Children and Young People's Empowerment Project

Who we are

Chilypep works alongside children and young people aged 8 to 25, to find fun and creative ways of involving them in the decisions that affect their lives. Chilypep’s aim is to ensure that children and young people can be meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect their lives as individuals, as receivers of services, and as members of their communities, neighborhoods and the wider world.

Our mission is to work with children and young people aged 8 to 25 to make the most of opportunities to influence and improve their lives and communities through empowerment and participation in a challenging, fun and action packed way.

We focus on work with young people from areas of high disadvantage and from marginalised communities of special interest and belonging, who face additional barriers to participation and whose voices are rarely heard. Our work is based on the needs identified by young people themselves but in partnership with the key services. The mutual model of development and increased understanding breaks down barriers, increases community engagement and reduces the isolation of young people

Chilypep has a positive social impact on young people across a range of outcomes including:

1.       Their sense of citizenship and positive contribution to their peers and the wider community through volunteering within groups and projects

2.       Their mental health and emotional well-being by improving their resilience, reducing experienced stigma and isolation.

3.       Their education, training and employment prospects, by providing a range of formally accredited and informal training and development opportunities and developing personal and social skills.

4.       Their relationships with family, friends and other relationships, through peer support, social media, personal growth, communication skills, increased confidence and self-esteem, group work mentoring and befriending.

5.       Our work with professionals, increases understanding about the value of youth participation and its impact, and supports changes to policy and practice.

6.       Young people have more influence on service development and delivery, both local policy and national legislation on a range of issues and the procurement of services.