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
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
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 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