Summer Uni Network News

Summer Uni Summit

Date: 13 November 2008
Clifford Chance, Canary Wharf

The second annual Summer Uni Summit 2008 was held on Thursday 13th November.

The event was attended by over 70 participants reflecting all those involved in Summer Uni. The day included presentations and workshops on how to involve young people throughout Summer Uni and Local Authorities, creating and developing partnerships, the benefits, options and implications of accreditation and quality assurance and how to market Summer Uni.

The keynote speech was delivered by Kevan Collins, Director of Children’s Services, London Borough of Tower Hamlets covering how Summer Uni plays such a valuable part in a young person's life and how it links into Local and National Government policy.

Our thanks go to Clifford Chance for hosting the event.

Gilbert & George open Best of Art Exhibition

Date: 26 September 2008
Rich Mix Cultural Foundation

Gilbert & George opened the Best of Art exhibition at the Rich Mix Mezzanine on 28 August, bringing together the finest artwork created by young people from Summer Unis throughout London

Students from the Tower Hamlets Summer Uni (THSU) ‘Young Curators’ course organised the entire exhibition, which features an eclectic range, from sculpture to stencil graffiti, painting to photography.

Internationally renowned artists Gilbert & George have lived and worked in Tower Hamlets for forty years, and their maxim ‘Art For All’ is firmly rooted in the urban and social fabric of London’s East End.

Sarah Davies, THSU Director, said: 'What our young artists and curators have achieved here is incredible, showing once again how capable young people are when given the chance.'

Entry to the exhibition is free, which is open until September 13.

Brixton Rec hosts free summer sport spectacular for Summer Uni students

Date: 26 September 2008
Brixton Recreation Centre

Hundreds of young sports people from Summer Unis across London competed to be crowned champions of Summer Uni London’s annual Festival of Sport on Friday 15 August at Brixton Recreation Centre

Young people from Lambeth Summer Uni were amongst those participating in the day of free sporting activities, which included workshops in Capoeira, Bhangra aerobics, rock climbing and street dance, as well the chance to try out the new fitness, dance and energy zones at the Recreation Centre.

Croydon Summer Uni were particularly strong, winning gold in football and basketball, and were duly crowned outright winners of Festival of Sport 2008, with Spartan from Gladiators presenting the awards. Tower Hamlets Summer Uni won gold in the badminton, with Redbridge Summer Uni also picking up a number of silver and bronze medals. A young team from Lambeth also netted bronze in the basketball.

Prizes were also given out to most energetic youngsters who did the most activities, with two brand new bikes and tickets to the Olympic handover event, courtesy of the Greater London Authority.

The new Dance Zone, where participants work up a sweat by dancing on pad to a routine on the big screen, proved particularly popular.

Ella Richards, 10, from Lambeth Summer Uni, said: 'I really enjoyed the Dance Zone – it was fun and energetic, you just forget everything else. Using all the new equipment was great.'

'Kids get bored over the holidays – not everyone can go away on holiday. I’d definitely come back next year.'

Chloe Graham, 12, also from Lambeth Summer Uni, added: 'We learned how to lift weights and use the running and rowing machine safely. I’d expect to have to pay for all this!'

Florence Andrews, Lambeth Summer Uni Co-ordinator, said: 'Lambeth Summer Uni is proud to offer so many free summer courses in sports and much more, and today’s event was a great way of giving young people from Lambeth and beyond the chance to compete and take advantage of the amazing facilities here in Brixton. Lambeth Summer Uni makes summer activities accessible and possible for local people.'

SUL and THSU launch event

Date: 18 July 2008
Rich Mix Cultural Foundation

This year’s SUL launch party certainly went with a bang! Partners, Funders, Youth Advisors, Summer Uni Co-ordinators and guests were entertained by a packed programme put together by the Youth Ambassadors from Tower Hamlets Summer Uni (THSU) and Camden Summer Uni (CSU), whose launch was beamed live into the THSU central launch event by video link-up!

The party kicked off with a rocking performance by a band on the THSU ‘Music Space’ course - ‘Purple Socks’ - and was followed with entertaining and inspiring speeches from Sarah Davies, Executive Director and Rex Hall, Founding Trustee of THSU. They took part in an unusual ribbon and cake cutting ceremony to celebrate and promote that there are now a phenomenal 32 Summer Unis running throughout London, for the first time ever! All Summer Uni Co-ordinators were invited on stage to join in with the cake cutting so guests could recognise their hard work.

CSU then took over via live link up with excellent performances from their young people who entertained us with their singing, rapping and poetry. Thanks to Kim Trehane, Summer Uni Coordinator at CSU, for organising a very impressive programme.

The central event then continued with talented performances from THSU students: The Directive, Essence, XTL Mc’s, Gawain Hewitt from CM, THSU Peer Motivators who spoke about their crucial role within the organisation, thought provoking films from the award winning www! project and dance performances from Rahath’s dance group and Rumi and Iffath, which got the crowd really going!

Information and displays from all the Summer Unis provided the guests with an impressive overview of just how much is on offer for the young people of London – over 2,300 courses and 35,000 course places.

Guests agreed that this was a brilliant way to launch this summer’s London-wide programme of courses. The launch and our work across London is so important and impressive that we attracted the attention of BBC London Radio, BBC London lunchtime and early evening news, and have some fantastic press coverage!

Well done everyone involved in Summer Uni this year!

BT Seen and Heard Award Winners

Date: 25 June 2008

'Put It Down', a short documentary about knife crime made by winners of our www! (What We Want!) grants programme, has won a BT Seen and Heard Award.

This is what BT had to say about the project: 'Our young judges were inundated with stories of brilliant projects from around the UK and the world. However, after reviewing over a hundred entries, yours stood out as a great example of how speaking and listening can bring about positive change.'

Francesca Kamara, aged 16, led her group of five young people aged 15-19 during the project. As well as learning about filmmaking from scratch, the group had to learn to work together, listen to each other and develop key skills such as time keeping. They were really excited to win the award and be recognised for all their hard work:
'We feel really honoured that BT has chosen our project which portrays the real views of people in London. Most coverage of knife crime is by adults so to be recognised for our views makes a nice change'

The awards ceremony will take place in October, when the overall winners will be announced.

More info

Dare London flying high

Date: 07 November 2007

Out of 18 candidates Lewisham representative for Dare London, Samson Adeyemi, came 3rd in the elections for new young mayor of Lewisham. Well done for getting so far Samson and better luck next time! Samson has now been selected as an MP for UK Youth Parliament. Samson said “this is big because I will not just speak on behalf of young people in Lewisham but I will help in deciding on issues that affect young people in the United Kingdom".

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Dare London campaigning to end child poverty

Date: 07 November 2007

Poonam Chandal (Newham’s Dare London rep), Kawsaw Zamen (THSU’s Dare London rep), Samson Adeyemi (Lewisham Dare London rep) and Stephen Ihme (GLA Dare London rep) will all be visiting the House of commons on 21 November to participate in a Q and A with a panel including Beverley Hughes, Maria Miller and Annette Brooke. The purpose is to ensure that politicians from all major political parties hear directly from young people about child poverty during the month of action.

More Info

Introducing 'Dare London'

Date: 27 August 2007

Summer Uni London’s partnership commitment with London Youth and The Mayor’s Children and Young People’s Unit to deliver a youth advisory board is well under way.

More Info

Prestigious exhibition for Summer Uni artwork

Date: 22 August - 12 September 2007

A selection of artwork by young artists across the capital was displayed in the Rich Mix Cultural Centre in Bethnal Green.

Festival of Sport attracts 180 young participants from 11 Summer Unis

Date: 10 August 2007

On 10 August 180 young people from across London gathered together for Summer Uni London’s second annual free Festival of Sport. Young people aged from eleven to twenty five competed against each other in a selection of Olympic sports, each representing their borough or Summer Uni.

London Challenge extended and expanded

Date: 11 June 2007

A package announced by Education and Skills Secretary Alan Johnson on 11 June 2007 will mean an extension of the successful London Challenge programme and also the launch of similar programmes in Greater Manchester and The Black Country. London Challenge is the project sponsor and funder for Summer Uni London and the Summer Uni Grant.