Celebrating the successful first year of Power Up

Power Up students came together to celebrate the successful completion of the first year of the project, a three-year initiative designed to empower children, young people and parents to become leaders and changemakers in their communities.

Launched in March by Ark and AllChild and based at EdCity, Power Up aims to create meaningful opportunities for families to take on leadership roles by listening to their priorities and supporting them to act on the issues that matter most to them.

The programme is working closely with five local schools to EdCity – Ark Bentworth Primary Academy, Ark Conway Primary Academy, Ark White City Primary Academy, Phoenix Academy and Wendell Park Primary School – to identify shared priorities for collective action across the local area. The project is supported by Citizens UK, which is helping participants develop community organising skills.

Over the past school year, students have formed leadership groups within their schools and led listening exercises to gather the views of their peers and wider community. Through conversations with fellow pupils, families and local residents, they have explored what people value about their area, the challenges they face, and the changes they would most like to see.

The findings were presented at a celebration event marking the end of the first year of the project, where students from all five schools shared what they had learned through short drama presentations, artwork and singing.

From September, students will build on this work by advocating for change and engaging directly with local decision-makers to try and influence the issues that matter most to them and their families. As Power Up moves into its second year, we are looking forward to seeing how the students develop their ideas, strengthen their leadership skills and continue working together to make a lasting difference in White City.