After working in a secondary school in Oxfordshire, Debs (The Founder of Know Your Worth) began to notice the impact of low self-esteem on our teenage girls, and how many girls were struggling and struggling with low motivation, self-consciousness and a lack of confidence. 

Some girls were slow to raise their hand in a lesson or volunteer answers for fear of being wrong or looking around them to check they were fitting in. Panic attacks, anxiety and low mood were among other symptoms of low self-esteem. For some it impacted their education, but more importantly, their sense of self-worth and true belonging.

This became the catalyst for Debs starting Know Your Worth. They wanted to help teenage girls build self-esteem and make good decisions. Earlier this year, we conducted some interviews with them about their work and this is what they had to say:

We are so proud to have Know Your Worth as one of our brilliant Changemakers. They have been running their incredible 8-week courses in schools and youth groups across Oxfordshire and Berkshire since 2022. 

All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

Today is the 12th day of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Even though Know Your Worth doesn’t directly support the space against gender-based violence, we know that girls are at particular risk of violence. The empowerment of young women to understand consent and how to be treated properly, set clear boundaries and boost their self-esteem away from the male gaze is such an important part of the Know Your Worth programme. Emilie, the course facilitator, explained to us how men and boys can support women and girls to be empowered.

We all have a part to play in building a world for women, girls, and all marginalised identities to feel safe, empowered, uplifted, and protected. As Emilie said, it isn’t just about blaming men (they also exist under patriarchal systems), but working together to unlearn harmful practices, learning ways of uniting together and finding solutions that bring about gender equity.

If you are searching for a way to uplift the young women around you, you need to speak to Debs and her amazing team. Enquire today about getting Know Your Worth into your School or Youth Club.

On International Men’s Day (19th November), Tabitha Morton, the CEO of UN Women UK, wrote an opinion piece for The Big Issue about how men must step up in combating violence against women and girls. Her article gives very actionable things that we can all do. Go and check out the full article here.

She carefully explains the importance of being an active bystander. As a bystander (someone who might witness harassment firsthand or who is subsequently informed of the incident), we can move from a passive state to an active state without putting our own personal safety at risk by adopting UN Women’s ‘stop, support, report’ mindset. It is worth highlighting the aspect of personal safety, especially when communicating with young people about becoming active bystanders. 

We all have a duty, from young people to youth work practitioners, to make sure that we stand up against gender-based violence. We agree wholeheartedly with the UN Women’s campaign that states that there is #NoExcuse for violence against women and girls. As a sector, we need to continue to work together to ensure gender equity.

It is more important than ever to educate ourselves and others about the importance of active bystander intervention as it is a crucial part of the solution. When we intervene, we signal to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable.

At Oxfordshire Youth, we remain passionate about standing against gender-based violence. This is why we set up our Young Women and Girls Project.

This supports young women aged 11-25 who are living or are educated in Banbury or Bicester. We are still accepting referrals, so please email us at ywagcherwell.referrals@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk to kickstart the process, express an interest, or find out more.

We understand that the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence can be triggering for so many reasons. If you need any support or help, please reach out to some of these incredible local and national organisations:

Sunrise Multicultural Project

Survivors Space

Oxfordshire Mind

Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Services

Refuge

Respect

Galop

Women’s aid

Surviving Economic Abuse

In April 2024, we partnered with Radley College and hosted the retreat on their campus. We used the beautiful spaces they could offer us, as part of OY’s ongoing partnership with Radley.

The 2024 retreat provided workshop sessions on reflective practice, psycho-social peer group, protecting boundaries in leadership and systems change.

The retreat is funded by The Prudence Trust and forms an integral part of our three-year Youth Sector Wellbeing Programme. This funding allows us to offer a retreat in each year of our three-year contract, so we are excited to be developing a new programme for Spring 2025.

You can find out more in our video below.

If we dip into our creative and artistic resources, we’re able to feel a sense of fulfilment. Taking this active step means putting our best foot forward to care for our own wellbeing and health. Above all, we can help others by looking after ourselves and investing time and effort into our wellbeing.

With the ever growing rise in complex mental health needs among young people, youth workers need the tools for resilience.

By exploring our own creative health and wellbeing, we can teach and encourage others with confidence and trust.  

To support that process, Oxfordshire Youth has partnered with The Prudence Trust to offer a pioneering wellbeing programme. Our Youth Practitioner Wellbeing Programme is fully focused on developing and uplifting individuals, their organisations and the young people engaged with them. It’s a priority for us to ensure that this course is fully funded. With participants receiving over £2000 of training for free, equity and access to opportunities is at the top of our priorities. Youth workers can take part in wellbeing sessions and engage in personal development, peer-to-peer networking and many more enriching activities.

You can find out more about it here and to join us, sign up to be part of the next course. Give yourself the gift of time to explore, connect and grow. If you’d like to discuss any aspect of the programme, please contact Nataliia Turban, Oxfordshire Youth’s Youth Sector Wellbeing Coordinator by emailing nataliia.turban@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk.