UpRising applications open!

Applications for participants to take part in the UpRising leadership programme for 2009/10 are now open.

• Are you an enthusiastic 19 to 25 year old who is committed to changing your community for the better?

• Do you live, in the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Newham, or Tower Hamlets?

• Do you want to develop skills that will be useful in building your career?

• Have you got ideas, passion and the determination to make a difference in your local community and nationally?

• Do you see issues in your local area and think of solutions you wish were implemented?

Does this sound like you? Then UpRising is for you.

If you are 19-25 and live in Barking & Dagenham, Newham or Tower Hamlets, then you can download and application form by clicking here.

What people say about UpRising

This is what some of the current UpRising participants say about the programme:

‘UpRising is a great programme. I really like it. It gets young people to think about issues and to actually do something about them.'

‘I've loved it more, far more, than I thought I would. It has provided me with the means to do what I have always wanted to do. UpRising has opened up doors to me that I didn't even know were there when I started.'

‘I've learned soft skills that people are always talking about, but nowhere else has taught me them.'

What is the UpRising leadership programme?

UpRising is a new leadership programme being developed by the Young Foundation to support and train a new generation of public leaders. UpRising identifies, recruits, develops and supports 19 to 25 year olds to enable them to play a greater role in politics and public decision-making.

The aim is to create a pool of talented young leaders from a range of backgrounds who can change their communities for the better and take up positions of power in public institutions. UpRising was launched in 2008 and is being piloted in the East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets. It will then spread across London and into other major cities across the UK. The programme has cross-party support with Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg serving as its patrons.

Elements of the UpRising leadership programme include: monthly learning sessions; a weekend residential; support and advice to set up a community campaign; one-to-one mentoring; learning visits; networking events and placements. As well as developing skills and networks, UpRising aims to create opportunities for young people to form strong ties and work together to serve their communities.

To find out more about UpRising visit www.uprising.youngfoundation.org.

UpRising is supported by v, the youth volunteering organisation. For more information about v, visit www.vinspired.com.