Youngsters have given themselves just seven days to raise £23,000 for a project that could turn them into East End “change makers” on issues they are passionate about.
The week-long "youth activism" appeal goes online tomorrow (December 3), started by Whitechapel's Toynbee Hall Settlement to support youngsters aged 15 to 25 who want to bring change to their community.
Half the children in the East End live in poverty, while Tower Hamlets also has the second highest number of any London borough of young people who are not in education, employment or training, the social reform organisation points out.
The combination is blamed for intensifying the barriers youngsters face, which undermine their relationships and makes their sense of "powerlessness" worse.
"Young people we meet care passionately about the East End," Toynbee Hall's Angela Basso said. "But they feel the challenges will never change.
"This fundraising campaign will give more young people in east London the chance to be heard on issues they care about."
The project follows a series of schemes in the past three years which have involved youngsters building their own outdoor classroom at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and creating an indoor "cave" play facility at Mile End Park where they learn healthy eating by cooking their own meals.
The latest project launched this week which involves youth clubs, faith groups and young carer organisations aims to build self-confidence to build the next generation of change-makers learning how to influence decision-making,
Donations to the appeal are being matched by the Childhood Trust and Proms at St Jude's charities.
It follows the traditions of the Toynbee Hall Settlement in Commercial Street which has had many leading social reformers, all the way back to its founders Samuel and Henrietta Barnett in the 19th century changing east London for the better.
Donations can be made online from midday December 3, on #GivingTuesday
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