Become a Young Leader

It’s time to take the lead and inspire other young people!

Develop skills, gain experience, and make a difference

If you have been a regular member attending any of our clubs or activities for a minimum of 3 months, are aged 14-17 and want to develop leadership skills, gain some youth work experience and have an amazing time, then being a young leader is the perfect role for you. Do not worry if you have not done any volunteering before as we will support you all the way.

Take the first steps to becoming a young leader and sign up for free to become a member and apply to volunteer with your Youth Worker or e-mail youth@hkproject.org.uk

What's it all about?

You will be part of a Youth Team made up of staff and volunteers who plan and run weekly Youth Sessions across Hangleton, Knoll and Portslade where young people build friendships and have lots of fun.

You could be running a range of activities, learning life skills and supporting children and young people to do the same. If you are completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award you can do the volunteering section with us.

Group of young people outside with high vis on
“It's great to work with other people and meet new people - being a young leader provides me with a variety of social skills that help me in everyday life, and helps me step out of my comfort zone to socialise."

Find out more

It’s entirely up to you. Choose where you want to make a difference. Just look at the programme and commit to just one session a week for 3 months.

Being a young leader is a wonderfully varied role, but you will:

  • Learn what it takes to plan, set up, deliver and evaluate Youth Sessions
  • Learn about health and safety and how to understand risk assessments
  • Make sure everyone feels welcome and support less confident members to get involved
  • Plan and run fun activities and games, adapting them to the needs of the whole group
  • Share your own skills, experiences, and ideas to inspire others
  • Attend and help organise exciting events, holiday programmes and day-long trips
  • Be a role model for younger members and peers and be someone they can look up to
Any young person aged 14 to 17 can become a young leader. You need to enjoy working with children or young people and be available to go to the occasional meeting and commit to supporting a youth session on a weekly basis during term time.

It’s great experience working with children and young people, plus you’ll make positive impact on others. Or you might want to give back to HKP that has given you a lot.

You will get to spend time with some amazing people who will make you laugh, boost your confidence and change the way you look at the world.

You will also develop loads of skills that look great on your CV, UCAS application or personal statement, such as:

  • First Aid and Food
  • Safety Training
  • Planning
  • Organisation
  • Delivering activities
  • Communication
  • Inclusion
  • Teamwork
  • Taking responsibility for yourself and others

With HKP you can make a difference in your local community. You can meet new people and build new friendships that will last a lifetime.

It is also great fun – you can take a break from the stresses of school and exams to be silly, play games, get messy, try new things and create amazing memories.

You will be a game player, team player, cook, cleaner, smile creator and more!

As you are under 18, overall responsibilities will always sit with Qualified Youth Workers. You won’t be asked to have the responsibility of children and young people completely on your own. You will be assigned a mentor who will support you all the way. This might be an older volunteer, a Youth Activity Worker or Senior Youth Worker.
Once you turn 18 you can apply to work with us or apply to become a member of our Board of Trustees.

Role description

To improve the quality of life for residents in Hangleton, Knoll and Portslade by volunteering with the Youth Team to support the educational, developmental and social needs of children and young people who are members of the project.
  • Assisting the Youth Workers in delivering activities for, and with, children and young people
  • To build positive relationships with children, young people and your peers through a range of activities and to help them build positive relationships with the wider community
  • To adhere to HKP’s Equal Opportunities Policy; Anti-Discrimination Statement and be mindful of the Safeguarding Policy & responsibilities – you will have support and guidance with this
  • All young leaders are required to be active against prejudice.
  • A positive attitude towards Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination practice should permeate all aspects of the work
  • To undertake all other reasonable tasks and responsibilities, as needed in the youth session you are supporting. This may involve shopping, setting up and putting away equipment, cleaning, tidying and generally being hands on in undertaking basic tasks.

Youth Sessions are delivered at various locations including outreach and detached generally in the west area of Brighton & Hove.

The buildings we use but not exclusively are:

  • St Richards Church and Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP
  • Hangleton Community Centre, Harmsworth Crescent, Hove BN3 8BW
  • Knoll Pavilion, Knoll Park, Stapley Road, Hove, BN3 7FF
  • Portslade Village Centre, 3 Courthope Close, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN41 2LZ
You will receive support during your volunteering time from the Lead Youth Worker in charge of the session you are helping at.
You will be working as part of a strong team of committed people. We shall provide opportunities for you to develop your skills, and to be a part of the team. After you have been with us for 3 months you will be able to request a reference should you need it.
  • Friendly and approachable
  • Good communication skills
  • Open-minded
  • Trustworthy
  • A positive attitude
  • A great team player
  • A desire to support young people
  • Willing to learn and reflect
  • Ability to understand and implement risk assessments associated with all activities
  • A commitment to regular hours

As part of your role as a young leader we would expect that
You will work within the policies and procedures of the Hangleton & Knoll Project including: Health & Safety; Equal Opportunities & Confidentiality.

These will be explained to you as part of your induction.
You will work within the boundaries of your agreed role description.

You will honour mutually agreed time commitments and let the lead Youth Worker know if you are unable to volunteer for any reason.

The agreement will be reviewed after and then on a regular basis; it can be changed (by agreement) or terminated by either party at any time.

Application form

Young Person's Details

Parent / Carer Details