What is the purpose of youth membership?
We believe that an organisation dedicated to designing programmes for young people should be led and shaped by the very people it serves. Our aim is to democratise our work, involving young people across our decision-making. We want to ensure that young people have a meaningful voice in shaping our strategy, governance, and services, contributing to the organisation’s overall vision and impact.
How will young people be involved in decision making?
Young people will be involved in the decision-making processes at Creative Opps in different areas of the organisation. This could include electing trustees (a charity trustee is a person who is responsible for the overall management and administration of a charity), deciding on the programmes we run, reviewing our annual budget, and approving ideas for new projects. Our organisation is centered around the youth-voice, and we think organisational direction should be driven by the young people we serve.
Is Creative Opps a cooperative?
Our membership reflects the values of a community cooperative. Though Creative Opps operates as a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), our charitable constitution allows us to have a membership and we share cooperative values.
What is the difference between a workers cooperative and a community cooperative?
A workers’ cooperative is owned and controlled by its employees, focusing on providing fair wages, job security, and shared decision-making for the worker-owners. In contrast, a community cooperative is owned by members of a broader community and aims to serve the common good by providing services or resources that benefit the community at large. A big difference between a workers co-op and community co-op is that members in a community cooperative are not paid. A community cooperative recognises the cooperative value of self-development and mutual education.
What are Creative Opps Circles?
The circles are another way of describing the roles and responsibilities of the Creative Opps team. We divide our workstreams into “circles” so that members can choose which areas of the organisation they are most interested in. These circles are:
- Incubator
- Research and Data Collation
- Creative Arts
- Finance and Fundraising
- Outreach and Partnerships
- Graphic Design
- Marketing and Communications
- Technology
Do we have to pay to join the organisation? Or are youth members paid?
There is no financial commitment required to become a member of Creative Opps. Members may access our learning resources and attend development sessions for free. Youth members are not paid, however are able to submit a proposal to lead a “learning development session” which will be paid £100 for five hours of work (research, planning, preparation, delivery, and evaluation).
What’s in it for me?
Our membership programme is designed to increase the skills and confidence of members. Each circle will have members will varying levels of expertise, encouraging shared learning and development. There will be opportunities for public speaking at our meetings, as well as leadership progression in our learning development sessions.
How much time do I need to commit and what will this look like on a weekly basis?
Members are expected to commit 1-2 hours per week for the 3-month trial period. This will include Zoom calls, tasks, correspondence on Slack, email and attending learning development sessions.
Where do we meet?
Remotely. All calls will be on Zoom. We encourage people from across England and Wales to apply!
Will being a youth member impact my ability to apply to Creative Opps programmes (e.g. work placement and mentoring)?
No. You can still apply to our other programmes.
Can I list being a youth member on my CV?
Yes!