I was privileged to be invited by young people to a conference designed to promote open discussion around health and wellbeing with a focus upon mental health. The youth-led conference with Keynote opening by a lead young person on the project gave an evidence base to develop educative notion of the importance of the agenda. As a role, my intention was to record the key features of the day and the impressive work that young people engaged in towards the notion of a social change agenda.
‘The Start of the Journey’ keynote was intended to develop the notion of generating shared ideas, inclusivity, diversity, connection, growth, social justice as key features of the day. The high level of engagement and participation was impressively displayed by young people and the insight into the topic was incredible. The informal education and youth work approach has been central to the development of the project and the Impact Youth Group in Preston has enabled young people to take up on the agenda and research to inform a stance on the potential of social action.
Discussion around the recent sad news regarding Caroline Flack and the “Be Kind” movement was cited as a personal and social investment indicates a relevance of the project and young people’s motivation to fill the gaps in responses on a social and political level and promote the nature of emotional wellbeing and the 8 core areas of mental health.
The questions posed; Are we doing enough in each of these areas as practitioners? As organisations? And as a Society?
Young people have planned, designed and delivered the day together and a radical approach to work with young people that enables capacity and agency and empowered belief in the potential of change! An interesting dynamic that was observed that is perhaps different to an adult action group is the lack of hierarchy in the day, the share of power and control between young people as facilitators and attendees and equally in the group that established and set up the event. Adult led activities can be organised with leaders and managers taking ownership whilst this event has inclusivity and a genuine air of open space to discuss from any corner of the conference.
Outcomes Achieved by Young People
Developed Support networks
Enhanced partnerships with adult engaged participants
Wider and more effective discussion to support and sustain views
Peer to peer support
Sharing best practice, knowledge and networking
knowledge share and commitment inclusive of an awareness that a 48% increase in anxiety for young people requires change
Increased self-awareness
Improved confidence and self-esteem
Positive development and visible connection
A safe space for young people to be creative and share ideas about initiatives they are facilitating and learn from one another
Volunteering
Campaigning
Making decisions collectively
Facilitating change through action
Adapting the agenda from a personal to a community, social and political dimension
Cohesion
Tolerance and acceptance
Opportunity for action and change
The earlier initial focus group facilitated by Terry Mattinson a professional youth worker in Preston’s Impact Youth Group, gave power, ownership and control of content, agenda and offers a unique approach to enabling and empowering young people. The intention to create a ‘hub’ to develop information and initiatives that can be shared across the range of people. There was support and representation from a photographer, high school teacher, informal educators, faith leaders. The #iwill challenge campaign https://www.iwill.org.uk gave ground to engage further during and ideally after the event.
A key message from young people was about information and initiatives and the notion of talking together but listening at the same time. Connecting and being together and sharing the importance of openly talking.
Young people facilitated whole group games and activities to promote a flow in the day towards action. The observable levels of confidence and self-esteem, leadership and facilitation alongside the value of developed communication skills and the inherent value of youth work and informal education were prominent features.
The activities moved from self-motivation to working together to solidify the intentions of the day. An activity via a ‘peace education’ using elements of critical analysis and enhanced thinking skills alongside ethical and principled values development.
The adult supporters included Youth Workers, formal educators, photographer, faith leaders learnt a great deal around the self-care agenda that was discussed by young people. The nature of personal reflection and valuing the personal self as a motivational part of the movement to ‘Be Kind To Your Mind’ was insightful and definitively a core focus of the day.
Young people feeding back on their real life perspectives on stereotyping and exceptional views on diversity and inclusion were undertaken. An indepth activity on the labelling process and the impact on mental wellbeing were raised and the need to share the findings from the activity are very important. The identification of the need for safeguarding training for young people was noted as an ongoing aspiration.
The UK Youth Empower HER agenda aims to inspire young women and girls to lead change and funding secured to promote the day has been a substantial aspect of the youth work interaction with the group. Ongoing actions such as the development of peer listening networks in schools are currently planning to recruit and train more young people as volunteers. Lunch time drop in sessions have been established creating space by young people to listen to their peers with a signposting role for the active listeners. Young people delivering in the assembly to the broader school inclusive of the teaching staff has been initiated with a theme each month to develop the movement and importance. ‘Exam de-stresser’ activities to enable young people a space to break from the drive for exam success and take it easy.
The individual and community benefits of the conference from personal knowledge and skills development to social justice campaigning and effort to promote a developed awareness of existing and future projects has become a campaign aim and to draw together young people contributions, actions and increase awareness further will follow. If you have information or events running, please send through so that we can begin to map the project that young people are facilitating and raise awareness further.
An astonishing insight into the capacity, agency and commitment from young people during the day and the beginning of a more formal movement in responding to the needs of young people using informal education and youth work as a vehicle to shift thinking from a personal, group to social and political dimension.
For more information, networking and partnership;
Reach Out to the following for more information, resources or co-delivery;
Preston Impact Youth Group
Steve Walker: www.stevewalker.live steviewalks@yahoo.co.uk
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