The Challenge is a pilot project, aimed at developing a national scheme to encourage all young people to become involved in their local and national communities, and to see this as a desirable and almost universal, though voluntary, transition to adult status. 8 JAGS girls, together with young people from state schools and those no longer in education, have been involved in policy consultations for the project since its beginnings almost two years ago, and a new group was involved in the pilot project in Southwark in the summer of 2009.

The aim is to conceive, plan and deliver a community project; JAGS girls have been involved in, for example, a performance, writing a handbook on disabled access, and raising aspirations in primary schools.

The project has the support of V for Volunteering, the government organisation to encourage young people to volunteer, as well as the Conservative Party, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and other non-governmental organisations.

The writing below reflects the experience for two of the JAGS girls involved this summer:

My time on the Challenge was never easy. The first week, my group went to the Lake District on an outward bound course. We stayed in a Youth Hostel on the edge of a lake and took part in different activities every day, such as mountain-biking, kayaking, hiking, rafting and camping. One day we spent the day doing a team-building exercise with David Cameron! We left at the end of the week, tired but elated.

The time was spent differently in the second residential week at the University Halls in Kingston: we divided into our groups – art, media, sport, music and drama. As part of the media group, I went to the BBC White City Studios to learn about film-making and editing. Then the Challenge Festival was held, and everyone showed what they’d produced to each other, friends and families.

The third and final week we worked at the Southbank University. We designed projects which would give something back to the community. Our group chose to focus on Southwark primary schools, aimed at helping them to reduce energy waste and learn to value our planet. Each child will attend our informative assembly held at their school and then keep a chart recording their energy-saving activities throughout a week. The group of children from each of the 3 schools with the most to show on their chart will be taken by the Challenge team on a trip to Mudchute, an environmentally- friendly city farm. We hope that our project will put back into the community even a fraction of that which we got out of the Challenge 2009.

Alice Parker, Year 12

When I arrived for the Challenge I was unsure what to expect. However, one thing that struck me was how friendly the organisers and mentors were and how quickly one was made to feel at home. During the first week we were set many physical and team-building activities. These were entertaining and ensured that the group bonded sufficiently to be able to carry out the tasks that would be set. Every person in each team had to take responsibility for a day as Project Manager and this gave everyone in the group a voice.

During the second week we stayed in Kingston University Halls of Residence and were responsible for our own flat. I was in the music group so during the day I went to the music studio to have classes including percussion, beat-box and singing. At the end of the week we were to stage a musical performance at the Challenge Festival and to teach a Year 9 class some of the lessons that we had learnt.

The 3rd week focused us on working towards our pitch and perfecting our community action plans. My group’s idea is to launch a programme called ‘When I Grow Up’. This programme aims to encourage young children to realise that they have potential and should aim high in what they aspire to become. The programme uses music, art and drama in a series of workshops to engage children and to get across our message. Our first trial workshop is in a youth club and will take place in early October. We hope that after this we will be able to get momentum behind our campaign within the schools.

Olivia Murphy, Year 12