UPCHANGE WOMEN AND GIRLS' NETWORK

The UPCHANGE Women and Girls’ Network is a dynamic London-wide initiative, made of women-led grassroots organisations, committed to overcoming the gender imbalance in the youth sector. This network is represented by a collective of women who are leading grass-roots organisations whilst retaining roles as practitioners.

UpChange was set up in 2023 to provide mentoring for young women and girls (YWG) and to strengthen the capacity and voice of women-led community organisations working with them. The programme responded to a clear gap in local provision for YWG, alongside persistent underinvestment in women led organisations and a lack of diversity (and relevant lived experience) among leaders within the youth sector. The programme was funded for a total of 3 years through Propel and supported by the Mayor of London’s New Deal for Young People (NDYP) and the National Lottery Community fund.

Led by Active Communities Network (ACN), UpChange brought together a network of women-led, youth-focused organisations, each funded to deliver mentoring and related services to YWGs in London. Most participating groups were registered charities or CICs. An action group of network members and women leaders was also set up to inform the direction of the programme and amplify the voices of network members. The reach for this programme has grown considerably with over 500 girls and young women receiving mentoring support, with girls accessing services from across 22 boroughs. The programme strives to offer high-quality mentorship opportunities to young women and girls with a focus on developing leadership and providing a support network to grassroot groups.

To showcase the work across London, a short documentary series was produced following four of the partners in the network: UPCHANGE series