Our centres are in some of the most deprived areas of England and Wales. Our project is about building a bridge between women in these areas, where people tend not to engage with politics, and the politicians who make decisions that affect them. We want to provide bursaries to 16 representative girls and women to attend the three main political party conferences in 2011, so they can speak to politicians face to face about issues that matter to them.

Bursaries will offer participants the chance for their views to be heard by politicians. Participants will also benefit from the experience personally, for example through increased self-confidence and political awareness, and they will encourage their families and friends to be more politically engaged, for example using their vote and getting involved in their local communities.