‘One app. Lots of places to go.’ There’s a reason the LVN has chosen to accommodate to this motto. By ensuring the LVN primary purpose, that every young person has access to positive networks and an equal chance to reach their full potential, there’s no limit to how far a young person can go, when they’re starting out their career. The sky is truly the limit, with it all starting with this little app on a handheld device.
The LVN has itself started from humble beginnings, established in 2015, attracting positive youth engagement, they’ve grown themselves from a grassroots charity to a renowned network. Excelling in their campaigns to benefit the chances of potential young professionals. With the help of the ‘theory of change’ and academic underpinning, using planning and participation to promote social changes, this became the spear head that successfully led to attaining the youth involvement, that was critical in the network’s growth and recognition. They’ve even achieved a recognised panel of trustees backing them, including a Google Director. The LVN’s connections are vital for them as a network, from the founders to the young people using their services, The LVN have also built up a relationship with the Met Police, starting in 2018, the LVN-alongside Islington and Camden police, began working locally to present the app to the central youth engagement team at Scotland Yard. Since then, the network has been advocating to continue their work with the Met Police, on behalf of the Violence Reduction Network, alongside Chief Inspector Jack Rowlands. The LVN are continually gaining recognition and awareness across the city and still within the Met. However, recognising their growth, the LVN has acquired a relationship with renowned law firm, Hogan Lovells International, who have been supporting the network with policies and procedures to ensure safeguarding, GDPR compliance and best practice advice.
The app, coined by the Local Village Network is a digital youth hub. Designed to help its young users in two prominent ways, ‘signposting to activities’ and ‘power of an hour mentoring support’
The first prominent help the app provides, ‘signposting to activities’, discovers employment support and opportunities - advertising them clearly and efficiently to its users. Featuring over 1400+ opportunities, both London wide and online. They also deliver top education and learning resources to help guide the young people in their search for work, as well as specialist support and lots of free fun activities. The other prominent feature of the app is it’s ‘power of an hour mentoring support’, delivering access to 1000+ mentors where professionals share experience and advice, there’s a huge chance to gain the skills you need to help you progress and you’re able to track your personal progression along the way. The app is up and running, where you can check out its features and use its help and benefits to your advantage. With the opportunity for engagement and diversion, a huge benefit of the app is that it drives traffic to provisions websites.
Positive conversations are at the heart of the network, delivering local knowledge at the tap of your fingers, the app is a tool for instant positive engagement with young people, everyone has an interest and the availability to search for opportunities they’ll be interested in. There’s also the chance for guided support and additional help app users can receive invitations to meet with mentors in group sessions run by the network on the app. Users can find everything they possibly need, condensed into one application, it’s easy to use and available to everyone and anyone. With the LVN’s intention with the app is to help youths plan their future, highlighting the support available and introduce them to a wide network of mentors who share their personal journey and advice. The app is a clever and highly valuable tool in helping young people take control of not just their professional future but also giving them personal characteristics of being independent, confident and assured of their own abilities, deriving in an online forum where they are valued and interests are at the heart of the virtual community.
An extended, yet excellent feature of the app is it’s specialist support, in addition to its fun activities available, LVN have also made sure they have support available on the app for young people who need that support. This is a reassuring safe community where a young persons interest is firmly put first, anyone can be involved in this supportive network, available at the tap of a finger. The young people involved with the LVN can also help promote the network and the benefits of the app! Letting friends and peers know about the opportunities they can grab too, recognition within the community, asking for stickers so others have a quick access scan is some ways you can help promote the app and others to benefit the apps rewards. The app is such a help line for the younger generation in all aspects of life, helping to achieve some amazing things , and as LVN say: ‘If you only do one thing today, make sure you download the LVN app’.