O2 Think Big - Get inspired

lives not knives

Croydon, London

Eliza Rebeiro knows a lot about the dangers of knife crime.

She was 14 when a close friend was stabbed to death. Now she’s a woman on a mission. She began her campaign by printing 100 T shirts with the slogan ‘Lives not Knives.’

They sold quickly. With the money she earned, Eliza had another 500 t-shirts printed. With the money from the second batch of T shirts she organised a Valentine’s Memorial Ball so people could remember friends who had lost their lives.

Now Eliza’s focusing on primary school children. She’s invited 150 kids to talk about their personal experiences of knife crime through art, poetry and storytelling. And she’s putting together a booklet to be sent local schools. She believes if children are made aware of the dangers of knife crime from a young age, they’ll have a better chance of avoiding it in the future.

O2 love Eliza’s energy and courage, so they funded the printing costs of her booklet.

youth music mixing and production

Belfast

There's not much going on in Glengormley.

So unless you’ve got a job or school to go to, you’re likely to be hanging around the streets. But Ian Hamill (15) was determined to change this, by sharing his love of music and music mixing skills with others.

Ian and a friend have decided to take a 10-week professional DJ course. They plan to use their new skills to teach others at the Glengormley Youth Centre how to mix and DJ. He hopes this will give the kids from his neighbourhood a positive creative outlet and maybe even get them thinking about a career in music.

Ian used his award money to buy the DJ equipment.

Teenz Do Matter

Ipswich

Ryan runs a youth club in Gainsborough Community Library in the IP3 area of Ipswich, an area where there is not a lot of money.

He started the project with Sasha when he was fourteen and she was just thirteen. They had no resources, apart from a broken pool table. The library manager gave them the use of a community room and it started from there. They spent their own money to deliver a range of activities for young people in the area. The activities included arts and crafts, cooking and healthy eating, games and quizzes. The young people who attend have developed friendships, learned new skills and gained in confidence, several of them are now actively volunteering in their library, helping out in a range of different ways.

By working with the group Ryan's confidence and skills grew. He is now considering going to university. The group have now received two grants from local councillors and have organised a graffiti project. The graffiti board stands in the library grounds and carries lots of images of the area and the club’s tag.

O2 was so impressed by Ryan’s commitment and energy they gave the group money for materials which was spent on art and cooking materials and equipment. The giant cheque is pride of place on Ryan’s bedroom wall.

Kayaking with Disabled Youngsters

Keeley Ennis

17 year old Keeley Ennis has recently taken part in the v Young Volunteer Leadership Programme. Working with the Pitstop youth centre, Keeley has taken part in a number of projects including the National Children’s Bureau’s Life Routes project, as part of this she went to the House of Commons to share her experiences with MPs. Keeley set up a Kayaking project for disabled people, teaching them new skills and eventually taking the group on a mini river expedition. In doing so she has achieved the v Young Volunteer Leadership award as well as a vfifty award to acknowledge the amount of time spent volunteering. Keeley was unable to sit still in a classroom but has really benefited from the training provided by such projects. O2 are supporting Keeley's project by buying the wetsuits and zip up buoyancy aids.

Langrigg House

Carlisle, North West

Daniel Boyle (20) is part of a Prince’s Trust team in Carlisle. One day he noticed an unused, unloved garden at his local senior citizens care home. Where others might have seen an abandoned garden he saw an opportunity. He set up a project to transform the area into a bright vibrant outdoor space that the residents could enjoy.

And he’s not just pulling out a few weeds. Plans for the garden include putting in a seating area, sorting out a greenhouse, and painting a mural. When it’s finished, Daniel and the team will invite residents, staff, the local council and Mayor to an opening ceremony to celebrate the restoration of this important space.

O2 supported this project by funding the materials Daniel and the team needed to do the job.

Young Apprentice

London

You can do things for your communities while developing entrepreneurial skills and learning on the job all at the same time. And that’s exactly what 17 year old Stiofan Appleby did when he signed up for the London Young Apprentice Challenges.

Challenges included organising parties for pensioners, putting on festivals for families, or making a range of products - all of which improve life skills, explore learning possibilities, and encourage young people to Think Big in a Think Learning sort of way.

Stiofan and his team got together to explore the idea of role models, producing a photo exhibition of their work, before Stiofan went on to win the competition, becoming London’s Young Apprentice for 2009.