Inspire, Debate, Change

Empower young people to engage in civic education
In person
Two hours per week
No experience needed

What is Inspire, Debate, Change

Inspire, Debate, Change supports University of Bristol students to deliver civic education workshops for primary school pupils.

The programme benefits young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by building their awareness and knowledge of citizenship and politics. Improving their critical thinking skills, and connection to their community to ultimately empower active citizenship. The programme will also benefit your engagement with the world around you, wellbeing and key skills such as presenting, public speaking, confidence, resilience, behavioural management, organisation, leadership and teamwork.

What was really brilliant was how easily the students were intuitively engaged with things. When we talked about rights in the first session, a lot of the students immediately had a solid sense of justice, and I found it really positive how quickly they were able to work with that.

I’ve definitely got a better sense of the city that I’m living in. Easton is a lovely area and I felt more connected to the city as a result of being involved.
Inspire, Debate, Change volunteer 2022 – 23

What you’ll be doing

As an Inspire, Debate, Change volunteer you will attend and deliver six weekly workshops with young people. The projects which are open for volunteers in teaching block two are:

Tuesdays at 3:20-4:20pm	Weekly workshops at Bannerman Road Academy in Teaching Block 2 for 6 weeks
Tuesdays at 3:20-4:20pm	Weekly workshops at Hareclive E-Act Academy in Teaching Block 2 for 6 weeks

How to get involved

To apply you need to complete an application form to let us know why you’re interested in Inspire, Debate, Change, your availability for training and which series of workshops you want to take part in. Inspire Debate Change only runs in Teaching Block Two.

Once we’ve heard from you the next steps will be:

Attending introductory training on Inspire Debate Change.
Completing our safeguarding training.
Applying for a DBS certificate.
Coming along to your project induction to get started!

If you have any questions, or require any support to get involved, don’t hesitate to contact Luka at luka.lecoutteux@bristolhub.org. You can also contact our Inspire Debate Change coordinators, Erin and Eoghan, on erin.idc@bristolhub.org and eoghan.idc@bristolhub.org.

Join our Inspire debate CHange committee

We are currently recruiting for our Inspire Debate Change Committee. This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of the Bristol Hub Committee and support the development of the Inspire Debate Change programme. You will be engaging students across all Inspire Debate Change projects to raise awareness of social isolation and loneliness in the community. Apply before April 17th.

To find out more about other opportunities or keep in touch for the next academic year:

Sign up to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Instagram
Join our WhatsApp Community
Sign up to hear about one-off volunteering opportunities throughout the year.

FAQ

How will I benefit from Inspire, Debate, Change?

There are loads of benefits for you if you get involved with Inspire Debate change. These include:

Having an impact in the community. You can make a difference supporting active citizenship and meeting new people.
You will develop key skills including presenting, public speaking, confidence, resilience, behavioural management, organisation, communication, leadership and teamwork. This will be supported by the professional training you receive and the support you get throughout your experience.
Hours spent volunteering with Bristol Hub contribute to the Bristol Plus Award.
We can provide you with a professional reference.
A certificate recognising the commitment you’ve made, which you can put on your CV and share on Linkedin.

Is this programme accessible to my needs?

We’ve assessed the accessibility of all our opportunities and are able to discuss these with you prior to you starting your placement, this includes any reasonable adjustments we can make. All accessibility information will also be sent to you prior to your placement as standard. If you have any questions about accessibility, or want to make request a reasonable adjustment, please reach out to Luka at luka.lecoutteux@bristolhub.org.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments we can offer include:

Using an expensed taxi service to aid mobility conditions.
Making sure there is seating with no arms.
Extra time to complete activities in training, as you would get in exams.
- Trainings will be held in wheelchair accessible spaces

I’ve not been involved in social action before. Who can I speak to for more information and support?

Our activities are all open for everyone so if you’ve not been involved in social action before, or you’re apprehensive about getting involved, reach out to Luka at luka.lecoutteux@bristolhub.org. All of our opportunities practice a safe space policy meaning they are supportive, non-judgemental and always willing to listen.

If you would like any more information, you can read our safe space policy.

You can also contact our Inspire Debate Change coordinators, Erin and Eoghan, on erin.idc@bristolhub.org and eoghan.idc@bristolhub.org if you have any questions.

I am nervous about applying, where can I get support?

It’s natural to feel nervous when you try new things, but don’t let you put that off. If you want to talk to a member of our team before applying or attending a session you can email them. Or if you’re not sure who to speak to email luka.lecoutteux@bristolhub.org and we’ll get back to you.

You can also contact our Inspire Debate Change coordinators, Erin and Eoghan, on erin.idc@bristolhub.org and eoghan.idc@bristolhub.org if you have any questions.

Some things we recommend often include joining the programme with a friend – you could sign up together and come to the same session so that you’ll have a friendly face. Alternatively, you could arrange to meet a member of our team before a session so that you get to know each other 1-1 and can travel together. We’ll work together to find a solution which supports you to get involved, whatever that may be.

I’ve just applied, when will I hear from you?

We will be in touch as soon as we’ve read your application. We will let you know about upcoming training, our available opportunities and other key information to support the application process such as expectations to complete safeguarding training and get a DBS check.

What is a DBS check?

DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service. These provide a UK criminal records check and are required when individuals are working closely with young people or adults at risk, or have access to sensitive information. In order to get your DBS check you will need:

Your address history for the last five years.
Your national insurance number.
You will need the physical document of your passport, driving license or other form of ID.

Bristol Hub pays for the check and will support you at every step of the process. If you have a question about this check or want to make a self-disclosure about a criminal record please reach out to Luka at luka.lecoutteux@bristolhub.org.

What’s included in the training?

In order to support you to be confident working with young people as an Inspire, Debate, Change volunteer we deliver comprehensive training covering:

Safeguarding, to ensure both you and the young people you work with are kept safe.
Advice on delivering the workshops, to ensure you share key information in an engaging way.
Working with young people, to give you the confidence you need to communicate with pupils and manage behaviour.
Advice on approaching difficult with children.