This July sees the return of our Youth Co-operative Action project and we're urging young people to get involved and transform their communities for the better.

Spread across the country

Beginning in Manchester and Oldham this July and spreading to Bury, Plymouth, Hartlepool and Rochdale later this year, Youth Co-operative Action will support 175 young people over the next two years, empowering them with the skills and knowledge to make a difference in their own communities.

By the end of the project all those involved will have gained new skills including podcasting, community reporting and filming whilst working together to address the stigma of loneliness as emphasised through #TogetherNotAlone

The project builds on success of our previous scheme in Greater Manchester which saw young care leavers come together to tackle loneliness in their community through a unique theatre production. You can read more about this via the button below.

Our Previous Youth Co-operative Action Project

How to get involved 

The project is open to all young people aged 14-19. More information, including details of how to register interest and get involved in the scheme is available below.

See more details about Youth Co-operative Action

Our supporters

The project has been made possible thanks to the support of the The Co-op Foundation. They've given us a grant of £170,000 through the #iwill Fund, a UK-wide campaign to get 6 out of 10 young people involved in social action by 2020. Grants through the #iwill Fund support projects that inspire young people to tackle loneliness through social action, shaped by co-operative values.

Our Chief Executive and Principal, Simon Parkinson, said:

We’re delighted to receive this funding that will enable us expand our Youth Co-operative Action project across England. All those involved will build their confidence, gain new skills and work together to make a change in their communities.

We know the difference that youth social action can make in tackling loneliness and have seen first-hand the transformational impact that our original programme had across Greater Manchester.

By spreading the message of co-operation nationwide, we’re empowering a new generation to tackle the issues that matter to them

Jim Cooke, Head of the Co-op Foundation, commented:

The Youth Co-operative Action Group project is a great way of introducing young people to co-operative values and youth social action to benefit themselves and their community.

This expanded project is funded through our largest grant to date from our #iwill Fund. We look forward to seeing the impact it has in communities across the country as young people work together to tackle youth loneliness, build important skills and strengthen relationships with their peers.