Down from the top, up from the bottom and making the most of the middle. Presented by Cliff Manning at Digital Media & Learning Conference 2013 “If you could make one law what would it be” The UK Parliament asked 7-16 year olds to answer this question by making their own online films and pitching them to Oscar winner, Lord David Puttnam In the UK there are over 100,000 young carers looking after families affected by substance misuse and mental or physical illness. Young Carers in Focus connects these young people online, provides media training and gives them a platform to campaign for change. Digital media can enable large organisations and policy makers to engage with young people, ‘top down’, in new creative ways. At the same time young people can use the same tools to more easily connect with policy makers from the ‘bottom up’. This presentation will explore these two models of civic engagement and youth empowerment, and find out what can happen when they join together. The presentation focusses in on the story of a group of young carers affected by HIV who were supported by The Elton John Aids Foundation to create a film for the parliament competition. The teens went on to advise Ministers at an all party parliamentary group on the needs of young carers and had their demands discussed in the House of Commons. Links Lights Camera Parliament www.makewav.es/lcp Young Carers in Focus www.makewav.es/ycif

1. Down
from the
top,
Follow us:
@cliffmanning
@lucyDMe

3. Makewaves is a
leading safe social
learning platform
Whether posting photos
via the App, submitting a
video competition entry
to the WWF Channel or
live blogging from the
Olympics, Makewaves
provides a fun, easy to
use way to engage
learners worldwide.
Makewaves homepage screenshot Oct 2012

4. Lights, Camera Parliament!
'If you could make one law, what
would it be?'
UK Parliament Education Service -
www.parliament.uk
7-16 year olds
raise awareness about how laws are
passed and the role of individuals in
shaping them.
www.makewav.es/lcp

5. Young Carers in Focus
„over 100,000 young carers in
UK‟
Four year project funded by The Big Lottery
Fund and run by The Children’s Society with
partners.
Provide young carers with a place to share
stories and campaign for change.
Young champions trained in digital and
media skills to run the network and support
others
www.makewav.es/ycif
.

6. The Film...
„In our shoes‟
Young carers from projects supported by
Elton John Aids Foundation made a video
about the need for HIV awareness in schools
as an entry to LCP.
http://bit.ly/YWM74Y
300+ Views and „Highly Commended‟ by
Parliament judges

7. The Meeting
'We would like you to write
to, the Secretary of State for
Health and share what you
have heard today'
The team invited to Standing Commission for
Carers to share their views.
The young people asked for:
• Specialist HIV and young carers training
sessions for all teachers
• Lessons in schools about HIV and the
impact on family
• Raise awareness of young carers
affected by HIV all the time not just on
World Aids day

8. The Action
“I pledge to support young
carers affected by HIV” Maggie
Atkinson the Children‟s Commissioner for
England
Chuka Umunna MP, shadow secretary of
state for business refernces the video on
BBC Radio
Pamela Nash MP and Chair of the All Party
Parliamentary Group for HIV and AIDS
promises to write the prime minister.
Chuka Umunna asks Children’s Minister
what the government will do…

9. The Result
“Our revised carers strategy recognises that too
many young carers remain „hidden‟ because of
the stigma, discrimination and bullying that are
still too often associated with conditions like
mental ill health and HIV/AIDS.”
Children’s Minister, Ed Timpson

10. What happened
Establishment
using digital to
listen to
young people
Clear
requests Localized
presented and Support and
actions opportunities
pledged
Young
People
Support and
Advice, trainin
opportunity to
g and
present in
recognition
person
Safe platform
to share and
connect

11. “A primary object should be
the education of our youth in
the science of government. In
a republic, what species of
knowledge can be equally
important? And what duty
more pressing than
communicating it to those
who are to be the future
guardians of the liberties of
the country?”
― George Washington

12. “Our involvement with the
project has been based on them
listening to us, supporting us to
speak to MPs and members of
the public to inform them about
exactly how we feel about being
young carers affected by HIV.
By doing all of this we hope that
in the end everyone we have
ever spoken to will see where
we are coming from and how
life is in our shoes.”
― Young Carers Group

13. Cliff.manning@makewav.es
@cliffmanning
www.makewav.es
Lucy.neale@digitalme.co.u
k
@lucydme
www.digitalme.co.uk