Peer Education

Young people running campaigns to improve awareness and understanding

The Peer Education project empowers young people to educate their peers on critical topics such as drug and alcohol awareness and mental health. Here's how it works:

Initially, young individuals, known as peer educators, undergo accredited training to equip them with essential knowledge and skills for effective teaching. Following their training, these educators pinpoint particular issues they wish to address. They develop campaigns focusing on key messages they aim to communicate. In the subsequent phase, peer educators collaborate with professional film and music tutors to craft short films and soundtracks. These creative projects are designed to enhance awareness about the chosen topics. Finally, supported by youth participation workers, the peer educators design and deliver interactive workshops. These sessions are held in youth clubs and schools, thereby reaching a broad audience of young people and fostering community engagement.

"Youth Action Journey with FYA" documents the experiences of young people involved in the William Ellis Group Project.

The film showcases their participation in various activities, including mental health training, drugs and alcohol workshops, and team-building exercises.

It captures the transformative journey of these young people as they navigate their way toward a more positive and engaged future.

“I’ve been a member of New Horizon for a few years and since then I have moved accommodations a few times. I really enjoy the peer education sessions. It makes me happy, and I have people to talk to. I am now volunteering at FYA helping with organising events and much more. I have noticed volunteering at FYA has helped with my confidence and I hope this will help me get into employment”

“It’s easy to get influenced in a negative way by others you hang around with, especially when there's not much for us to do these days. When me and my friends are not at school, we usually play online video games or hang around in the local park. I know a lot of my friends behave in a bad way to show off and I sometimes do the same. I think this summer was different for us as we had a project that we enjoyed and got to make films and organised a football tournament which we felt we played an important role. It was fun as I got to do it with my friends and the go-karting trip was something we have never done before and was so good”

“Talking about racism with others who have faced it has helped me a lot. To be able to share our stories, raise awareness and try to move forward from bad experiences are important. I really enjoyed making a film about the experiences that some of us have faced, but more importantly I found it helpful to share my ideas with others.”

“It’s been difficult to get employment when you are experiencing homelessness. It’s hard as it is with the competition and lack of opportunities for people with a stable home, so you can imagine how it is for us. We have a lot of challenges. Having projects where we can talk about our problems really helps as we can talk to others in similar situations and not be judged.”

Fitzrovia Youth in Action collaborated with young people from William Ellis School who were facing challenges like potential school exclusion and behavioural needs. The initiative aimed to provide targeted interventions and support to assist these young people in navigating their challenges and cultivating a positive future. The programme included providing support and education for boys with behavioural needs, delivering mental health, drugs, and alcohol workshops to boost understanding and awareness, and implementing flexible, informal sessions that involved frequent activity changes to maintain engagement and effectively manage behaviour issues.

Additionally, the project enabled participants to express themselves creatively through film-making, highlighting their personal experiences with gangs and illustrating the dangers and allure of gang life. It also promoted continuous engagement by offering volunteering opportunities, such as planning and delivering the annual Warren Cup football tournament. Furthermore, the initiative included team-building and football-related activities designed to enhance self-esteem, develop skills, and keep participants motivated and interested, thereby helping them understand the dangers of gang involvement, develop positive behaviours, and engage in productive, confidence-building activities.

"Gangs" is a powerful film that delves into the personal experiences of young people with gangs.

Fitzrovia Youth in Action collaborated with young people with special educational needs (SEND) at Westminster Kingsway College to customise a peer education programme tailored to their needs. This project aimed to provide a supportive platform that allowed these students to express themselves and engage collectively. The programme assessed the specific learning requirements of each participant, ensuring their voices were heard, and adapted the content to foster their engagement and confidence. Topics of interest were discussed, facilitating a nurturing environment where initially shy students grew more confident in expressing themselves.

Furthermore, the project offered mental health training to enhance self-esteem and confidence, alongside enabling the creation of films that reflected the students' personal experiences and viewpoints. Skill development was also a key focus, with opportunities in media production such as filming, editing, scriptwriting, and storyboarding, making the programme both innovative and personal. Peer support sessions encouraged collaboration and learning from each other, and students eventually delivered educational sessions to their peers, enhancing their confidence and communication skills. Additionally, the programme included an employability workshop that covered mock interviews, CV creation, and job application discussions, preparing the students for future career opportunities while promoting inclusivity and creativity.

This film gives an insight into the lives of young people with special education needs and how at times they have been treated unfairly because of this. Many of these young people expressed how they felt in particularly situations and they highlighted the importance of being inclusive.

Fitzrovia Youth in Action partnered with young people from Regents Park Estate to address local safety concerns through creative expression. The project focused on empowering youths to explore and communicate issues related to the safety of women and girls in their community.

Film Creation: The group created a film addressing safety issues, particularly focusing on the safety of women and girls in their local area. They highlighted concerns such as poor lighting, smaller roads, and groups of youths that made them feel unsafe.
Workshop Delivery: The group later delivered workshops to various audiences, including the boys' football team, the FYA girls' group, and the Regents Park Community Champions, to further discuss and promote safety awareness.
Award Recognition: Their film won first prize in the Camden Multimedia Competition. The project emphasised the importance of safety and aimed to raise awareness about local safety issues to encourage positive change.

This film raises awareness about the challenges young women may face in their lives, aiming to foster discussion and remind viewers that support is available.

This film was awarded first prize in the Camden Multimedia Competition.

Peer Education in Numbers

*based on 2023-24 annual report

12

peer education cohorts supported

120

young people trained as peer educators

960

young people attended workshops delivered by peer educators

75%

of young people taking part in workshops delivered by peer educators showed improved knowledge and awareness (as measured via baseline and exit forms)