Interview: Young people as leaders: Adam Nichols, chief executive, Changemakers

23 July 2008 3 mins read Youth Work

Adam Nichols has spent the last few months exploring how to create a national organisation that will nurture and improve young people's leadership skills. It was the Department for Children Schools and Families that gave Changemakers the task following the government's announcement in March that it would stump up 6m for a national leadership body that will aim to increase opportunities for young people to act as community leaders.

The DCSF commissioned a feasibility study, which we completed in April, Nichols says. They then commissioned a follow up piece of work looking at delivery structures. Nichols adds that he is due to attend a meeting with the children’s minister Beverley Hughes later in the week of our interview to discuss the proposals.

So, how will the leadership body operate? Nichols says he is unable to comment because the government is in the process of drawing conclusions.

However, Nichols does say that, broadly speaking, the proposed leadership body will attempt to connect up more effectively the leadership programmes and schemes that already exist. There is no lack of capacity – for example, there are projects run by ContinYou to give primary school children a greater role in the leadership of schools, he says.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits: