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O2 makes funds available for community youth workers

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O2 makes funds available for community youth workers

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 13:38

Tags: community involvement | funding | young people involvement

Mobile phone giants O2 are offering young people the chance to get a little cash-in-hand for making a difference in their local community.

The £5m programme, Think Big, will allow young people aged 13-25 to apply for a £300 grant to put towards funding projects to address local issues. Projects that prove to be successful and sustainable will then receive a further £2500.

O2 will work with about 1000 young people across 500 projects and hope to run the programme for at least three years, impacting in the lives of over 100,000 young people altogether.

Speaking at the launch, Ronan Dunne, O2's chief executive said: The reality is that young people are good citizens and are passionate about being part of the solution, not the problem. We're creating an opportunity for young people to reconnect with communities and societies, and use their passion and enthusiasm to benefit those communities."

A panel of judges will decide which projects will receive the grants. Sixty per cent of the money will go to young people applying through youth organisations or charities to ensure that the majority goes to the most disadvantaged youths. The remaining money will be available to all young people through the programme's website.

The scheme is being delivered in partnership with the National Youth Agency and UK Youth. NYA chief executive Fiona Black said it was a wonderful opportunity for young people to really make a difference. "Every day I meet incredibly inspiring young people who are prepared to stand up and work to do something, and who have overcome enormous challenged, " she said. "We're incredibly proud to be part of this programme. A major international company is saying ‘we believe in young people'."

O2 staff members will also be involved in the project, acting as trained mentors and role models to young people.

For more information, visit the Think Big website.

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