The Enfield Youth Advocates programme run by Listen to Act is aimed at empowering young people by boosting their employability skills and digital competency, reports Kinga Plata

An Enfield charity has been awarded £5,000 to help empower young people living in the borough’s housing estates and improve the communities they live in.

Listen to Act will receive the grant from the Maximus Local Impact Fund to start and run the Enfield Youth Advocates programme aimed at empowering young people by boosting their employability skills and digital competency as well as promoting community activity.

The programme will consist of the participants, aged 16-30, getting training in order to become community activists and to enable them to engage, research and advocate in their communities.

The aim of their future research is to get insights into how housing quality impacts the health and wellbeing of Enfield housing estate residents. Collected data will be next analysed and used to create recommendations on how to support the local community. These recommendations will be also shared with the local authority and local organisations to help them improve life of Enfield residents.

Established in 2012, Listen to Act delivers youth engagement schemes that focus on the active participation of young people through training and building trust in a safe and supportive environment.

.Albie Stadtmiller, chief executive at Listen to Act, said: “We are grateful for the support of Maximus and excited to partner with them on this important initiative. Together, we can make a meaningful difference to the lives of young residents in Enfield and build a stronger, more resilient community.”

Moussa Amine Sylla, community engagement specialist at Listen to Act, also commented: “We are excited about the potential impact of the Enfield Youth Advocates Programme. By empowering young residents to become advocates for their communities, we can create lasting change that improves the lives of all residents.”

Launched in March 2023, as part of the Restart Scheme, the Maximus Local Impact Fund helps charities and community organisations across London, by providing them with grants that benefit local communities and contribute to the region’s economic recovery.

The fund supports projects ranging from creative initiatives for young people, training for marginalised groups facing multiple barriers to work to holistic well-being support for women and families.

So far, Maximus has granted £93,000 in 16 community projects and initiatives across London during the first two rounds of funding.

Fatima Iqbal, Social Value Manager at Maximus, said: “The Local Impact Fund offers grants to small and medium-sized charities, social enterprises, and community organisations to tackle a range of key issues across London. These grants enable Maximus to leave a lasting legacy beyond the Restart Scheme, and by supporting the Enfield Youth Advocates programme we get to help young people develop the skills necessary to improve and support their own community, hopefully improving the future of Enfield.”

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