Unloc & Verizon Business scoop impressive awards at the Better Society Awards 2024
13 June 2024
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
.
The Teal Umbrella Project was created by a group of passionate young people who took part in our Inspiring Change project, sponsored by PAC (the Peer Action Collective). The project brought young people together over several months to create and develop a social action campaign on a topic which was close to their hearts and they felt passionate about.
One of those groups created the Teal Umbrella project – aimed at educating people on the prevalence of sexual violence in Portsmouth and Southampton, and where they could turn to for support and advice. One of the young people in the action group was 17 year old Ace Merriott, one of the inspiring young changemakers we’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past year. Ace tells their story:
.
Ace’s experience:
.
“Hi I’m Ace and I’m a 17 year old student from Portsmouth. Last April I had an Instagram Advert pop up on my screen with the title “Do you want to tackle youth violence in your community?” I’m going to be totally honest and tell you that I was entirely bored at the time (despite being about to start my GCSEs) and just figured I’d give it a chance. I signed up and not long later got told I had received a place and to come along to the residential at the end of the month.
For me, I’d done nothing like this before and this would be the first event where I knew no one else. This was frankly terrifying, and slightly off-putting – but I’m so glad I gave it a go!
Before Unloc I’d always tried to make a conscious attempt to volunteer in my local community. As a Young leader with Beavers & Squirrels (World Scout Association), I knew I enjoyed helping other people and in my local community, I’ve seen a lot of Youth Violence. Growing up Queer, Trans and Disabled in Portsmouth has often put me at the receiving end of a lot of hate, and growing up AFAB (assigned female at birth for those not in the know) has put me on the same end of Sexual Violence too. This is why our project ‘The Teal Umbrella’ was centred around Sexual Violence in Southampton and Portsmouth – we all as a group shared one common experience in our communities.
.
.
So what is the Teal Umbrella Project? The Teal Umbrella Project is a social media campaign centred on providing support and resources for those who are victims of COCSA (Child on child/ Peer on Peer Sexual Assault). As a group it was vital to let the world know that it isn’t a taboo subject, so that hopefully more young people would open up and maybe even report their experiences.
We started from the ground up, facilitated by Unloc, making our social media page and forming our initial first ideas. We knew what we wanted to tackle – but how could we do it? After lots of deliberation we decided to hold a professional photoshoot with other young people from the surrounding areas, people of any background or gender.
Something we really wanted to highlight was that it doesn’t just happen to one category of person – it can, and does, happen to anyone.
We applied for funding through the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) to support our idea and were luckily awarded the full amount we applied for – this was incredible! I took on the role of Finance Co-ordinator for the group – managing the money and controlling the budget. I also eventually grew into the role of Communications, and from that Project manager – a journey I feel really benefited my skill set.
.
.
We gathered friends from local communities and got them involved in the photoshoot in November – some of us got involved in it as well! The photographer was incredible at capturing the message we wanted to put across. The photos featured an actual teal umbrella, to fit back to our name, and also contained the common excuses that one may face after an assault. Some of these include “What were you wearing” and “I’m not that kind of person”. These excuses are commonly used and we wanted to bring to head how excuses are never appropriate. After this photoshoot we started the bulk of posting on our social media. Our instagram is @the_tealumbrella
The Teal umbrella got its name from two things. The colour Teal is the colour ribbon for Sexual Assault Awareness, and the umbrella symbolises the ‘umbrella terms’ that come under Sexual Assault. These include catcalling, harrassment, underskirting and many other violent and non-violent forms of sexual abuse.
.
.
After the intial start to posting, we were contacted by several stakeholders about the project, wanting to speak to us and get involved where they could. Holding calls with all sorts of important professionals was terrifying, we’d never done anything like that before – but it was really rewarding to hear from adults who believed like us that young people can make a change.
In December, I attended the PAC (Peer action Collective) Crime Conference, which was attended by Young People from all over the country who had been completing their own social action projects/changes in their local communities. I represented the Teal Umbrella Project and had a great time telling others at the event about what we did. We also featured in a Spotlight in their review booklet. At this conference, I received the Networking Extraordinaire Award for my communication skills throughout the year. It was totally unexpected. This is something that even today I am still in awe of as compared to a year ago, I was absolutely terrified of talking to people – let alone industry professionals.
.
.
I also was able to put the project back into my Scouting experience. It has contributed to my King Scout Award – one of the highest awards in Scouting!
Moving into January we received amazing news that YEF wanted to support our project further and came to us offering more funding to get one of our posters put onto two billboards, one in Portsmouth and another one in Southampton. Hearing once again that people really wanted to support us and believed in what we were doing was amazing, and I still love how welcoming society is becoming to the new generation of changemakers like myself. We planned once more and in early summer got billboards up in highly trafficked areas – an incredible achievement for something that started as a very small social media campaign.
.
.
We got noticed by the South East Billboard company and received Billboard Campaign of the Month too! Gaining traction for the cause is so important as the rates of Sexual Violence in Portsmouth and Southampton are scarily high. I hope that this project gets the opportunities to grow and flourish and help more people.
I think the moment I realised how beneficial the campaign was, was when I presented it to a group of other Scouts and Leaders, and the feedback I got back was incredible, and it really hit me then what good something small can do.
.
.
Unloc supported us the entire way through, and I would not be the person I am today without our wonderful facilitators, Katie and Jess. They helped us where need be, and organised the whole idea of Young People making change!
The person I was last year is very different to the person I am now though. Unloc gave me the skills to grow and develop as a Young Adult, while also letting me have fun and make new friends.
Moving forward, I have taken this newfound courage to join other projects such as Youth Advisory Boards and becoming a volunteer with Hampshire Youth Parliament. In Scouting I’m making new moves too; I’ve joined both a UK wide team and County (Hampshire) team to help develop my local and national scouting communities and make them overall more inclusive and accessible.
.
.
I hope to continue working with, and for Young People and hopefully engage them in experiences that I couldn’t access until later in my Teen years. Recently, I helped lead a group of Scouts in the Portsmouth Pride Parade, and soon to London Pride!
I do hope to continue making changes in my community, and helping others. The confidence and abilities I gained this past year are like no other, and I know how much they will benefit me going into the future. “
Ace Merriott, 17
Changemaker and Networking Extraordinaire Award Winner
.
Inspiring Change was our hugely successful programme we held last Summer in partnership with the Peer Action Collective, Youth Options, Artswork and the Youth Endowment Fund.
Our young changemakers took part in a wide range of fun activities from problem solving challenges to confidence building games. Their main aim was to decide what mattered to them and develop social action projects aimed at tackling the issue of youth violence.
There was also the chance for young people to apply for funding of between £1000 and £3000 to support the project they designed and planned.
.
.
This free programme was an 8 month experience for 15-19 year olds living in Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh and Totton. Groups developed plans around knife crime, bullying, and youth violence (to name but a few) with one member going on to win an award at the PAC Awards in the Autumn, and a group winning the Campaign of the Month Award last month from Billboard Media!
Katie Reid took part in the Inspiring Change programme and her group ‘See the difference’ created an awareness campaign about bullying and how to get help and support. Katie and her team mate Sasha were later invited to the House of Commons to speak about their impressive project at the PAC Parliamentary Event, Katie’s been kind enough to share her thoughts with us:
.
“When I look back at who I was just over a year ago I can’t believe i’m the same person. I first got involved with Unloc through the Inspiring Change project in Summer 2022. I was really nervous about doing it initially, I had a pretty rough time at school due to bullying, and I was very shy and often didn’t speak up or share my opinions.
.
.
The Inspiring Change programme absolutely changed my life, it opened so many doors for me inside my own head, showing me that I have a voice, what I can be capable of, that I can speak up, I can speak passionately, I can come up with ideas of my own and actually create change around me in the world.
I feel a lot more confident in my future since completing the programme, and I think I’m more likely to be successful now too because I actually know what I am capable of. In March this year I attended the PAC parliamentary event which was held in the House of Commons. I attended with one of the amazing Unloc Facilitators and my Inspiring Change project partner Sasha. We were so excited and a little nervous – as it was our first-time taking part in an event like this, and neither of us had been to the House of Commons before.
.
.
Knowing we were going to speak in such a prestigious place was so daunting, I can’t lie, but if there’s one i’ve learnt during my time with Unloc it’s that just because something is scary it doesn’t mean you can’t do it! You have to believe in yourself and your capabilities.
If you’d told me a year ago that i’d speak in the House of Commons I would have laughed in your face!
When we first arrived at Parliament we were surprised at how big and busy it was. There were a range of guests invited including, MPs, reporters, and business representatives. Once we were allowed into the meeting room Sasha and I talked to the invited guests and discussed our Unloc project.
We explained that we are passionate about helping teachers to notice the subtle signs of bullying so that they can ensure young people have the support they so desperately need. The guests all seemed to be truly interested and intrigued about what we had to say.
After a bit it was time for the speeches. I had prepared what I was going to say before I went, but that actually went out the window a little, as I found that when I was stood in front of everyone it was actually better to speak from the heart.
.
.
I spoke about the research and findings that we had gained from our project, my personal feelings and experiences of bullying, what we have achieved so far, and what we hope to achieve in the future. Once I got into the flow the words just came out, I guess because it’s something I know first hand so well, the words came from the heart.
To have all these important people hearing my story and acknowledging what I, and millions of others have gone through due to bullying was so empowering, and finally I was able to give something back and do something to help other young people like me.
I feel so proud that I was asked to take part in this event, and although I was still nervous – the feelings of achievement afterwards were worth all the nerves. I never would have ever believed i’d do something like this.
.
.
From taking part, I feel that my confidence and self-belief have increased. I was able to stand up in front of a room of strangers and talk about my lived experience and how I hope to help others avoid going through a similar bullying situation.
People under-estimate the damage that bullying does, and the long-term damage it has on people’s mental health and confidence, more needs to be done to combat bullying and i’m proud to be a small part of that.
My communications and networking skills have been developed hugely from this experience and as a result of sharing our passion and ideas. This is definitely a life event that I will always remember as one of the first stepping stones to my future.“
.
Katie Reid
.
Find out more about our Inspiring Change programme by clicking here!
Are you being bullied or feeling depressed or anxious?
Always talk to a trusted adult for advice if you’re being bullied or harassed. A parent, guardian, teacher, older family member or trusted adult.
Here are some free mental health support services that you can also access for help, advice or for someone to talk to:
Young Minds – support for children and young people
STEM4 – supporting teenagers with their Mental Health
NHS – Mental Health support for children and young people
The Mix – support for the Under 25’s
Beware of lurking Trolls – support and free resources for younger children
.
Recently the Unloc team took a group of our young changemakers from the PAC programme to the PAC Liverpool Conference and the Gamerchanger Awards 2022, one of which turned out to be a true winner!
In partnership with Co-op the Gamechanger Awards celebrate the work of ten incredible young people and projects, who are part of PAC, a ground-breaking new youth-led network, which is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and The Co-op.
Through the programme, over 120 peer researchers listened to over 4,500 young people, recording their lived-experiences of violence, and finding out what needs to happen to make their area a better place to live. They’ve also been working with local partners to turn what they’ve learned into action.
The awards ceremony was held in partnership with Co-op in front of an audience of local leaders and other young researchers.
.
.
We were absolutely thrilled to see our young changemaker Ace Merriott win the Networker Extraordinaire Award! Ace took part in our Unloc Inspiring Change programme last Summer, a social action programme for young people in partnership with the Peer Action Collective, Artswork, Co-op, and Youth Options.
Ace really worked hard to push themselves outside of their comfort-zone to connect with range of different stakeholders to increase the impact of their team’s social action project, called the Teal Umbrella, focused on to de-stigmatising people talking about their experiences of sexual harassment.
The project was promoted by an article in a local newspaper in the area as a result of Ace’s networking skills which led to Ace giving a brilliant interview about their project.
Ace didn’t just stop there however, Ace pushed onward and spoke to the Crime Commissioner about the current projects the local authority are running and how the voices of the young people from the Teal Umbrella can help to influence change to make young people feel safe.
.
.
Ace said: “Having the opportunity to go to the PAC conference and see everyone else’s projects as well as discusses my team’s project made me realise how much of an impact young people are making. We are the future of societal change.”
Through this the Teal Umbrella team are now in talks with a range of different mental health services in the area to help put young people’s voices at the heart of their practises! A fantastic result, we’re incredibly proud of Ace and we’ll be closely watching to see what this talented group of young people achieve next!
Massive thanks to the Peer Action Collective, the Co-op, Youth Options, and Artswork for their dedication to improving the lives of young people and the wider community. Knowing we have such inspiring organisations around us with the same mission to improve the lives and opportunities of young people energises us on our mission to develop young potential! Together we can make such lasting change.
.
For more information about the Peer Action Collective Conference and Awards click here!
Our dynamic Inspiring Change Programme is currently in full swing over the Summer with our group of inspiring young changemakers! To kick things off we recently held our first epic team building residential where our young people took part in a wide range of fun and team building activities.
These included Laser Tag, discovering some very tactical members of the team, a plot twist riddled Murder Mystery event, and an (extremely messy) cooking challenge where our bake-off trainees took to the ovens to prove their skills!
It was a huge amount of fun and clearly everyone enjoyed themselves – and more importantly bonded with one another ready for the next step of Inspiring Change!
Our young changemakers are now in the process of planning their Social Action Projects with the aim to tackle youth violence in their communities which they will deliver in October!
Their ideas, their energy and their passion to work together has really impressed us so far and we cannot wait to see their social action projects come to life!
This free programme is an 8 month experience for young people who are aged 15-19 and living in Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh or Totton. It’s all a part of the Peer Action Collective and in partnership with Artswork and Youth Options.
Throughout the Inspiring Change programme we’ll see young people take the lead in tackling youth violence in their local communities through self designed and created social action projects or awareness campaigns.
There is also the chance for young people to apply for funding of between £1000 and £3000 to support their project they design and plan.
The programme will continue through to December 2022 and consists of 4 immersive weekends including a 1 night residential, monthly check-ins, employability workshops, and fun, interactive sessions to allow young people to make an impact!
Inspiring Change is allowing young people of all backgrounds to develop their project management skills as well as make a positive impact in their local communities.
Youth Violence & Social Action Manager, Katie Aris, said:
“This is a really exciting project and a unique opportunity for young people to make a positive impact in their communities and in the world around them. Youth violence is a problem in many areas, towns and cities around the UK. The programme is allowing young people to channel their energy, ideas and passion into making a real difference, and will support the national efforts in tackling youth violence around the country.”
The programme is part of a wider project in collaboration with Artswork and Youth Options which has seen 12 young people employed as peer researchers since September 2021. They are conducting research around the impacts of youth violence in order to support the social action projects.
We’d like to give special thanks to the Youth Endowment fund alongside the Co-op and the #iwill Fund for their support and funding for the Inspiring Change programme. Their support and belief in young people has allowed this project to become a reality and we cannot thank them enough!
Keep an eye on our social channels to see what they get up to over the next few months!
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
. We’re looking for a passionate & creative young person aged 16-25 in the Portsmouth or London areas to become our first official social media
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
Unloc,
Portsmouth Guildhall,
Guildhall Square,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2AB
©2021 Unloc. All Rights Reserved | Policies & Procedures | Terms & Conditions