Youth asked to share experiences of how lockdown brought communities together

During the summer holidays young people are being asked to get creative, and show how the pandemic has brought communities together.

The Connected Communities youth initiative calls on young people to share their stories through written word, pictures or videos, about how the lockdown impacted their relations with others.

Supported by charities from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Sikh communities, as well as interfaith organisations, the competition’s winners and prizes will be announced in September by a prestigious judging panel.

Maurice Ostro, Chair of Faiths United, said: “From the time the pandemic started, we have brought together faith leaders and activists to respond to COVID-19, to share best practices and drive joint responses. Now we want to give young people the opportunity to share their stories of how the lockdown period, with all its difficulty and suffering, has also brought people together.”

Dame Helen Hyde, who is on the judging panel, said: “The past few months have been a challenging time for our young people. Schools have been closed and routines have been disrupted. Through this competition, we are inviting young people to use their creativity and imagination to produce some great content showing how communities have come together. We are excited to see what they come up with.”

Partners of the ‘Connected Communities’ initiative include: Faiths United Youth Network, Eden Project Communities, Storytelling Schools, Church of England Newspaper, British Muslim TV, Asian Voice, Sikh Channel, Jewish News, Faiths Forum for London and the Ostro Fayre Share Foundation.

• Entries must be submitted by 28 August through Faiths United: https://faithsunited.co.uk/competition.

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