Listening to young people’s experiences of place, active leisure and inequality in Swindon Strategies for change A report by Annaleise Depper
Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
Strategies for change: About With rising concerns for young people’s social exclusion and health inequalities, we need to listen to young people’s views and directly involve them in the planning and delivery of community services in Swindon. This report highlights key areas for development, identified by young people, to promote healthy, active lives. Supporting active lifestyles is necessary to improve the physical health, mental wellbeing and overall quality of life of Swindon’s youth population.
The Your Space, Your Say project The strategies for change report contains feedback from Annaleise Depper’s PhD 1 research; the Your Space, Your Say project . The aim of the project was to explore young people’s experiences of leisure, active mobility and inequality in Swindon. Over 9 months, young people engaged in creative film-making and other visual methods, to highlight the complexities of active living and the everyday challenges they face.
Project sample The strategies for change incorporates the views of 12 young people, aged 12-17. These young people were of white-British nationality and from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, including some individuals living in poverty in Swindon. This sample also included some young people with learning and social disabilities. The young people were recruited through youth support services and charities in Swindon.
This report also draws upon the ideas of family members and policy officers/ providers across sport, health and family services in Swindon. While the strategies for change is not a definitive list or representative of all young people in Swindon, this report offers important examples and ideas for supporting active lifestyles, from the perspective of young people themselves.
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Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
Strategies for change: Summary Involve young people in the planning and delivery of services
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Involve young people not just in one-off consultations, but throughout the planning and delivery of services (see page 3 for creative methods of engagement) Services to engage in creative solutions to support participation projects, within budget constraints e.g. optimising adult and youth volunteers to help deliver projects
More affordable leisure opportunities
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Re-introduce the ‘Swindon Card’, a loyalty based scheme offering discounted prices on local leisure provision for young people Services and charities to collaborate with local businesses in order to support young people’s discounted leisure activities. Young people should work alongside services when applying for 2 community trust funds e.g. to help support budgets, resources and venue hire 3 More free, outdoor activities, e.g. Swindon junior parkrun , held in other parks in Swindon
More accessible leisure provision
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Statutory services and charities to work with local transport providers, to provide subsidies and ensure ease of access to leisure clubs and green spaces in the community Joined up approaches between services are necessary to ensure young people’s needs are met e.g. partnerships between Children, Families, and Community Health; Environment and Planning; Police and Crime Commissioner; and Recreation, Leisure and Culture
Increased promotion of free/ discounted leisure activities
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Social media and other young people friendly websites can be used to promote leisure 4 opportunities in local areas e.g. The Dock Swindon Promote free leisure opportunities, e.g. junior parkrun, more widely in schools and provide participation incentives to local school children
Informal opportunities for leisure
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Rather than traditional sports, provide fun, sociable and safe opportunities for young people to be active, e.g. trampoline parks, ice skating, trampoline parks, bike rides, American football, outdoor and indoor skate parks, outdoor adventure parks, parkour, parks with nature and woodland areas Offer free taster activities that focus on participation and not just excellence, to help young people feel more confident about joining new groups
Facilitating more safe, welcome spaces
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Young people need more inclusive leisure spaces, where they feel comfortable and not judged Help cut down on bullying by making conflict and hate-speech more aware in schools and on social media Additional staff training is needed in all services that interact with young people, to help and support young people who have had negative experiences with peers Support groups with a focus on holistic health and wellbeing, could help young people who face difficulties at home, are living in poverty or have a range of disAbilities Services need to be flexible by contacting and meeting with young people at a time and location that meets the physical and behavioural needs of young people
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Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
Strategies for change: Methods of engagement In order to understand the diverse needs of Swindon’s youth population, we need to engage more creatively with their experiences and voices. Here are some ideas of creative ways to involve young people in the planning, shaping and delivery of community services. Youth councils
Young inspectors
Introduce a youth council in your club/ charity/ service, made up of young people who meet regularly to discuss issues that affect young people and share ideas to improve services. See, for 5 example, the Swindon Youth Council . Older young people could be involved as volunteers to lead projects.
Allow young people to become ‘mystery shoppers’ and explore leisure services. Then listen to young people’s open and honest insights and recommended improvements that can help services cater to the needs of young people. For examples, see case studies from a Young Inspectors pilot 6 programme .
Online social media Advertise leisure services on social media pages. With young people’s consent, share images and live video streams to offer interactive marketing of leisure sessions. Start Facebook and Twitter polls to gather quick feedback from young people about services.
Film-making
Youth-led exhibitions and conferences
Film-making is a great way for young people to go out into communities and visually share their experiences. If you have a small budget, then encourage young people to direct, film and edit a short film using phone apps. Or hire professional film makers to help the young people produce the film. For example, the young people in the Your Space, Your Say project worked with film makers from Create Studios to produce a short film about Swindon junior parkrun 7.
Provide young people with the opportunity to both organise and run an exhibition around issues that are important to them. For example, the Your Space, Your Say exhibition 8 brought together young people, local practitioners and policy makers, family and friends, to facilitate interactive discussions through panel talks, poster displays and film viewings.
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Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
References: 1.
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6. 7. 8.
Further information about the Your Space Your Say project can be found here: http://www.wiltssport.org.uk/images/documents/Your%20space%20Your%20say%20report% 20-%20Depper.pdf Community trust funds e.g. the Santander Foundation, Involve Swindon who support local communities and social change. Swindon junior parkrun is a free 2k run for juniors, aged 4-14 year olds, held every Sunday at Lydiard Park http://www.parkrun.org.uk/swindon-juniors/ The Dock Swindon is a new and different way for young people to find out about support services in Swindon https://thedockswindon.co.uk/ Swindon Youth Council (formerly Swindon Youth Forum) meet regularly to discuss issues important to them as young people living within Swindon http://www.swindonstep.org.uk/groupsandactivities/swindonyouthforum.html Youth4U - Young Inspectors pilot programme 2009-2011 http://www.participationworks.org.uk/topics/young-inspectors/best-practice-examples/ Not just a Run in the Park film https://vimeo.com/createstudios Your Space Your Say exhibition www.bath.ac.uk/health/news/news_0152.html
Links and resources: Read the full Your Space, Your Say summary report: http://www.wiltssport.org.uk/images/documents/Your%20space%20Your%20say%20report%20%20Depper.pdf News stories about the Your Space, Your Say exhibition: www.bath.ac.uk/health/news/news_0152.html www.thedockswindon.co.uk/your-space-your-say-exhibition/ www.wiltssport.org.uk/wasp-news/2196-your-space-your-say For more information on this project, please contact: Annaleise Depper a.f.depper@bath.ac.uk +44 (0)1225 383621 @AnnaleiseD
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Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
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Your Space, Your Say
Report 2017: Strategies for change
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