Erikshjälpen awarded NOK 2.5 million for Youth Workshop in Uppsala

“I love the Future Workshop. This is where I can be myself,” says 14-year-old Minna. She is one of the young people building confidence, hope for the future, and skills at Erikshjälpen’s Future Workshop. Now, Kavli Trust is expanding its support for the Uppsala branch of the programme.

Kavli Trust has awarded NOK 2.5 million to fund the launch and establishment of Erikshjälpen’s Future Workshop in Uppsala for the period 2021–2023.

“Kavli Trust wants to help children and young people experience wellbeing and security, while developing their own skills. That’s why we support projects like the Future Workshop,” says Guro Hjetland Sundsby, responsible for Kavli Trust’s projects in Sweden.

The Need for Good Role Models

The Future Workshop is a programme for children, young people, and their families in Sweden. Its overarching aim is to reduce and prevent social exclusion in areas facing socio-economic challenges.

Denis Bisaso is project manager for the new Future Workshop in Uppsala. He emphasises the importance of good role models for young people.

“Adults who see them and listen to them. Who provide meaningful leisure activities with structure and community. Someone to help with schoolwork. And someone who can encourage their belief in the future,” Bisaso begins.

“The Future Workshop is an excellent concept that, ‘by coincidence,’ provides exactly this. But you’d almost think it was designed specifically for this district in Uppsala, given how well it matches the needs and challenges here,” he continues.

Boosting Motivation

At the Future Workshop, children and young people have the opportunity to develop creatively and socially in positive surroundings.

“Participation and involvement are key. In safe environments with support from responsible adults, participants actively help to plan and run the activities at the Future Workshop,” says Sundsby at Kavli Trust.

Project manager Bisaso is relieved that the Uppsala Future Workshop now has secured funding for the foreseeable future.

“Creating positive, lasting change in Gränby is a marathon, not a quick fix. It’s reassuring to know that funding is secured for the next few years thanks to Kavli Trust. It really boosts our motivation for the important work we do,” he says.

Kavli Trust has previously supported the pilot project of the Future Workshop in Helsingborg, which was launched in 2019. At that time, Kavli Trust also awarded NOK 2.5 million.

“With life skills, inclusion, and self-belief, children and young people can become a resource in their own lives and for society. We are impressed with the activity at the Future Workshop in Helsingborg, and look forward to following the expansion in Uppsala,” says Sundsby.

Plans to Establish Three New Workshops Annually

Erikshjälpen aims to set up three Future Workshops in Sweden each year.

The pilot in Helsingborg has been crucial for establishing the programme in other cities.

“By providing start-up support for the Uppsala Future Workshop, Kavli Trust is helping accelerate the roll-out of the Future Workshop model across Sweden, while actively supporting strong grassroots initiatives,” says Sundsby.

Project manager Denis Bisaso is particularly pleased about one aspect of the new funding:

“It is usually easier to support something already underway, where you can already see results, but here Kavli Trust is helping to lay the very foundation. We are very grateful for that.”

“This Is Where I Can Be Myself”

Bisaso previously worked at the Future Workshop in Helsingborg.

“The key lesson I learned there is the principle of ‘doing with’ rather than ‘doing for’ young people. We see that children and young people learn and grow by actively participating in planning and implementing everything we do.”

In Helsingborg, the first year of the Future Workshop was inevitably shaped by the pandemic, and all activities were adapted to current restrictions.

Nevertheless, they managed to provide a full programme at a time when sports and other leisure activities were largely unavailable.

Bisaso emphasises that the activities have given children and young people a greater sense of community. Many express stronger belief in a better future:

“I love coming to Erikshjälpen’s Future Workshop. This is where I can be myself. I’ve grown so much and dare to do so much more. Now I truly believe I can help make society better,” says 14-year-old Minna Al Hassani.

She is supported by 13-year-old Karim Jawad.

“It’s fun and innovative to come here, and it gives us great skills for the future. We get to try lots of new things, run workshops, make music, design T-shirts, cook, and do taekwondo. We simply get to be creative.”

Supporting Underprivileged Areas

The Uppsala project began in 2020 with Kavli Trust funding a mapping study to identify needs and opportunities for establishing an additional Future Workshop in the Gränby district.

Based on the study’s findings, Erikshjälpen was invited to apply for funding to establish and run a similar workshop in the area.

“In the spring, we began providing homework support for secondary school students in partnership with the school, and in April–May we launched a scout-inspired activity for children in the middle grades, where 20 children learned practical outdoor skills,” Bisaso explains.

Headteacher: ‘A Protective Factor'

He notes that taking children out of the “concrete walls of Gränby” was a great success, while also bringing the walls themselves back into the hands of the local youth:

“This summer, in collaboration with the municipality, we plan to let young people contribute to improving their residential areas through artistic expression. As part of their summer work, they will tell stories about their area and paint graffiti cubes installed specifically for this purpose.”

Cilla Peiro, headteacher at Gränby School, is very pleased that the Future Workshop is already active locally.

“It’s important to instil hope for the future in our students, and Erikshjälpen is a strong partner in this. For example, when Denis Bisaso visits the school and is available to the students. He is a good role model,” Peiro says.

She points out that meaningful leisure activities act as both a protective factor and a counterbalance to destructive influences.

“Both Erikshjälpen’s homework support and the community they provide are a crucial part of this.”

Facts

• Kavli Sweden is part of the Kavli Group. Through Kavli Trust, it supports a range of initiatives in Sweden, including this project.
• Erikshjälpen is a Swedish organisation working to promote children’s rights, health, education, and safety, both in Sweden and in developing countries.
• Erikshjälpen operates around 60 second-hand shops, including three in Norway.
• The support for Erikshjälpen’s Future Workshop in Uppsala aligns with Kavli Trust’s 2021–2023 funding strategy, which prioritises preventive measures for children’s and young people’s mental health, alongside responsible consumption and production.
• With the new funding from Kavli Trust, Erikshjälpen is launching a Future Workshop in the Gränby district of Uppsala, a neighbourhood of around 8,000 residents.
• Approximately 40% of the population in Gränby are aged 0–19. The area faces significant social and economic challenges, including high unemployment.
• In collaboration with local partners, Erikshjälpen aims to create safe community spaces, help more people enter the workforce, and provide children and young people with meaningful leisure activities. Erikshjälpen’s second-hand shops serve as one of many venues for these activities.