The General Election is taking place on 4^th July 2024. Your voice matters. You can make yourself heard by writing to your local MP and using your vote (if you’re aged 18+).

To help you understand what the political parties are promising, we’ve summarised what each is saying in their Manifesto, in key areas including Education and Young People, Mental Health, the Creative sector and Equality, to give you a snapshot view.

Pie Factory Music is a politically neutral non-profit organisation. We have sourced the information directly from each Manifesto and the BBC’s manifesto comparison tool to provide this neutral summary.

You can read each Manifesto by clicking the links below:

Conservatives Manifesto
Labour Manifesto
Liberal Democrats Manifesto
Green Party Manifesto
Reform UK Manifesto
Workers Party Manifesto

Education and Young People

Conservatives

Protect day-to-day school spending in real terms per pupil

Ban mobile phone use during school and ensure parents can see what is being taught, especially in areas such as sex education.

Replace A-levels and T-levels with an Advanced British Standard giving 16 to 19-year-olds a broader education.

Deliver 100,000 more high-skilled apprenticeships a year by closing the poorest performing university courses.

Provide 60,000 more places for children with Special Educational Needs, and a further 15 new free schools for SEN pupils.

To provide young people with a secure future:

Introduce mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds – either taking on a role serving the community or securing a military placement.

Fund 100,000 high-quality apprenticeships for young people, paid for by curbing the number of poor-quality university degrees that leave young people worse off.

Labour

Recruit 6,500 more teachers in key subjects.

Provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

Improve maths teaching across nurseries and primary schools.

Review the curriculum to make it broader and give children more opportunities to study music, sport and the arts.

Turn further education colleges into Technical Excellence Colleges and improve apprenticeships to boost skills.

Fund free breakfast clubs in every primary school, accessible to all children.

Young Futures Hubs, which will make sure every community has an open-access hub for children and young people with drop-in mental health support.

Liberal Democrats

Increase school and college funding per pupil.

Invest in new school buildings and clearing the backlog of repairs.

Put a dedicated, qualified mental health professional in every school.

Extend free school meals to another 900,000 children living in low-income households, and aim to extend further to every child in primary school.

Invest in high-quality early years education.

Reinstate maintenance grants to cover living costs for disadvantaged students.

Boost apprenticeship numbers by replacing the existing apprenticeship levy with a skills and training levy.

Introduce a ‘Tutoring Guarantee’ for every disadvantaged pupil who needs extra support.

Create new Lifelong Skills Grants, giving all adults £5,000 to spend on education and training throughout their lives.

Appoint a Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People.

Expand opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country.

Giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote.

Green Party

Increase school funding by £8bn, including £2bn to increase pay for teachers.

Put a trained and paid counsellor in every school and sixth-form college.

Free school meals for all children and free breakfast clubs for children up to Year 6 (age 10-11).

End “high-stakes” testing for primary and secondary schools and abolish Ofsted.

Invest £5bn in Special Educational Needs provision in mainstream schools.

Adequate support in the school system for neurodivergent children and children with special educational needs.

Scrap university tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants.

Votes for 16-year-olds and residence-based voting rights.

Increase minimum wage to £15 an hour, whatever age.

Equal employment rights for all workers from their first day of employment, including those working in the ‘gig economy’ and on zero-hours contracts.

A move to a four-day working week.

Reform UK

Introduce a Patriotic Curriculum in Primary and Secondary Schools.

Double the number of Pupil Referral Units to keep more disruptive students outside of schools.

Scrap interest payments on student loans and extend the repayment period to 45 years.

Make universities offer two-year degree courses.

Cut funding for universities that allow political bias or undermine free speech.

Workers Party of Britain

Offer free breakfasts and lunches during term time for all schoolnchildren.

Review the national curriculum.

Return day-to-day control of education to local authorities.

Replace Ofsted with a system to supervise and coach staff.

Scrap university tuition fees, place the university sector under greater scrutiny and guarantee full academic freedom.

Commit to apprenticeships and to free and affordable vocational education.

A right to free tuition first degree that could be taken at any time during one’s life.

Financially support vocational education, apprenticeships and trades education.

Free breakfasts and lunches during term time for all school children.

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Mental health

Conservatives

Expand coverage of Mental Health Support Teams from 50% to 100% of schools and colleges in England by 2030.

Open early support hubs for those aged 11-25 in every local community by 2030.

Increase the planned expansion of NHS Talking Therapies by 50%, supporting people with anxiety, stress and depression.

Labour

Recruit 8,500 more mental health staff.

Young Futures hubs will provide open access mental health services for children and young people in every community.

Liberal Democrats

Improve early access to mental health services, including walk-in hubs for children and young people.

Green party

Increase mental health funding to allow people to access evidence-based therapies within 28 days.

Reform UK

No reference to mental health in the manifesto.

Workers Party of Britain

Increase health service capacity and integrate this with greater social care provision, including support for mental health.

Improve mental health by giving working households greater security.

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Creative sector

Conservatives

Will work with industry to deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training.

Labour

Implement creative industries sector plan as part of = Industrial Strategy, creating good jobs and accelerating growth in film, music, gaming, and other creative sectors.

Launch a new National Music Education Network – a one-stop shop with information on courses and classes for parents, teachers and children.

Liberal Democrats

Promote creative skills, address the barriers to finance faced by small businesses, and support modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules.

Negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK.

Establish creative enterprise zones to grow and regenerate the cultural output of areas across the UK.

Green Party

A £5bn investment to support community sports, arts and culture.

Keeping local sports facilities, museums, theatres, libraries and art galleries open and thriving.

An end to VAT on cultural activities, lowering the prices of everything from museum tickets to gigs in local pubs and making these more accessible.

Reform UK

No reference in the manifesto.

Workers Party

Arts spending will be on national and working-class culture.

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Equality

Conservatives

Introduce primary legislation to clarify that the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act means biological sex.

Will pass legislation to ensure schools must follow our guidance for teachers on how best to support gender questioning students in schools and colleges.

Ambition to make the country the most accessible place in the world – Inclusive Britain plan,  Disability Action Plan, British Sign Language Act, Down Syndrome Act.

Labour

Introduce Race Equality Act, focus on Women’s Equality, modernise gender recognition law.

Introduce the full right to equal pay for disabled people.

Protect LGBT+ and disabled people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence.

Deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Liberal Democrats

Champion the Human Rights Act and resist any attempts to weaken or repeal it.

Develop and implement a comprehensive Race Equality Strategy to address deep inequalities, including in education, health, criminal justice and the economy.

Make misogyny a hate crime and give police and prosecutors the resources and training to prevent and prosecute all hate crimes.

Give everyone the right to flexible working and every disabled person the right to work from home if they want to.

Respect and defend the rights of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including trans and non-binary people.

Green Party

Campaign to end violence against women and girls.

Campaign for the right of self-identification for trans and non-binary people.

Scrap the Prevent programme and tackle hate crime, misogyny, Islamophobia and antisemitism. Seek to restore trust and confidence in the police..

Readily available tailored provision to meet the needs of communities of colour, children and adolescents, older people and LGBTIQA+ communities.

Reform UK

Ban Transgender ideology from schools and insist schools have single-sex facilities.

Reaffirm British Sovereignty.

Replace the 2010 Equalities Act – scrap Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DE&I) rules.

Propose a Comprehensive Free Speech Bill.

Workers Party

Everyone will be encouraged throughout the educational system to ‘be their own person’.

We’re here

Talk to us if you need help writing to your MP or understanding the process of how to vote. Email us at info@piefactorymusic.com or chat with our youth workers in a session.

Join our fundraising supergroup!

We are looking for up to four volunteers to form a fundraising supergroup that will help us boost our fundraising capacity over the coming months.

Your support will help us diversify our income streams and keep the charity in the strong financial health we have achieved over the last few years. If you believe in our work for young people and think you can help by donating your time and skills, we want to hear from you.

What’s the commitment?

From February to July 2024 we are asking for:
– 6 x 2-hour roundtable meetings for the fundraising supergroup (2 meetings a month)
– 2 x monthly phone / video calls with the CEO & senior management team for coaching / strategy input
– Responding in a timely manner (i.e. within a week) to emails from the CEO for these 6 months.

Why give us your time and skills for free?

We know this is a big ask – people are very busy and belts couldn’t be tighter. But we believe that with an injection of short-term coaching and tangible support into Pie’s senior management team in the run-up to a period of substantial change for the organisation – Kent County Council are cutting funding for commissioned youth services. With your help, we will be further shored up to sustain our vital services whatever comes our way. The news that

In spring 2024 we will launch a fuller recruitment drive to expand our Board of Trustees, and this short-term volunteer role is a brilliant opportunity for someone thinking about supporting our charity but not able to commit to the longer-term responsibilities of being a full Trustee.

This in-kind support will boost the current fundraising we have underway and strengthen our future bids and fundraising portfolio; actively demonstrating the belief that our community has in what we do – it is invaluable.

Interested?

Please email our CEO at zoe@piefactorymusic.com for an informal chat.

Thank you for your past, present and future support.

Love,

Team Pie

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We’ve received the news that Kent County Council will be going ahead with cutting commissioned youth services as outlined in the consultation they published this summer.

So many of you sent heartfelt responses in support of Pie’s work, and the importance of open-access youth work generally – thank you. We are so grateful for the messages of love and encouragement we received and continue to receive from our community – it gives us the motivation and courage to carry on, despite the difficulties.

As we come to the end of our current youth service contracts – the end of March 2024 – we will be reflecting on our programmes, strategy and plans for the future; making sure that we do our best to continue providing a level of service and pastoral care that young people deserve. There will be some necessary changes to what we deliver and where from April 2024, and we’ll make sure you are kept informed as we go along.

While the final result is disappointing, we are nonetheless feeling hopeful and excited about what the future holds for Pie; our music and creative arts programmes such as the Emerging Artists programme and Open Arms are going from strength to strength, and we will be taking the energy and momentum from our campaigning with us into collaborations with new funders, partners and supporters.

We believe in a world where every young person has a good quality of life with equal access to creative opportunities and a community of support, and we are committed to advocating for this until this is the reality for all young people in our community. With that in mind – we need your help!

Join our fundraising supergroup!

What’s the commitment?

From February to July 2024 we are asking for:
– 6 x 2-hour roundtable meetings for the fundraising supergroup (2 meetings a month)
– 2 x monthly phone / video calls with the CEO & senior management team for coaching / strategy input
– Responding in a timely manner (i.e. within a week) to emails from the CEO for these 6 months.

Why give us your time and skills for free?

We know this is a big ask – people are very busy and belts couldn’t be tighter. But we believe that with an injection of short-term coaching and tangible support into Pie’s senior management team in the run-up to a period of substantial change for the organisation, we will be further shored up to sustain our vital services whatever comes our way.

In spring 2024 we will launch a fuller recruitment drive to expand our Board of Trustees, and this short-term volunteer role is a brilliant opportunity for someone thinking about supporting our charity but not able to commit to the longer-term responsibilities of being a full Trustee.

This in-kind support will boost the current fundraising we have underway and strengthen our future bids and fundraising portfolio; actively demonstrating the belief that our community has in what we do – it is invaluable.

Interested?

Please email our CEO at zoe@piefactorymusic.com for an informal chat.

Thank you for your past, present and future support.

Love,

Team Pie

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We need your help to save commissioned youth services in Kent!

We believe Kent County Council’s proposed cuts to commissioned youth services as part of the transformation to a new Family Hub model will significantly limit, and potentially eradicate, open-access youth work across the county, leaving the vast proportion of young people without sufficient accessible educational and leisure activities outside of school/college. Help us in speaking up against the cuts, by responding to the consultation by 13 September 2023.

Say no to the cuts

With 85% of a young person’s waking hours spent outside of school and formal education, where the loss of youth services is pronounced, vulnerable young people in particular are falling prey to loneliness, poor mental health and fear of youth violence or at risk of exploitation. In areas investing in youth services, we see a positive commitment to young people’s inclusion in decision-making, community engagement and increased life skills.

After a decade of cuts to local youth services exceeding 70%, and at a time of increased need and demand for youth services, it is not reasonable to further cut such services.

KCC are proposing to co-locate children and youth services under the new Family Hub framework. The proposal states KCC’s intention to deliver ‘in-house youth provision’ as part of the Family Hub model. KCC’s current youth provision, however, is focused on targeted case work, working with high-needs young people, which significantly limits the amount – if any – open-access youth work that KCC can deliver. The vast majority of current open-access youth work is being delivered by Kent’s commissioned providers, with Pie Factory Music delivering the commissions for Thanet and Dover districts. However, due to KCC needing to save money, they have taken the decision to cut existing commissioned youth services from the Family Hub model proposed.

Pie Factory Music, and other commissioned providers, believe that the proposed Family Hub model does not meet KCC’s statutory duty to secure sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people which are for the improvement of their wellbeing, and sufficient facilities for such activities, which is required by the statutory duty for local authorities as outlined in Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The added value that commissioned services such as those delivered by Pie Factory Music bring to the youth offer in Kent stand to be lost with the end of youth service commissions – such (and not limited to) music and creative arts programmes, sports, skating, cooking and bike maintenance projects, youth volunteering and social action projects, gardening groups and Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Pie’s CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord outlines the damaging impact the proposed model will have:

We’re asking you to say no to cutting commissioned youth services

Join us in opposing the proposed cuts to commissioned youth services, by responding to the consultation before the deadline of 13th September 2023.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Respond to the consultation via KCC’s website / email / phone number. Every response counts, and the more noise that is made, the more likely the services will be saved.

The consultation runs until 13 September 2023. 

Complete the online form at www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubservices. 

Alternatively, fill in a paper form available from children’s centres and youth hubs and return it to Freepost FAMILY HUB SERVICES CONSULTATION. 

You can also give feedback by email, letter or phone at familyhubsfeedback@kent.gov.uk / 03000 419292.

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2. Send a copy of your response to local politicians and encourage them to submit their own opposition to the proposal to the consultation.

Find KCC members

Find TDC councillors

Find MPs

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3. Attend one of the community consultation events – we will be there! Bring placards
and banners! For details, visit www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubservices.  

Tuesday 22 August 10am to 2pm, Dame Janet Primary Academy, Newington Road, Newington, Ramsgate CT12 6QY

Thursday 10 August 1-3pm, School field next to Sunflower Children’s Centre, Adelaide Road, Eythorne, Dover, CT15 4AN

Tuesday 15 August 11am-1pm, School field next to Samphire Children’s Centre, St David’s Avenue, Dover CT17 9HJ

4. Share the link to the consultation on your social media and encourage your followers to take part.

Use our pre-made social media image to add to your post.

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Read the consultation documents

The consultation documents can be found at:
• Summary document
• Easy-read summary document
• Easy read questionnaire (for submitting to the consultation)
• Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006
• Guidance for Local Authorities on Providing Youth Services (National Youth Agency)

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Respond to the consultation

Thank you for taking action and speaking up.

If you’d like to talk to our team about Pie’s response to the consultation, email us at info@piefactorymusic.com.

Calling young music enthusiasts aged 13-17 years… join us on a journey to re-imagine and record your favourite cover songs and make a short EP.

The EP will be released on Pie Factory Music’s record label Wantsum Music?.

Under the expert guidance of our experienced creative practitioners, Matt Smyth and Dave Morris, you will delve into the realms of recording, producing, arranging, and playing as a band. Additionally, you’ll gain valuable insights into the EP release process, including brainstorming an EP name and designing the artwork.

Whether you play an instrument, sing, create beats, or have an interest in music technology and recording, we would love to hear from you!

The Take Two recording project starts on Thursday 10th August at Pie Factory Music HQ in Ramsgate (CT11 0QG) and runs for eight weeks.

Take the first step by filling out this application form

In the last year, youth charity Pie Factory Music has welcomed over 50 young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees to its Open Arms sessions. To celebrate the compassion-led project’s first anniversary, the charity is holding an art exhibition of young people’s work during Refugee Week (17 – 25 June 2023).

Moving Stories showcases activist art created by the young refugees and asylum seekers aged 13 to 21 years from the Open Arms project and will be on show at Discovery Planet on Ramsgate High Street. The works amplify their voices and share important messages of compassion, positivity, resilience, and community, as powerful stories of their journey and lived experience.

Every Friday, the free Open Arms social sessions have created a warm, welcoming and inclusive space for young people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Kurdistan, Ukraine, Syria and other countries who have fled their homes seeking asylum in the UK. Together, they make music and art, play games, dance and cook traditional recipes from their home countries, whilst making friends and connections and learning life skills. They’ve also taken part in new experiences such as Discovery Planet‘s science-inspired workshops.

Pie Factory Music CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord says:

“We started the Open Arms sessions last June in response to the growing need to provide a safe space for ALL young people in East Kent. It’s our duty at Pie to be here for every and any young person in and coming to East Kent. The programme demonstrates how people from different backgrounds can support and befriend each other, bridging cultural differences in a celebration of diversity and unity. We are immensely proud of this programme, which has inspired other organisations to create space for young asylum seekers and refugees too. We’d love for as many people in our community to celebrate these young people by coming to the exhibition, which we can’t wait to welcome people to, with open arms.”

Some of the powerful messages in the Moving Stories exhibition include:

Open Arms: Moving Stories – Compassion & Migration
Discovery Planet, 47 High St, Ramsgate CT11 9AG
Saturday 17th June 2023, 10am – 4pm
Entry is free
The exhibition will remain in place until Thursday 22nd June.

Open Arms sessions
Every Friday, 5 – 7:30pm
Pie Factory Music, Ramsgate Youth Centre
High St, St Lawrence, Ramsgate, CT11 0QG

*There will be a brief break from activities from Friday 30th June to Friday 4th August, resuming on Friday 11th August. We look forward to continuing our journey of building connections, promoting compassion, and empowering young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees in Kent.

Open Arms is a programme for Young Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugees, 13 – 21 years old, in the care of Kent County Council/Medway local authority or another local authority and generously funded by NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group.