VONNE

Policy Topic: Net Assets: Using Social Media to Raise the Voice of Young People in the North East

Net Assets is a pilot programme to work with voluntary youth organisations in West Northumberland and South Tyneside (South Shields) to explore the opportunities presented by social media in supporting young people’s engagement with decision-makers in the North East. RYWU have chosen the two areas to compare and contrast the experience of young people in rural and urban areas.

The overarching aim is;

• to improve young people’s opportunities for campaigning and increasing their influence with local and regional decision makers.
• Improving understanding within the voluntary youth sector of the potential offered by social media in reaching decision makers and influencing policy.
• Helping organisations go beyond a first level usage of social media opportunities, where promotion is the objective, to a more sophisticated stage where real change can be created.
• Supporting voluntary youth organisations in improving their ability to engage with young people by using social media as a tool.
• Create the opportunity for young people to participate in a specific campaign and influence local or regional decision makers. Although young people will determine the campaigns, potential examples may include campaigning on rural transport which influences regional transport strategy, or supporting the development of new, youth-led services which contribute to the roll out of the Localism Bill Exploring the potential pitfalls as well as the benefits offered by social media when engaging with young people.
• Comparing the experience of young people living in rural and urban areas, in relation to their use of social media.

It is hoped that by delivering this project;

• Young people will be better able to engage with decision makers in the region.
• Voluntary youth organisations will be better equipped to support young people’s political engagement. A specific campaign identified and developed by young people, will be delivered in each pilot area.
• Decision-makers will gain an increased understanding of the effectiveness of social media in hearing the voice of young people in the North East.
• Young people will have a stronger voice in both their local area, and within the region.

An intiial briefing note can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page; it is intended to be able to provide the VCS details of the current policy position. For more information about this work or to become invovled contact Leon Mexter at RYWU - leon@rywu.org.uk