News

‘Talking Sense’ brings community together

Friday 21st October 2011

91% of young people report a positive change how they respond to prejudice.

Yesterday evening, Thursday 20 October, Leap Confronting Conflict (Leap) together with students at Bexleyheath Academy celebrated their groundbreaking work tackling issues of prejudice and discrimination, identity and belonging at a community event.

Attended by students, parents, local businesses and police, this youth-led event explored some of the most challenging issues facing UK society today through interactive sessions and multimedia exhibitions of artwork. There was also a short film that tackled ideas of diversity and prejudice in the school community.

For the past two years, students from Years 9 and 10 in Bexley have taken part in a successful programme that explores the concept of identity, managing conflict constructively and challenging prejudice.
Embedded within a ‘whole school’ approach, Leap’s programme recruits and trains young people and teachers to become peer educators in their own school and the wider community around issues of racism and identity. Through partnership working with Headliners UK and Tiger Monkey, students also had the opportunity to challenge prejudice through other methods such as journalism and dynamic arts.

As a result, students and teachers gained substantial learning and skills around dealing with conflict, prejudice and identity issues in school. Furthermore, 91% of young people reported a positive change in perceptions of themselves, how they viewed others and how they responded to prejudice. Since the training, Ofsted reports have shown Bexleyheath Academy has improved on community cohesion and that incidents of racial harassment were rare and dealt with seriously and promptly when they arose.

Leap’s work in Bexley has found that face-to-face work with young people at the local level by skilled practitioners can have a significant impact on racist attitudes and behaviour; promoting integration among young people with different backgrounds and identities. As one young person said “I know I will take what I have learnt with me through life”.

Bob Dore, Principal of Bexleyheath Academy, said “We’re absolutely delighted with the work Leap has been doing at Bexleyheath Academy. The Talking Sense Event has shown how our young people can bring the local community together in a positive and worthwhile way, at what has been an enjoyable and thought-provoking evening for everyone. The leadership and maturity on display has been exceptional and I congratulate all those involved.”

There is an urgent need, however, to integrate the lessons from this initiative into mainstream policy around youth and community issues, and also into the core training and everyday practice of youth and community workers and staff in schools. Leap is now looking at how the programme can be rolled out throughout the rest of the borough, and London as a whole.
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1. For more information about Leap’s work, or if you are interested in running training at your school, please contact Tom Currie, Programme Quality & Development, at tom.currie@leapcc.org.uk or 020 7561 3717.
2. Leap Confronting Conflict is a national charity working with young people and adults to manage conflict and prevent violence in their schools, communities and everyday lives. Developed over 24 years of action research, Leap offers a wide range of training for young people and those who work with them including: mediation, group offending, weapons carrying and use, peer education and leadership. www.leapcc.org.uk
3. Headliners UK is a charity which inspires and encourages the personal development of young people through journalism. Young people are trained to research and produce stories on issues important to them for publication and broadcast. www.headliners.org
4. Tiger Monkey is a dynamic arts company that aims to develop social inclusion, using creative process to support individuals, examine issues and work towards positive and significant change. www.tigermonkey-uk.com