OUR VISION

We believe in a future where every young person has the power to make positive change wherever they live.

A group of children and a young woman walking on a paved outdoor area, viewed from above. The children are wearing backpacks and warm clothing, suggesting cool weather.
Group of four diverse young adults sitting together, engaged in conversation, with a woman wearing cat ears and a red outfit in the center, smiling. 
OUR MISSION

We’re a youth-led organisation working to unlock the potential of young people in Gloucester. Together, we’re creating a city where all young people can thrive by:

  • Making sure our voices influence real change

  • Creating and leading our own activities, opportunities, programmes, projects, and spaces

  • Growing our confidence and skills to emerge as leaders

Our values

A skatepark with concrete ramps and stairs, a metal rail for grinding, and people skating and walking. Shadows are cast on the ground, and the scene is outdoors with some visible buildings in the background.

  • We use our voice and power to challenge systems, create change, and influence the things that shape our lives and our communities.

  • Youth voice is not an add‑on or afterthought -  we co‑create and shape projects from the start, because our lived experience is what can shape things that work for young people.

  • We build on the strengths and creativity already here in our communities, prioritising projects that grow skills, open pathways and strengthen our sense of place and belonging.

  • Wellbeing is how we work, not just what we aim for. We think about the whole system around us and create safe, caring spaces where young people can be 100% themselves, belong & be heard.

  • Creativity is a way in, a way forward, and a way to tell our stories, take up space, build confidence, and find our voice and power in shaping the world around us.

All about youth leadership

At Chispa CIC, our Youth Leadership Programme is built on the Ganz “Snowflake” model — a peer‑led structure where leadership grows outward, not downward. Each core Chispa youth leader mentors and develops their own team, creating a self‑sustaining network of young leaders who support, inspire and hold one another accountable.

More about growing leaders

Why our approach is important

  • Ongoing development of youth capacity and agency

  • Youth-driven governance and culture across the organisation

  • A scalable leadership network rooted in local communities

  • Youth voice embedded as a structural driver of systems change

Using the Ganz model, peer action research, and real-time feedback loops, young people work with us — and with partners — to design and improve services meaningfully. Youth voice becomes more than a one-off consultation: it becomes an ongoing dialogue that shapes decision-making, delivery, and long-term change across Gloucester.

A live concert scene with performers on stage illuminated by blue and purple stage lights, and a crowded audience in front.

Meet the Team

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing hoop earrings and a cream-colored sweater, stands in front of a dark blue wall with a cream-colored trim or panel behind her. She has a slight smile and is looking directly at the camera.

    Danielle Tipton

    I am an  artist, photographer, and creative facilitator whose work sits at the intersection of fine art photography, poetry, and storytelling. My practice is rooted in phototherapy and autobiographical exploration, using art as a way to process and transform lived experience. I describe my visual language as “classic tragedy” — creating pieces that are both beautiful and unsettling, where darkness and elegance exist side by side.

  • Silhouette of a person sitting at a desk near a large window with a cityscape view in the background, black and white photograph.

    Javeisha Powell

    Javeisha is a women’s advocate and youth leader dedicated to creating safe, empowering spaces for women and young people. Drawing on her own lived experience, she founded TheSurviveHer, a growing platform supporting women healing from difficult experiences. Its motto, “In unity, we find our voice,” reflects her mission to help people reclaim confidence and identity.

  • A young woman with blonde hair wearing a black and white long-sleeve shirt with a graphic design, speaking or gesturing, in an indoor setting with ornate decor and another person partially visible behind her.

    Chloe Munro

    I’m Chloe, an emerging producer and programmer working across film, live events, youth arts and community‑focused creative projects. I bring creativity, care and a strong focus on young people’s voices into everything I do, particularly in projects shaped by participation and lived experience.

  • Skateboarder in mid-air performing a trick at a skatepark with graffiti, a red fire hydrant, and bare trees in the background.

    Callum Docksey

    I’m Callum, a skater and the representative for Gloucester Skatepark, and I’m passionate about making a positive difference in my local area. For the past three years, I’ve been running the Gloucester Skatepark Project, delivering summer programmes that include competitions, skills workshops and community fundraisers.

  • Alice Watson

    Alice is the co-founder and CEO of Chispa and has spent over 15 years working across youth and community development, arts, education, health and social change. A former aerial artist and calisthenics freestyle an flow practitioner, she has always been interested in how creativity, movement and community can build confidence, connection and create change. Her work now focuses on youth leadership, peer action research, participatory practice, systems change and creating better public spaces, making sure the people most affected by decisions have genuine power in shaping them. Before Chispa, Alice co-founded and ran School of Larks for ten years, and she has since worked with young people, communities, councils, cultural organisations and partners across sectors to turn ideas into real projects, spaces and opportunities. She’s a big believer in trying things, learning by doing, breaking down silos and bringing the right people around the table, especially when young people are the ones leading the conversation.

  • A woman singing passionately into a microphone, holding a book or script in one hand, with a peacock feather earring and traditional attire, in a dark setting.

    Tia Callum

    I’m Tia, a Gloucester‑born recording artist and Creative Director. My work blends soulful vocals with house, dance and drum & bass, and my wider creative practice explores transformation, identity and the psychology of wellbeing through music, performance and storytelling. Alongside my artistic work, I’m deeply committed to equity, mental health awareness, and ensuring young people — particularly young women — are not sidelined in cultural spaces.

  • A man with dreadlocks and a beard standing with his hands clasped in front of him, wearing a black T-shirt with a large animal face printed on it, in front of a blue wall with decorative molding. A white column is behind him, and a red chair is visible to his right.

    Davridge James

    My name is Davridge I am passionate about supporting and representing the voices of young people in my community. I have a genuine interest in creating positive opportunities and environments where young people feel heard, valued and empowered by the projects, events and innovations that I have been involved in and yet to do. I contribute thoughtful ideas, representing diverse perspectives, and help shape initiatives that make a real difference for young people.

  • Portrait of a young man with braided hair, wearing a white collared shirt and a navy blue sweater, against a light gray background.

    Stephen Sodzi

    I’m Stephen, a youth leader who’s passionate about creating spaces where young people feel trusted, heard and able to take the lead. Working with Chispa has given me opportunities to contribute meaningfully to projects, be part of real decision‑making, and support other young people to step into leadership.

  • A young man wearing a black durag and a black hoodie with a skeleton print on the front, standing against a plain white background.

    Travon Powell

    I joined Chispa through connections with Lloyd and Stephen, and from the start I felt able to bring my energy, ideas and commitment into the work. What stood out to me was having the space to listen properly — not just to other people, but to what mattered to me and how I wanted to show up for my community.

  • A young man with a beard and mustache smiling, wearing a brown and yellow checkered zip-up jacket over a light blue and white checkered shirt, standing against a plain white wall.

    Lewis Whittaker

    I’m Lewis, a youth leader and research professional with a strong interest in evaluation, public sector systems and how evidence can be used to create meaningful change. My work focuses on understanding how services operate in practice, and how young people’s lived experiences can inform more effective and accountable decision‑making.

More about your young people