Following an incredible 8 months and 80 shows with over 1.8million viewers, JLGB Virtual has been shortlisted in the Youth Work Award category for a 2020 Children & Young People Now Award. In proud partnership with the Jewish News, JLGB Virtual, which continues to run every Thursday evening, includes skills sessions, active and healthy workshops, daily acts of kindness and a special guest. JLGB have been honoured to have been joined by community leaders including Youth Minister Baroness Diana Barran, Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, Luciana Berger, Dame Julia Cleverdon and television and music perfomers; Craig David, Rachel Riley, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Colin McFarlane, Rob Rinder, Rupert Graves, Louisa Clein, Professor Robert Winston to name a few and even Hollywood stars including Jeff Garlin, Phil Rosenthal, Brent Spiner and Bob Saget.  

JLGB were just about to celebrate our 125th Anniversary on 1st April, when we had to suspend all face-to-face youth activities and pivot our entire organisation. JLGB Virtual was our response to ensuring that children and young people can continue to have fun, learn new skills, make a difference and complete their volunteering awards during lockdown.

Our primary concern has been giving young people something positive to do and to look forward to in a time that was, and continues to be, very uncertain and challenging for many. Through learning new skills, keeping active and healthy, focusing on how they could make a difference to others, and being entertained and inspired by some leading government ministers, Paralympians, celebrities and charity CEO’s, we aimed to have a positive impact on young people’s mental health, well-being and resilience during this time.

Many of our celebrities, such as Ashley James, and guests from mental health charities, have given advice on the programme to young people about mental resilience and emotional resilience and how to stay positive during this time. Each show we also invite external charities to come on and talk about their cause and tell our audience what they can do to help, recently this has included talks from local food banks and hospices. They challenge our viewers to take part in acts of kindness that are themed on relevant social issues, including local tidies, upcycling plastics, learning about how people living in poverty survive, learning sign language and first aid and doing good deeds for others.

Taking part in these initiatives can not only have a positive impact on young people’s mental health but also enables them to log hours for their volunteering awards, including the Chief Rabbi Kindness Challenge (ages 7-11), Yoni Jesner Award (ages 11-14) and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (ages 14-25), all through JLGB’s eVOLve youth volunteering and skills initiative, via the online platform.

As a youth organisation JLGB Virtual is youth empowerment at its best with young volunteers leading from the front with the support of adult volunteers. For the older teenagers hosting the shows, interviewing influential leaders and celebrities and volunteering behind the scenes gives them a purpose and a volunteering role to give back and log hours towards their volunteering awards, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, in a time when it has been more challenging to find regular opportunities to make up the necessary hours. It has also been important for their personal development, and giving them experience of leadership before university or further study.

JLGB are honoured that this autumn, HRH The Prince of Wales agreed to take on Patronage of JLGB and we hope that this recognition of the charity will enable us to reach and support many more young people through JLGB Virtual, our youth volunteering awards and youth programmes.

JLGB Virtual continues every Thursday evening from 8pm. For more information please visit: www.jlgb.org/virtual 
For more information on the Awards please visit: https://www.cypnawards.com/shortlist-2020