TCC Trustee Chris Hall and staff member Scarlett Williams travelled to London last week to attend the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Youth Fund 10 Year Celebration.

The event marked ten years of the Youth Fund and celebrated the organisations and work that the Paul Hamlyn Foundation has supported during that time.

For TCC, it was an opportunity to celebrate alongside other organisations working with young people, while also making new connections and sharing ideas about how we can create positive social change.

Connecting, learning and sharing

Scarlett described the event as a fantastic opportunity to connect and network with like-minded organisations and share expertise in areas including participatory infrastructure, youth work and tackling division.

The day provided plenty of opportunities for conversations and discussion, including table discussions around a range of current issues and opportunities to learn more about the work being undertaken by other organisations supported by the Foundation.

There was also plenty of opportunity to think about what we are celebrating. One of the activities involved participants writing what they were celebrating on notes and adding them to a celebration jar.

For TCC, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on our own youth organising work while learning from organisations facing similar challenges and developing new approaches.

A slightly more energetic afternoon

The afternoon offered participants a choice of activities.

Chris, unsurprisingly, chose sport.

The programme included a range of informal activities, beginning with a boxing session and continuing with badminton, paddle board and a relaxed version of basketball.

The approach was deliberately informal, with the session exploring how young people can engage with sport without the emphasis being placed on technical rules or traditional approaches.

It proved to be an enjoyable—and apparently quite tiring—afternoon.

Scarlett chose the Rise with Me activity, with both TCC representatives reporting that their respective sessions were valuable and enjoyable.

And then came the dancing.

The day concluded with a celebratory toast followed by a joyful movement session, providing another opportunity for participants to unwind, connect and, perhaps, discover that community organising requires rather more rhythm than expected.

Chris has photographic and video evidence to prove his participation.

More than a celebration

While the event was certainly a celebration, it was also an opportunity to build relationships and exchange ideas.

Scarlett came away particularly enthusiastic about the connections made during the day and the opportunity to share expertise with organisations working in related areas.

She said:

“The day was not only full of joy, but also an amazing way for us to connect and network with likeminded organisations and share expertise in areas like participatory infrastructure, youth work, and tackling division.”

She added that TCC came away with “new allies and creative methods of making positive social change”.

For TCC, those relationships are particularly valuable as we continue developing our work supporting young people to identify the issues that matter to them, develop their leadership and have meaningful opportunities to influence positive change.

Celebrating ten years

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation Youth Fund has supported organisations and work with young people for a decade, making the anniversary an important opportunity to celebrate the contribution of the organisations involved and the young people at the heart of their work.

TCC would like to thank the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for bringing everyone together and creating space not only to celebrate what has been achieved, but also to share ideas, build relationships and look ahead.

And, of course, a special mention to Chris for embracing the sporting programme with enthusiasm—and for providing us with photographic evidence that he really did make it to the dance floor.

Sometimes community organising requires listening, leadership and strategic thinking.

Apparently, it also requires boxing gloves and rhythm. 🥊🕺

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