One of our guiding principles is that Duke of Edinburgh's Awards are achievable by all. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure that any young person who chooses to take up its challenge, regardless of ability, gender, background or location can complete their programme.  In line with this we would like to know if there is anything we can do to help Leaders working with young people with special needs. If you lead a group with additional support needs please complete this short survey here by Tuesday 2 Dec 2008.

2009 will be the last year for the DofE/TNT Showtrailer. If you have an event you want it to attend, please send in your bookings ASAP.

Initial booking decisions will be made in early December and notifications sent out by end December. Bookings received after this will be done on a first come, first served basis.

The booking form is available here: www.DofE.org/go/showtrailer

Right Here, a new joint project by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Mental Health Foundation, aims to create fresh ways of reducing stigma and original means of ensuring that teenagers and young people are looking after their emotional health in ways they think will work and in places they like to go to (e.g. schools, youth clubs, sports centres).

They’re looking for 16-25 year olds to work with them in this exciting 5-year project - either as part of a UK wide specialist young person’s advisory board who will meet up face to face every 4 months in London or as a member of the virtual group and have your say as a member of the forum on our website. To apply please go HERE by 21 November.

CHANGEit, an award scheme run by Common Purpose and sponsored by Deutsche Bank, is now open for nominations. CHANGEit recognises, supports and rewards campaigners aged 11 to 18 who have already made a difference in their communities or have ideas to create positive change. Nominations – for individuals or groups – can be submitted online. The closing date is 12 January 2009.

O2’s It's Your Community awards provide small grants of between £100 and £1,000 to local groups and individuals for any projects that can be shown to benefit their community. There are four categories for awards: rebuild and restore; cultural; active; and green and clean. Applications can be submitted at any time and decisions will be made within a month. www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk/

Make Your Mark and One Water have teamed up to launch the One Water Project competition, challenging teams of young people to come up with enterprising ways of selling bottles of One Water to support its work with communities in Africa. Teams must take into account the 3Ps – People, Planet and Profit. The NYA has 240 bottles of water reserved for 10 youth groups. The project will launch on 20 November – Social Enterprise Day – and teams will have until 19 December to raise money for the One Water Project. Groups should email contact details to helenafr@nya.org.uk

The BBC has launched a consultation looking at both the services aimed at young people, in particular BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, and considering how well the BBC provides for younger audiences in general.

The BBC Trust wants to hear from as wide a range of people as possible - and for people to tell them what they think, what they do and don’t enjoy, and what the BBC could do better.

The consultation runs until 16 December, so have your say today at: www.bbcyoursay.co.uk