FAQs
General
Entries
Registration
Timing
Prizes
Website
Active Conferences
Judging
General
What is Active Kids Get Talking?
Active Kids Get Talking is the biggest youth consultation on the UK. We are asking schools, Scouts and Guides to help us shape future of Active Kids over the next five years.
We are running this consultation to make sure future Active Kids supports schools and groups in the best possible way.
To take part, you should run a consultation in your school or group. This means you comment on our suggested Active Ideas or come up with a completely new idea of your own. You then enter the result of your consultation on this website, telling us which idea we should develop into a AK scheme and why.
We will pick the best ideas and draft an Active Kids Manifesto outlining the future of Active Kids. We will then develop some of the ideas into AK schemes.
What’s a consultation?
A group of people thinking about an idea and developing it by asking others what they think. The goal of a consultation is to come to an agreement about a decision.
What’s the Active Kids Manifesto?
We’ll put the most interesting ideas from all the entries into this document. It will be the starting point for our future Active Kids programmes.
We’ll write the Active Kids Manifesto over the summer, after the consultation is closed. You can look at it on this website in September 2008.
Are there printed posters or brochures available?
There is a flyer with information on Active Kids Get Talking. This was sent to all secondary schools, Scouts and Guides organisations in the UK at the beginning of March. To request another copy, please go to the contacts page and send us an email.
Do I have to be a school council to take part in Active Kids Get Talking?
No. If you have another student/Scouts/Guides group in place that would like to take on this project, that’s fine. Or you could set up a special Active Kids Get Talking consultation group. All we are asking is that you carry out a consultation on one or more of the Active Ideas.
Entries
Who can enter?
The Active Kids Get Talking consultation is open to all pupils, Scouts (Cubs, Explorer, Network, Scouts) and Guides (Brownies, Guides, Senior Section) in the UK from the ages of 7 to 16 inclusive on the competition closing date 23 May 2008 .
How do I enter?
1. You carry out a consultation in your school or Scouts/Guides group on one or more of the five proposed Active Ideas.
The proposed Active Ideas are:
- Active Kids Time
- Active Kids Alternative Sports
- Active Kids Enterprise
- Active Kids Get Cooking
- Your Active Kids.
2. The result of the consultation forms the entry. In your entry, you comment on the Active Ideas and suggest changes and/or improvements. For Your Active Kids you enter a new idea of your own. Sainsbury’s suggest this could be about music or environment. But if you have another idea, they would like to hear it.
3. After you finished your consultation, fill in the online entry form. It will ask you a set of questions about the idea you have chosen to enter and your consultation process. You don’t have to fill in the form all at once. You can save it and log back on to complete it. You have to submit the form by 23 May 2008.
To enter your teacher or group leader has to be registered and set up an entry account for you. This means you’ll have a username and password with which you log on to the website and access and manage the entry form.
Do I have to be registered to enter?
Yes. You cannot enter online without being registered. Please ask your teacher or group leader to sign you up.
For more information about how to register go to Registration.
How many entries can I send in?
Your school or group can enter up to five entries. You can submit one entry for each of the 5 Active Ideas. For each entry your teacher or group leader has to create an entry account.
I’ve submitted my entry but want to change it. What should I do?
Make the changes to you entry and submit it again. We’ll ignore previous versions and only judge the latest one.
What format should my entry be in?
You have to enter using the online entry form.
To support your entry you can attach a PowerPoint presentation or Word document.
Your entry can’t be longer than 500 words. If you go over this limit, you’ll get a warning message on the website.
Your presentation can’t be more than 5 slides and 5MB
Can I send in my entry by post?
Unfortunately, you can’t enter by post. You can only enter online.
Do I have to fill in all fields in the entry form?
Yes, please complete all fields of the entry form. The judges will have to ignore all incomplete entries.
What are the Active Ideas and where can I find out more about them?
The Active Ideas are the five ideas we have suggested for the future of Active Kids. Start your consultation with these ideas. Make sure you understand what they are about. As a result of your consultation you’ll comment on the Active Ideas, suggest improvements and tell the judges how they would support your school. There is lots of help in the 7–11 toolkit and the 11–14 toolkit.
Registration
How do I register?
If you are a teacher or group leader and are already registered with Active Kids, you can use your existing username and password to create an account on Active Kids Get Talking.
If you are not registered for AK, you have to go through the registration process on the website. It won’t take more than 5 minutes.
The registration process on the website will guide you through the steps. You’ll have to:
- Create an AKGT co-ordinator account – this is for the teacher/group leader to monitor and submit the entry.
- Create an entry account – this is for your students/Scouts/Guides. You set a username and password which you hand out to them. It enables your students/Scouts/Guides to access and work on the entry form.
After you have registered, we’ll send you an email with your details.
You’ll only be able to see the co-ordinator area on the site after you have registered and logged in.
I’ve forgotten my password/username. What do I do?
Go to the yellow log in box on the right hand side of the screen and click on “Forgotten your password?” / “Forgotten your username?”
Timing
When is the closing date?
23 May 2008, 23:59
When will I hear whether I have been selected for the regional or national conferences?
If you have been shortlisted as a regional consultant, we’ll get in touch with you w/c 2 June by telephone. You’ll also receive a written confirmation, an invitation to one of the regional conferences and a conference information pack.
If you have been selected as a national consultant, the judges will tell you at the regional conference.
When are the Active Conferences?
The regional conferences are between 16 and 27 June.
The national conference is week commencing 15 September. We’ll publish the exact date on this website shortly.
I’ve been selected for the regional/national conference. When will I get an information pack?
You’ll receive an information pack for the regional conferences week commencing 2 June. This will contain details about the day, how to prepare and how to get to the venue.
Prizes
What can I win?
Regional consultants
72 schools, Scouts/Guides groups will be invited to attend the six regional Active conferences as consultants. You’ll have the opportunity to present your ideas to a panel of judges and attend expert-led workshops on debating and problem-solving. All regional consultants will receive 2500 Active Kids vouchers, plus a School Council UK toolkit, handbook and wall planner.
National consultants
Representatives from 18 of the regional consultant schools (or equivalent) will be invited to attend the national Active Conference. These schools, Scouts/Guides groups will be the national consultants. They will meet with celebrities such as Jamie Oliver and Kelly Holmes and discuss and approve the Active Kids Manifesto and attend expert-led workshops.
All national consultants will receive 6000 Active Kids vouchers, plus My Voice voting software worth £350 to be used for future school council projects.
Find out more about the Conferences.
Will there be one overall winner?
No. The aim of Active Kids Get Talking is to create a community of consultants (schools, Scouts, Guides) who will help Sainsbury’s develop the next Active Kids programme and make sure we’ll support young people in the best possible way.
When will I find out whether I’ve won or not?
We’ll contact all regional consultants week commencing 2 June.
National consultants will be told by the judges at each of the regional conferences (16–17 June).
What is the expense allowance and am I eligible for it?
We give £250 to each school and group that attends one of the conferences. This money is to be used to cover any expenses such as travel or supply teachers. The allowance is limited to £250 per event only and is non-negotiable.
Your conference information pack will include a form to claim the allowance.
Website
I’m looking for help with my consultation. Is there anything on the website?
There are two comprehensive toolkits in Consult. One for 7–11, one for 11–14. They include a step-by-step guide on how to carry out your consultation as well as forms, questionnaires, and presentations you can use.
You can download and print the whole toolkit.
Are there any support materials for teachers available?
Yes, go to Teachers on the website. There are brief notes about how AKGT fits in with the curriculum and how it benefits your school (or equivalent).
Is there any information about the judges on the website?
Yes, go to Judging.
I’m looking for information on prizes on the website. Where can I find this?
Go to Prizes .
Where are the Terms and Conditions on the website?
Got to Terms and conditions.
How do I create a co-ordinator or entry account?
Got to Registration
I’ve lost the information on my entry form. What should I do?
Please phone the helpline on 0844 415 8440 or fill in the contact form.
I can’t download the PDF toolkits. What should I do?
Make sure you have version 7 and upwards of Acrobat reader to download the toolkits. If you don’t have this, click on the link on the toolkit page to update your system.
Active Conferences
What are the Active Conferences?
These are events for the schools and groups that have been selected to be regional or national consultants. At the regional conferences schools and groups will present their ideas, attend workshops and tour some of the venues.
At the national conference, schools and groups will meet with celebrities such as Jamie Oliver and Kelly Holmes, discuss and approve the Active Kids Manifesto and attend workshops.
Where and when are the Active Conferences?
| Scotland |
No conference |
North East |
No conference |
North West |
| Midlands |
No conference |
East/South East |
No conference |
South West |
The national conference will take place w/c 15 September, exact date and location will be published on this website shortly.
Will I receive more information about the conference before the event?
Yes, you’ll receive a conference information pack in the post. The pack will include details about the day, how to prepare, forms to claim your expense allowance, directions etc.
We won’t be able to attend the Active Conference. What shall we do?
Phone the helpline on 0844 415 8440.
How many people can I bring to a conference?
You can bring four students or Scouts and Guides and two adults. If you bring a mixture of boys and girls, please make sure your accompanying adults are of both genders.
Will Sainsbury’s pay for travel or accommodation if I attend the conference?
Every school or group attending one of the conferences can claim a £250 expense allowance per conference. There will be a form for this in your conference information pack. The allowance is limited to £250 and non-negotiable.
Will there be food at the conferences?
We’ll serve sandwiches and soft drinks. In the conference information pack you’ll be asked to inform us about any special dietary needs.
Do I need to prepare anything for the conferences?
You’ll need to prepare your presentation to the judges. There will be five judges on the panel. In your presentation you should explain the information in your entry, e.g. why you have chosen the idea you entered, how you would change it, how your school would benefit from it, who was part of your consultation.
Judging
What is the judging process and who are the judges?
Go to Judging to find out more.