TWILIGHT PROGRAMME BRINGS NEW DAWN TO YOUNG WOMEN

YWCA Northampton is launching a programme for young women to develop their own agenda of learning and creativity entitled ‘Twilight’, starting on Wednesday 24^th June.

The ten-week programme is aimed at young women aged 13-19 years. The young women will get the opportunity to socialise in an all-female environment and choose activities including healthy cooking, art, life skills and exercise, with occasional guest speakers.

The goal of the programme is to encourage young women to create their own agenda and choose what they want to learn, eliciting independence and higher self-confidence.

Kathryn White, YWCA Northampton’s centre manager said: ‘We’re pleased to open the Twilight programme and encourage teenage girls in the community to take part. In giving them a safe space where ideas and thoughts can flow freely, they find developing and learning is interesting and accessible to them.”

The programme will be held every Wednesday, starting on 24^th June, from 4-6pm.

Mock elections get young womens’ vote

In preparation for the upcoming elections, girls and women at YWCA Northampton will be experiencing democracy firsthand in their own version of an election on 3^rd June.

The women, many of whom are young mums accessing YWCA’s services, will choose a political party and create their manifesto showing how they would spend the council’s money if they won the election. The mini campaign, lasting for two hours, will culminate in a ballot vote when the winning political party will be announced.

The event aims to raise awareness of the importance of local elections and get the young women interested in how voting works.

Kathryn White, centre manager at YWCA said: “Creating their party’s political manifesto and debating which issues are important to them is a great means for the young women to see politics as a real and essential part of daily life, rather than some far-away concept. This mock election gives them the chance to discuss what needs to change in their community and shows the importance of voting.”

The support workers at YWCA used Y Vote Mock Elections materials developed by the Hansard Society, The Electoral Commission and the Department of Education and Skills.