At the start of this year, after all the changes the pandemic had brought, it felt an appropriate time to look at our vision and values again. The following will provide the start of our own road map as we come out of the pandemic too, and continue to offer the very best programmes and workshops for young people.

Our vision

To equip as many young people as possible with belief in themselves and their creativity, and offer them the tools to use this in their every day lives

Our values

We create:

• A community where kindness is paramount;
• Programmes where every young person gets an equal chance;
• A safe space for young people and their work.

We do this through three pillars of action:

Pillar one – good writing needs good reading. We encourage and facilitate reading a wide range of books and introduce young people to authors and other creative practitioners.

Pillar two – getting all voices heard. We share platforms and competitions and collaborate with other writing organisations, as well as showcasing young people’s work ourselves. We will also develop the Inkwell Project to support young people from low-income families.

Pillar three –understanding the space needed to be creative. This means curating our online space to make it as comfortable for young people as possible. We also work to help young people understand the mental space needed, to manage their own schedules and the physical space they may need. We additionally help them understand their own creative cycles.

We offer:

• Weekly term-time groups
• Holiday workshops
• Longer programmes
• 1:1 support.

The Inkpots manifesto

• Everyone has a story to tell and young voices in particular need to be heard.
• Stories can be told in a variety of ways and emerge at their own pace. All writing – at whatever stage – is to be treasured.
• Individuals have their own creative cycles which need to be understood and respected.
• Our community is the beating heart of what we do, and every member (and their work) is valued and respected.
• The whole creative process helps develop resilience and supports a young person’s overall development.
• We encourage aspiration and inspiration – helping young people aim high and believe in themselves and their abilities.
• Writing should be open to all young people and we aim to make Inkpots inclusive for everyone.

Gill