Leadership Spirals

KBSK Youth Board - A safe space where all voices are heard

Don’t let the relaxed and laid-back scene in the photograph fool you. It’s a meeting of a confident group of Youth Leaders who help shape and nurture the life of KBSK and The Space.

KBSK’s Youth Board is a vibrant and non-judgemental space where ideas are shared, all voices are heard, and possible changes are explored to bring further improvement to KBSK and its impact on the wider community.

It’s open to all teenagers (or thereabouts) involved at The Space. The board’s Chair and Vice Chair, currently Maya and Maya, lead leadership training sessions with all Youth Board members. Due to the high level of interest in joining the group an innovative process has been introduced. A new member comes on the board as an ‘Apprentice’ and, after training and demonstrating commitment to the group, is promoted to ‘Youth Leader’. Whether an apprentice of leader everyone is treated equally, and all are free to contribute.

During the meeting on Saturday 5^th July, two Apprentices graduated to Youth Leaders and were clearly delighted about it.

Young people want to be part of the Youth Board for different reasons. For some it’s the joy of working with young children and for others it’s a desire to see KBSK thrive. Some relish having their say and others have been inspired by how hard the Youth Board works and how well its members work together.

Being a member of the board offers the opportunity to build responsibility and demonstrate commitment at the same time as working for the benefit of others in an inclusive and non-judgemental way. Getting to know more people, planning events and helping at birthday parties are some of the highlights of being a Youth Leader.

Maya, Vice Chair, said: “Being on the board means helping others through planning and working together. It helps you grow into the person you want to be.”

And its accomplishments? There have been many significant achievements. The Youth Board played a key role in the design of The Space, selecting fixtures and fittings and layout of the office, dance studio and cafe. The variety of KBSK’s dance offer has been expanded as a direct result of the board’s suggestions. A Junior Academy, to go alongside the existing Senior Academy, has been set up, lyrical (a style of dance) classes now run, and a dance teacher was found for the ballet classes. It was the board’s idea to create a rota of Young Leaders to support Social Dance classes. This impressive array of achievements is thanks to the young people and adult leaders who have the vision to create active Youth Leaders.

Board members know all about transferrable skills and realise they’re something important to look out for and pick up as they journey through education and into the world of work. According to the young people the key skills gained from being on the board include an increased level of confidence, ability to speak in public, teamwork, event planning, how to approach children with additional needs, ability to express opinions in front of a large group and patience is increased as Youth Leaders support younger children.

What makes a good leader? Each Youth Leader is on a quest to be one. The board knows dedication is required along with passion, patience, commitment and a strong sense of responsibility. Having an open mind and working collaboratively are crucial. It's an expectation of good leaders to be good role models, by putting the focus on equality, kindness in word and action and being there for others

Youth Worker, Louise Elliot, coordinates the Youth Board and had this to say: “I love to see young people develop their leadership skills.”

The Space Youth Workers are completing a Level 3 Youth Work training course and are therefore in a perfect position to train young people, who in turn train the Youth Board. KBSK models a successful climate of leadership at all levels. It’s a continual spiral, helping to produce confident, engaged and empowered Youth Leaders.