Cathy Come Home

Two weekends ago I hopped on a train to Birmingham University to attend a screening of Cathy Come Home at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts with Team v East Croydon leader Alex.  When our first campaign was announced at the Team v residential in October, we were given training by Shelter and the charity's representative mentioned the importance of Cathy Come Home in bringing about the creation of the national charity for single homeless people Crisis due to the unprecedented reaction from the public.  

The Power of the Play

Cathy Come Home is a television play first broadcast by the BBC in 1966.  Directed by Ken Loach and written by Jeremy Sandford, it tells the story of Cathy and Reg, a young couple who face endless housing problems when Reg is unable to work after an injury.  The documentary style and the use of true facts about the housing crisis in Britain opened the public's eyes to a problem many were unaware of. 

In my days as a Film with Television Studies student at the University of Warwick, we looked at Cathy Come Home as a seminal piece of television history.  As it was at least four years ago that I studied the television play, I jumped at this opportunity to view it again especially when I heard that the screening would be followed by a talk from the producer Tony Garnett.   

Ask the Producer 

Tony Garnett spoke passionately about the fact that the homelessness situation now is far worse than in the sixties, and suggested that if he wanted to produce Cathy Come Home today he would have great difficulty in getting past the first stage at the BBC.  When questions were opened up to the audience, most wanted to know about production of the play and one gentleman was desperate to discover the reason for naming the main character Cathy (there wasn't one).  Other questions concerned what the government should do to solve the housing crisis.  Alex and I were both itching to ask a question but struggling to find a way of mentioning our campaign within one, until a golden opportunity was presented by a fellow young person: 

"What can we, as young people, do to tackle homelessness... because we've been really affected by the play?"  

In the blink of an eye Alex' hand shot up and the professor guiding the talk realised he wanted to answer the question rather than ask his own.  Alex gave a fantastic 'elevator pitch' style answer to the whole lecture hall, explaining about Team v and how we're encouraging other young people to take action through our campaign. 

Tony Garnett responded saying "Well done and what a positive note for us to finish on."  In his own answer to the young lady's question he encouraged her to go and volunteer with charities that help the homeless, learn from that, and then tell people about it so they do the same - create an impetus.  

Spreading the word

When the talks finished we raced to the stage to try to speak to Tony Garnett.  On the way we stopped to tell the young lady who asked the question to search for Team v in Birmingham and look out for the stunts and events, as we knew there are a lot of Team v leaders based around the city.  I really hope they found it.  Two older ladies came to talk to us and wrote down the website so they could find out more, because they were so impressed by what Alex had said about what we were doing.  When we reached Tony Garnett he kindly gave us his email address and praised our efforts. 

I'm always being told how softly spoken I am so I have a massive fear about speaking in public, especially to a large audience in case they can't hear me, so I am enormously grateful to Alex for speaking up for both of us - and our fellow 100 Team v leaders.  Just by attending that event and Alex's courage in sticking his hand in the air we were able to spread the word about the many campaigns taking place across the country.  We spoke to the producer of one of the most important pieces of drama in television history and were given his blessing and encouragement for our campaign. 

If Alex and I hadn't made the trip from Croydon and Derby respectively, the fifty people in the audience may not have heard about Team v.  If Alex hadn't been there, maybe I wouldn't have had the guts to approach Tony Garnett by myself, and he would never have known about the group of young people taking action on a problem that affects over 75,000 of our peers every year.  

I suppose that's why it's called TEAM v. 

Team v and Lord Sugar's Young Apprentice

As I watched Young Apprentice on Thursday night I followed the reaction on Twitter which was overwhelmingly critical of everything the candidates did (or didn’t do) and said.  Of course the nature and style of the programme invites the audience to laugh at mistakes made and cringe at overly bold statements and I would be lying if I said I didn’t share those responses.  But as a fan of rose-tinted spectacles I always try to look on the bright side and see the good in people – call me naive but I think there’s enough miserableness (that’s a word, right?) and grumpy people in this world without me becoming one of them.    

My brother runs an awesome site that looks at Young Adult TV - any programmes/series made for, and about, teens.  He asked if I’d like to write about the first episode of Young Apprentice and I jumped at the chance of finally doing something related to my degree (Film with Television Studies) two years after graduating.  When I told him my piece was focused more on the overall concept and I was putting a positive spin on it he joked ‘really?!’ and basically wished me luck... 

I’ve met some incredible young people, especially the bunch I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the Team v programme with.  Bursting with energy and ideas for how they want to change the world, I’ve been amazed by how they’ve already made an impact in their communities in only a few weeks.  As one of the Team v leaders bordering on vInspired’s maximum age limit, seeing those up to six years younger than me take on this project alongside their college/uni/work commitments and do so with more confidence than I could dream of having even now, never mind at that age, has been inspiring.  

Organisations such as vInspired are vital in giving young people the tools to fulfil their ambitions and contribute to society in positive ways.  Just like Lord Sugar’s twelve candidates the 105 Team v leaders have been given an amazing opportunity to show what we’re made of.  We may not get £25,000 at the end of our programme, but I have no doubt that the skills, knowledge and confidence we develop will be priceless for the rest of our lives.  

You can read my attempt at an upbeat look at Young Apprentice here and check out the other brilliant posts on Young Adult TV while you’re there. 

The Lone Nut

At the Team v residential last weekend, which marked the start of our ‘leadership journey’, we were shown a Youtube video.

Take a few minutes to witness the ‘lone nut’, an ordinary guy who stands up in a crowd and makes himself noticed.  

The moral of the story?  ‘The first follower transforms the lone nut into a leader'.  If the first person hadn’t joined in with the crazy dancing, this guy would have remained a strange man doing a weird dance in a public place.   

Just as the lone nut required followers, Team v needs volunteers. 

Team v leaders all over England are looking for 16-25 year olds with a passion for social change to get involved and make our voices heard on important issues.  The first campaign has just kicked off and it’s all about raising awareness of youth homelessness, which affects over 75,000 young people in the UK each year. 

It doesn't matter how much time you can give or what skills/experience you have, we will support you.  Together, we can make a difference.

So come on, please, don’t let me be a lone nut! Sign up here 

Team v needs you!

Following the announcement of Team v’s first campaign, tackling youth homelessness , we have started recruiting volunteers to help us complete our mission! As a youth-led project, we want other young people to join us in running campaigns in our local communities, all over England. 

                                                    *   Are you 16 – 25?

                                                    *   Got some spare time?

                                                    *   Want to change the world?

                                                    *   Learn some new skills?

                                                    *   Be part of something special?  

Each team needs 3 to 5 core volunteers who will commit three hours a week in a specific area.  These roles include Event Co-ordinator, Marketing and PR Manager, Community Engagement Officer, and Director of Photography and Video.  If you have an interest in any of these areas, get in touch today! You don’t need any experience or qualifications, just a passion to get involved and make a difference in your community.  We also need general volunteers who can give any time they possibly can, even an hour! 

If you’re aged 16-25 and live in Derby, you can apply here: 

http://vinspired.com/activities/171122-various-roles-no-experience-necessary

If you’re aged 16-25 and don’t live in Derby, don’t panic! You can find your nearest Team v here:       http://vinspired.com/teamv

 What are you waiting for? 

Join the Team v revolution and do something about youth homelessness. 

Team v year 2 takes off!

***You can read the full version of this blog post on http://blog.vinspired.com/team-v-year-2-takes-off - why not sign up to vinspired.com while you’re there!*** 

Last Friday 105 eager young volunteers gathered for the launch of Team v’s first campaign.  In a jam-packed three day event, we received training on all the important stuff, from budgeting to being a Purple Cow (standing out from the crowd, not being an actual...yeah, you get it).  Sessions were led by vInspired staff, Dare2Lead, Shelter, NYRG/St. Basils, and we were supported by representatives from the partner organisations for Team v: The Rank Foundation, NIACE, and CAF.   

It was revealed that the first issue Team v are tackling is Youth Homelessness.  75,000 young people are affected by homelessness in the UK every year, and it could happen to anyone – we want other young people to be aware of this.  

Watch the campaign video to find out more: 

One of the best things about the weekend for me was the opportunity to talk to my fellow leaders.  I knew it already, but there are some seriously inspiring young people out there.  Everyone has other commitments – some barely have time to sleep already, the amount of things they do – but that won’t stop them giving as much as they possibly can to Team v.   

We can’t do this alone, we need 16 – 25 year olds to volunteer with us to plan and deliver the campaign, and help to raise awareness of youth homelessness across England.  Together, we can change it. 

Sound good? To find your nearest Team v leader go to www.vinspired.com/teamv

If you live in Derby you can sign up to help with my campaign here - I'd love to hear from you!

The moment we've all been waiting for...

The time has come: shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone you know – Team v’s first campaign is Youth Homelessness                                                          


Over 75,000 young people in the UK are affected so this is a really important issue for us to raise awareness about.

Look out for updates soon on the next steps and recruitment of core volunteers. 

If you have any stories or experiences relating to homelessness then please get in touch, we want to make this campaign as powerful as possible and need your help to do so! 

Email: Lucy.Dean@vinspired.com          Twitter: @TeamvDerbyCity  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamvDerbyCity

Campaign Countdown Creeps Closer!

In exactly one day (precisely 24 hours) the big reveal will take place and we will finally discover the theme of Team v’s first campaign! 

Stay tuned to Twitter @TeamvDerbyCity to be first to find out what important issue we will be tackling in campaign number one.  If you'd like to get involved or find out more, get in touch! 

Lucy.Dean@vinspired.com    www.facebook.com/TeamvDerbyCity 

Back to the Bubble

This weekend I’m off to Warwick University for the first Team v residential.  Enthusiasm has been building since the warm-up day which gave us an opportunity to meet the 100-strong crew of Team v leaders, but I have particular reason to be excited about where it is being held.  I graduated from Warwick Uni just over two years ago, having spent four years of my life as an undergraduate there.  I loved my time there and haven’t been back to the university campus (or the ‘bubble’, as it is affectionately named due to the detachment from reality you feel when you’re there for more than a few days) since graduation so it will be brilliant – if a little surreal – to return as a... ahem, mature, non-student.   

In my third year of uni I was lucky enough to be on the youth advisory board for vinspired, then called v20.  Being on v20 undoubtedly changed my life.  I met some incredible young people who were unbelievably inspiring and I came to realise that my passions lay in helping others.  Having volunteered since the age of eleven on various projects both in and out of school, I suppose I always knew this, but suddenly it dawned on me that you can make a career out of it without being a teacher or a doctor.  The voluntary sector doors had finally swung open and I could see the range of opportunities out there as an employee, not just a volunteer.  Now I’ll admit I haven’t managed to get a foot on the ladder yet, but by throwing my efforts into volunteering for numerous different organisations and gaining experience in various areas, I’m acquiring the skills, experience and contacts to stand me in good stead (hopefully) for a brighter future. 

I had to work hard for my degree.  I’m not the type of person who can skip lectures, roll into an exam after a late night, leave the exam an hour early and go home with top marks (not that I’m bitter) but during my time as a student I managed to dedicate time I wasn’t in lectures/writing essays/stressing out to a few projects, inspired by my involvement with v20.  This ranged from assisting the Volunteer Co-ordinator at a Community Venture on a weekly basis to teaching English and Maths for one month in Rajasthan, India.  In 2009 I received a Warwick Advantage Award for my work with v20, recognition of the time I had committed to volunteering whilst at university.  So for a little of my time I got a lot in return. 

 

I hope my experience shows that whether you’re in college, uni, or a full-time job, if you spare a little time to help others, you’ll soon realise you’re also helping yourself.  Volunteering with Team v is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills, meet new people, and you might even discover a career path you had never considered before.  Not bad for a few hours of your time, hey? 

Email Lucy.Dean@vinspired.com if you’d like to find out more about Team v Derby City.       

Campaign Countdown Continues!

In just over 90 hours the first Team v campaign will be revealed to young leaders from all over England ready and raring to take a stand and make a change in their communities. 

Last year the three campaigns led by Team v focused on:  

·               *  Food poverty

·               *  Isolation and loneliness in older people

·               *  Improving children’s literacy

We have absolutely no idea what the campaigns will be this year, but can’t wait to find out!

Keep an eye on @TeamvDerbyCity twitter on Friday afternoon to be the first to hear what campaign number one will tackle.