Pilot & other programmes

This programme builds on the overarching Power2 principle that through helping others, young people experience life-changing benefits in school and in their personal lives.

Power2 Progress applies our existing model of peer-mentoring, mutual benefit and social action to supporting Year 6 students (mentees) and Year 8 students (mentors) who may be facing additional challenges. 

It is designed to help Year 6 students make positive transitions into secondary school life, while Year 8 students benefit from the experience of mentoring and inspiring a younger pupil and achieve an Interpersonal Skills Award at the end of the 13 week programme.

With the support of the Co-op Foundation and the #iwill Fund we recently launched the first pilot of this programme in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £50 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. Co-op Foundation is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

In 2019 we partnered with the Walcot Foundation to deliver Power2 Advance. Power2 Advance is a three-year project to develop a tailored programme of support for individual grant recipients, aimed at sustaining engagement in further and higher education and helping young people make a positive transition from study to employment.

This project is now entering its third year and we have seen fantastic engagement from over 300 Walcot grant recipients, 76% of whom have reported an increase in skills, knowledge and confidence as a result of participating in Power2 Advance.

The lead for this programme is Stacy Edwards. 

Our Power2 Be Active programme pairs young people aged 13-15 with nursery or primary school children (aged 2-5 years) to mentor them in activities which promote exercise. Weekly classes consist of young people designing and leading activity sessions to get young children moving more.

Through the added support provided by young people, children experience boosts to their learning using fun, engaging and active methods. Young people (13-15) also develop their communication, leadership and interpersonal skills while working towards a Sports Leadership qualification.

We also focus on the attitudes and activity levels of the whole family. By changing young people and children’s attitudes to being active, they become ambassadors for movement and more healthy lifestyles at home.

The programme also encourages young people to organise and promote movement-based activities in their local community. These activities take place on evenings and weekends and function as an extra-curricular activity that builds confidence, leadership and active citizenship in young people through social action in their community.