver a pilot of My Place in Finsbury Park in 2021/22

How we do it

How Do we Do This?

My Place has developed an innovative method for creating more inclusive development that harnesses the power of young people as community leaders who co-create the future of their place in collaboration with local decision makers. This method can be summarised by The Three C's

Commission

We COMMISSION local young people, aged 13-18, to find out what their community loves about their area, and how they want it changed

Connect

We CONNECT our young, empowered leaders with local decision-makers and help them build active, ongoing relationships

Co-create

We support these new partnerships between young community representatives and those in power to CO-CREATE the future of their areas together

Who We Work With

My Place exists to empower young people as leaders of their communities, to support local people to have meaningful involvement in shaping the places where they live, and to challenge those who have the power to make decisions to do so in a way that is inclusive, equitable and open to diverse local voices

My Place works with these three groups, supporting them to build collaborative, trusting relationships. To help them create the future of their neighbourhoods together

Young People

- aged 13 - 18

- live, work, or study locally

- Hold valuable local knowledge and have the passion and ideas to create positive change in their area

- Feel excluded and/or marginalised from decisions about the development of their local area 

Local Communities

 - people who live, work, or study in a specified area

- who hold valuable local knowledge

- who should have a say in decisions about development of their local area, but often feel excluded

- including those who, for a variety of reasons, are marginalised

Decision Makers

- Work in positions to influence decisions affecting the physical and/or social development of an area, including:
- MPs, mayors, ward councillors
- planning officers

- property developers

- architects and design professionals

Our Programme

So when will all of this be happening?

Recruiting our
Young Leaders

May - July 2022

My Place is looking to recruit a group of young people who are passionate about, and represent the diversity of Finsbury Park

Training our Young Leaders

August 2022

Our young leaders will be trained as researchers and advocates, and empowered to help create change by people with specialist experience

Speaking to Finsbury Park Communities

Aug/Sep 2022

The young leaders will use their training and existing local knowledge to understand what the people of Finsbury Park think, need and want

Co-creating Change

Oct/Nov 2022

Young people will present the thoughts, needs and wants of their local community to decision makers and work in partnership with them on ideas to address these

Celebrating our Achievements

December 2022

My Place's young researchers will have the opportunity to design events to celebrate their work, and tell the My Place story in their own words

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