Peer Education project

Lambeth Youth Council  run a successful peer education project. The project has been running for 6 years and is currently co-ordinated by Andrea Legal-Miller and Nicola Mclean, who have both been involved in the project for the last 6 years.

The main focus of our work has been to empower young people, through giving them the space to strategise, reflect and being pro-active in matters concerning their health and well-being.

The project delivers work in the following areas:

• Sexual health and relationships
• Emotional health and well being
• Domestic violence
• Personal safety
• Self esteem
• Relationships
• LGBT awareness
• Drugs and Alcohol

What is Peer Education?

• Peer education involves young people providing education, support and advice to other young people.
• Peer education involves training and supporting young people to promote and influence change. Effective changes include: knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours at the individual level.
• Peer education is designed to increase awareness and deepen understanding about issues that directly affect the everyday lives of young people. Within our project topics will include, but are not limited to: sexual health and sexuality, self-esteem, relationships, domestic violence, mental health and wellbeing, drugs and alcohol and personal safety.
• Peer education is based on the belief that students take on board more information more accurately about sensitive subjects from each other.
• Students are more likely to be receptive to someone their own age; especially those who have thought about these issues, who have received the necessary information, and who are skilled in talking and helping others talk.
• It is important to realise that a peer educator’s role is to give information and let recipients make their own decisions based on the provided facts.

What do Peer Educators do?

• Provide accurate current information in non-judgmental way
• Challenging unhealthy behaviours
• Refer and signpost young people to professional help
• Help to create a positive social environment. 
• Provide a source of student leadership and service. 
• Participate actively in their community
• Have the opportunity to actively network in the community
• Accept people as they are
• Respect confidentiality

Contact details

Andrea Legal-Miller
Youth Education Co-ordinator
Lambeth Youth Council
Tel: 020 7926 2511
Mob: 07958 473 189
Email: alegal-miller@lambeth.gov.uk

Nicola Mclean
Youth Education Co-ordinator (Job Share)
Lambeth Youth Council
Tel: 020 7926 2115
Mob: 07939 495 553
Email: nmclean@lambeth.gov.uk

B-17 Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London
SW2 1RW