Metropolitan Police Service - Volunteer Cadets

On Saturday 24th September, the Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC) as part of YOU London took part in the third ‘Wise up’ Event designed to help them young people in care prepare for future careers and higher education.

Around 11,000 children and young people are in care in the capital. They are five times less likely to achieve five good GCSEs and six times less likely to go to university, whilst recent figures for London showed that 13 per cent of looked after children were unemployed after year 11, compared with 3 per cent of all young people.

This is a situation the Mayor is seeking to tackle, through events like Wise Up, as well as his Time for Action programme and a European Social Fund co-financed youth project worth £2.7 million, which focused specifically on education, employment and training issues for Looked After Children. This is in addition to a further £23 million invested in skills, employment and training to help a range of vulnerable young Londoners.

Southwark Volunteer Police Cadet Aysha Begum said: “I feel that the Wise Up event was a great opportunity for young people in care to gain a broader knowledge, understanding and acknowledgement of the various options they have in life. I think it has given them the chance to put behind their hard past and look forward towards a brighter future; and all they need is some encouragement and support from the various organisations set up across London.

Some of the young people didn't even know about VPC and it was a great chance to talk about all the great events, activities and personal gains we all earn as cadets and active citizens in the community. On the day I was also able to speak to some of the other people holding workshops and adults working at youth organisations and schools. They all thought that VPC was a great idea, and a way for young people to be good role models, and they were all genuinely interested about our work.

The event has enabled me to understand that there are my fellow youngsters out there who have tougher lives than most of us may do. I am grateful for being a cadet as I have been able to take part in such a helpful and supporting event. I think it was a positive way for organisations to reach out to teenagers and definitely think there should be more events like this, so all young people can have better outlooks, as we will be the ones shaping the near future and everyone deserves the chance to reach their potential.”

In addition to hands-on workshops and taster sessions focusing on careers, higher education and volunteering, the young Londoners attending Wise Up also got to hear the insights and experiences of amongst others, entrepreneur and businessman Tim Campbell and journalist and broadcaster David Akinsanya, who has been through the care system.

This is the third Wise Up event organised by the Mayor of London in partnership with Action for Children, The Prince’s Trust and the Fostering Network.

YOU (Youth Organisations Uniformed) London is a unique partnership of the oldest, largest and most experienced uniformed youth organisations in the capital.