UK Parliament launches free online workshops for community and youth groups across London

UK Parliament’s local outreach officers have today taken their community and youth group workshops online. Their sessions are designed to show groups in London how the House of Commons and House of Lords work, as well as offering first-hand expertise on how to influence decisions made in UK Parliament, get their voices heard and campaign for change.   

The workshops are hosted by expert outreach officer from Parliament’s Education and Engagement team and can be tailored to suit theindividual needs of each group.

There are a range of online workshops available throughout the rest of the year, suitable for a groups with different accessibility levels and experience in engaging with UK Parliament.

On the launch of the online workshops, Parliament outreach officer Nichola Luke said:

“I work with community groups across London, from Hillingdon to Bromley to Enfield and it’s been inspiring to meet a diverse and passionate range of people.

“I am here to support you and your communities to discover more about UK Parliament and engage confidently on the issues that are important to you.”

People, power, and UK Parliament: An introduction

This 30 minute online workshop is packed with quizzes and activities. Designed for a minimum of 15 people, groups will get a full overview of how UK Parliament works for them, covering:

• How they can get their voices heard by MPs
• What the House of Lords does
• How MPs and Lords raise issues on their behalf

Are you influential? Get your voice heard in UK Parliament

This hour workshop is designed for a minimum of 10 people and has been created especially for those who have had some basic engagement with Parliament before. Attendees will develop a deeper understanding of how to raise the issues which mean the most to them, including:

• How they can take action
• What tools help influence debates, decisions and legislation
• How they can build relationships with MPs and Lords

EMPOWER! For adults with learning disabilities

This highly accessible session typically lasts 45 minutes and is full of activities and quizzes to promote engagement and encourage adults with learning difficulties to develop active citizenship skills for life.

The session is designed for a minimum of 10 people, including carers and  group leaders can also learn to deliver our specialist training to their organisations and communities.

To check availability and book a session, please visit here.

UK Parliament launches free online workshops for 7-18 year olds during Coronavirus outbreak

UK Parliament’s Education and Engagement Service has launched a series of free workshops to help young people aged 7-18 learn about the work of UK Parliament this summer.These private, curricula-linked sessions are open for home educators and teachers to book now for September onwards. They are accessible to students whether they are at home or in the classroom and designed to be broadcast live so questions can be asked throughout.

Hosted by Parliament’s trained education staff, the 45-60 minute workshops are available to both primary and secondary level educators, covering topics across the UK curricula.

Pitched at different age groups, young people taking part in the online sessions will find out more about their Member of Parliament (MP), how they represent them in the House of Commons and the kind of issues they can help with. Through the chat box function, students are encouraged to discuss what qualities a person needs to have to become an MP.Young people will also discover more about the role of members of the House of Lords and how they check the work of the House of Commons. The group then discuss who they would nominate to become a member – whether that’s someone in their class, a famous person or somebody in their local community.The workshop for older students focuses more on the difference between Parliament and Government, the stages of a bill becoming a law, what democracy means to them and how they can get their voices heard in UK Parliament (e.g. via online petitions). The primary and secondary sessions conclude with a fun, interactive quiz, where using the chat box, the group reflects on everything they learned in the session.

These online events will replace the face to face sessions held by the outreach officers in their local areas during the coronavirus outbreak.

About UK Parliament’s Outreach Service 

UK Parliament’s outreach officers are based in every nation and region in the UK. Their free training sessions offer community groups first-hand expertise, guiding them through how UK democracy works and how they can take action on issues they care about. 

All Parliamentary events are subject to change or cancellation at short notice if required due to official parliamentary business.

In line with the latest Government advice and guidance from Public Health England, all visitor access to the UK Parliament has now stopped. The Education Centre is now closed and school tours have paused. We have also suspended our regional and national outreach activity to schools and community groups. 

The decision, consistent with the latest Government advice, has been taken by the Speakers of both Houses, in consultation with Public Health England, to preserve the operation of UK Parliament.