Youth Charter

Who we are

The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Over the last 32 years the Youth Charter has campaigned, advocated and promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life.

Specifically, the Youth Charter tackles educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and the negative effects of crime, drugs, gang related activity and racism by applying the ethics of sporting and artistic excellence. These can then be translated to provide social and economic benefits of citizenship, rights responsibilities, with improved education, health, citizenship, environment and aspiration for further and higher education, employment and entrepreneurship.

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The Youth Charter acts as a social broker and cultural interface between public/private sector and donor organisations. The key to the Youth Charter approach is to provide capacity, leadership and self reliance to hard to reach young people and their communities. This is delivered through our Social Coach training and development workshops, programmes and projects. Further assistance, campaigning, advocacy, support and advice is delivered through our ‘on-line’ distance learning and evaluation tools, which provide a unique impact and assessment of each individual’s and community’s ongoing development and progress.

Supported by over 250 Global Sporting, Artistic and Cultural Ambassadors and high profile social role models, the Youth Charter is pioneering new approaches to tackling the increasingly serious problem of anti-social behaviour amongst socially excluded youth.

The Youth Charter message is also delivered through teams and individuals who have signed the Youth Charter Scroll in support of its work. These include: The Rugby Football Union; The England, New Zealand and South African Rugby Teams; The England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Zimbabawe, South African and West Indies Cricket Teams; The England, Ghanain and South African Soccer Teams; Manchester United FC, Liverpool FC, AJAX FC, Sir Bobby Charlton CBE, Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, David Beckham OBE, Sir Stephen Regrave, Linford Christie OBE, Dame Mary Peters, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Susan Hampshire OBE and Nelson Mandela.​

A number of notable organisations have already invested in the work of the Youth Charter - these include: AMEC plc, Barclays, BBC, British Airways, DHL, The Co-op Bank, Granada Television, Kelloggs, Guardian Media Group, Marks and Spencer, Rank Xerox, Joseph Roundtree Foundation, Lands Securities, Lloyds TSB Foundation, FIFA, United Nations ILO, Football Association, Ford Motor Company, Rugby Football Union, Manchester City FC, Manchester United FC and Unicef.

Our culture and values

Mission, Vision & Objectives

Mission Statement

The Youth Charter believes that it is a fundamental human right that young people have access to sport, arts and cultural activity as part of their mental, physical and emotional health, wellbeing and development.

When this right is denied, the disadvantage and disaffection can lead to antisocial behaviour, gang related activity and in some cases extremism. This impacts on the quality of life, not only of the young person, but their victims, families, friends, communities, and society as a whole.

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Aims​

To work within communities to create opportunities for young people (in particular those who are disadvantaged and disaffected), to encourage personal development through sport, art, culture and digital activity, regardless of colour, creed or ability.​

To:​

• Engage young people through sport, art, culture and digital activity

• Equip them with mental, physical and emotional life-skills and resilience

• Empower them with the aspiration of further and higher education, employment and entrepreneurship

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Vision

• To Engage, Equip and Empower 21st Century Global Citizens for Life…

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Opportunity

• To invest in the potential of our 21st Century Global Citizens...

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Objectives

• To work within communities to create opportunities for young people (in particular those who are disadvantaged and disaffected), to encourage personal development through sport, art, culture and digital activity, regardless of colour creed or ability.

• To encourage business on a local, national and international level to invest in young people through the provision and support of programme and project opportunities in their communities.

• To involve sports and arts personalities to act as inspirational ambassadors for young people.

• To encourage a positive commitment to school attainment, behaviour and performance, identifying the benefits of sporting, artistic, cultural and digital activity and opportunities of continued education.

• To encourage from an early age the mental, physical and emotional well-being benefits of a continued physically active and healthy lifestyle.

• To engage, equip and empower young people to develop further or higher education, vocation training, employment and entrepreneurship to achieve their full potential for themselves, their communities and society as a whole.

Values

• Positive happiness and fulfilment through active human and social engagement

• Positive mental and physical fitness for all

• Commitment to excellence and collaboration for all young people and communities

• Dignity, honesty, integrity and respect of self in all that we do

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Legacy Development Goals

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1. EDUCATION - attendance, attainment and performance

2. HEALTH - physical activity, wellbeing and active lifestyle

3. CITIZENSHIP - civic rights, responsibilities and youth justice

4. ENVIRONMENT - community cohesion, quality of life and access to facilities

5. FURTHER & HIGHER EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP - skills training, internships and apprenticeship

6. COLLABORATION & PARTNERSHIP

7. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & PARTICIPATION

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

The Youth Charter (YC) was established in 1993 to improve equality, diversity, inclusion and participation as a legacy opportunity for all young people and their communities. The YC is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our trustees, employees, stakeholder partners, social coaches and young people to be fully representative of all sections of society, and for everyone to feel respected and able to give their best. The organisation - in providing services - is also committed against unlawful discrimination of the young people and communities we work with.

Our policy’s purpose This policy’s purpose is to:

1. Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, parttime or full-time

2. Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage or civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin)
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in:

• pay and benefits
• terms and conditions of employment
• dealing with grievances and discipline
• dismissal
• redundancy
•  leave for parents
• requests for flexible working
• selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities 

The YC commits to:

1. Encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in communities as they are good practice and make sense for society.

2. Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organisation provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination.

All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers and the public.

3. Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of the organisation’s work activities. Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under the organisation’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice.

Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offence.

4. Make opportunities for training, development and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

5. Make decisions concerning staff being based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act).

6. Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.

7. Monitor the make-up of the workforce regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability in encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Monitoring will also include assessing how the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.

Agreement to follow this policy The YC equality, diversity and inclusion policy is fully supported by the YC trustees and the senior management. All employees will agree to adhere to this policy as part of their induction.

Our disciplinary and grievance procedures The YC grievance and disciplinary policies and procedures can be provided on request. This includes with whom an employee should raise a grievance – usually their line manager. Use of the organisation’s grievance or disciplinary procedures does not affect an employee’s right to make a claim to an employment tribunal within three months of the alleged discrimination.