SPW IN THE UK

SPW UK leads four exciting youth-led development programmes and supports UK returned volunteers to stay involved in our work through the Global Youth Network.

SPW UK’s youth-led programmes are:

Advocates for Action

With the support of the Summit Foundation, SPW UK runs Advocates for Action, a youth advocacy project that mobilizes young people in the UK to advocate for the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of young people around the world.  Led by a group of trained and motivated young Project Leaders, Advocates for Action harness the support of the UK Government to ensure that a strong focus on Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights is contained within its strategies and Development Plans, and subsequently campaigns for this to be an area of focus for governments of developing countries.

Dance4Life

SPW UK is the National Concept Owner for the innovative Dance4Life programme - a worldwide project that actively inspires young people to get involved in the global fight against HIV and AIDS.  In the UK, Dance4Life informs young people about HIV and AIDS through music and dance and educates and equips them to take positive action through awareness raising, peer-education and fundraising.

Student Stop AIDS Campaign

SPW is one of the founding organisations of the Student Stop AIDS Campaign and coordinates 20 university-based AIDS societies across the UK.   Student Stop AIDS Societies undertake awareness raising activities by working alongside other student groups aiming to stop the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This is done through promoting universal access to evidence-based prevention, long term and sustainable treatment and care while providing education to reduce stigma and discrimination.  The Campaign believes that young people can make a difference by building youth solidarity and trains them to act as catalysts for change and empowers them to find solutions and strengthen political will.

International Youth-Led Development Programme (IYLDP)

SPW UK’s IYLDP programme coordinates the recruitment, training and support for UK and European volunteer peer educators who work in SPW’s sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia 5 – 12 month peer education programmes.

IYLDP also works with private sector partners to source technical assistance for SPW Country Programmes. This brings valuable expertise and skills building for SPW staff overseas, as well as providing a unique opportunity for UK based employees to undertake a short placement where they use their talents in a new environment as well as getting first hand experience of SPW’s development work.

The programme contributes to SPW’s global mission of placing young people at the forefront of change and development. Through the programme, SPW enables young adults to learn about the wider context of development and take lead roles in addressing development issues at an international level.