YouthBank Scotland evaluation 2011 by Marc Forrester

YOUTHBANK SCOTLAND EVALUATION MARCH 2011

Involving

Investing

Inspiring

NORTHERN STAR 1

Northern Star Northern Star Northern Star supports organisations in the voluntary and public sectors to understand, engage with and measure their impact on people. We believe substantive participation can strengthen organisations and we can help staff and volunteers develop the skills and confidence to better engage with communities. We do this through: ▶ Evaluation ▶ Action research and consultation ▶ Training ▶ Facilitation ▶ Capacity building Our expertise in these areas means we can offer organisations a full range of services from strategy development to consultation, implementation and impact assessment. Underpinning everything we do is a commitment to build the capacity of the organisations and stakeholders we work in partnership with. We have years of experience in empowering communities to engage with, shape and evaluate services. www.northernstarassociates.co.uk

Acknowledgements Northern Star would like to thank all of the young people, staff and stakeholders who gave up their time to participate in this evaluation.

Contents Table of Contents Section

Page

Executive Summary Introduction YouthBank Scotland Background The Policy and Practice Context Methodology Beneficiary Chain Analysis: North Ayrshire YouthBank Beneficiary Chain Analysis: Youth Chex Further Impact on Grantmakers Case Study: Daniel Case Study Mahri Participatory Research: The YouthBank Impact in Dumfries and Galloway Participatory Research: Case Study Katie Impact on Hosts and Funders Case Study: The Big Splash! Case Study: Ian Anderson, North Lanarkshire YouthBank Policy Impact YouthBank Scotland Case Study: YBS Training Recommendations Appendix 1 Appendix 2

4 6 8 10 14 16 27 45 50 52 54 56 57 58 61 64 66 69 71 74 75

Executive Summary ►► ►► ►►

Executive Summary

The logic model on the following page provides a brief overview of of inputs, outputs and outcomes achieved.

YouthBank Scotland (YBS) commissioned Northern Star to research and evaluate the impact that YBS has made on local YouthBanks across Scotland, and the communities of which they are part. YouthBank is an innovative grant making and empowerment initiative run by young people for young people in communities. YBS is the umbrella organisation for local YouthBanks in Scotland. Our research found that YBS contributes multiple benefits to a range of stakeholders including young grantmakers, local authorities, voluntary sector bodies, community groups, young people and the wider community. These impacts are sometimes made directly, sometimes mediated through the local YouthBanks and young people which YBS support, and are sometimes made in combination with local authority and voluntary sector provision. Our research found YBS made significant impacts in the following areas: ►► ►► ►►

►► ►►

Ensuring quality in youthwork practice and small grant making Upholding a recognised best practice model for youth-led community development Delivering opportunities for achievement of key national and international policy frameworks including Scotland’s National Performance Framework, Curriculum for Excellence, Valuing Young People and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Training and skills development for young people Empowerment and participation opportunities for young people Continuing professional development for Community Learning and Development practitioners Capacity-building for local authorities and voluntary sector host organisations Facilitating creative and value for money investment in positive community activities 4

Executive Summary

Taking part in YouthBank network

Making grants

Training

Capacity building

Local YouthBanks

Provides policy support and advocacy

OUTPUTS

Co-ordinates monitoring and evaluation

Development funding for YouthBanks

Supports the development of new YouthBanks

Promotes YouthBank to policy & decision makers in Scotland

Provides opportunities to raise the profile of YouthBank

Co-ordinates the Scottish Advisory Form

Accredited and non-accredited training

Capacity building support for YouthBanks across Scotland

YouthBank Scotland

ACTIVITIES

YBS Logic Model INPUTS

Big Lottery Fund grant provided funding for YBS YouthBank UK developed model and hosted YBS YouthLink Scotland piloted and supported YBS Local funders provide local grant pots Organisations act as hosts for local YouthBanks Local authority and voluntary sector provide policy framework and political support

Raising the profile of YouthBank Monitoring and evaluation

PARTICIPANTS

SHORT TERM

Increased confidence and sense of empowerment resulting in raised aspirations Development of new skills, experiences and qualifications

Improved financial and emotional literacy

Workers

Grantmakers

Continuing professional development

Sense of achievement

Increased participation opportunities

More activities for young people

Funders and Host organisations

Young applicants and beneficiaries

Community Organisations

Innovative community investment

OUTCOMES

MEDIUM TERM

Increased employability

More active citizens and positive contributors to society

More positive image of young people

Stronger intergenerational relationships

Sustainability and development of projects, clubs and services

Reductions of anti-social behaviour

Better understanding of community and increased sense of belonging to it

Maximising the peer approach and support model

Value for money investment

LONG TERM

More active communities

Improved health and wellbeing

Improved community cohesion

Introduction ►► Who are some of the individual young people who have been strongly and positively impacted by their involvement with YouthBanks in Scotland? ►► What are their stories and how would they describe the changes that they have experienced in themselves and that they have made in their communities?

Introduction

►► What is the future potential for YBS as an organisation?

In January 2011, YBS commissioned Northern Star to research and evaluate the impact that YBS has made on local YouthBanks across Scotland, and the communities of which they are part. The evaluation took place between January and March 2011 and involved a multimethod approach including desk research, interviews, focus groups and written submissions.

►► How do different elements of the YouthBank network in Scotland contribute to the impact on individuals and beneficiaries and communities? ►► What evidence is there that YBS has made an impact in the following national policy framework areas: ○ National Outcome 4 - “Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens” ○ Valuing Young People ○ UNCRC ○ Curriculum for Excellence and 16+ Learning Choices

YBS already had a large amount of monitoring and statistical information, as well as evidence for the achievement of outcomes, and as such this evaluation does not attempt to evaluate the total impact of the organisation but attempts to gather qualitative data that personalises and illustrates the outcomes achieved by YBS. The aim of the evaluation is tell the stories of how YouthBank has positively impacted on individuals and communities, including the impact on individual young people involved in YouthBanks across Scotland. These stories also include the wider impact that YouthBanks have on the local community through grants and examine what impact YBS has on young grantmakers and local organisations. To this end the evaluation was shaped by the following key questions:

In 2009, young grantmakers and Local Co-ordinators in Scotland defined the outcomes that YouthBank delivers for five key stakeholders. These outcomes will be used for evaluation and impact assessment in the future and as such they form the structure for the findings section of this report where appropriate. This is to ensure that any future evaluations may be comparable with this evaluation.

Introduction The table below details the outcomes by stakeholder. Stakeholder Young grantmakers

Outcomes 1. Increased confidence and sense of empowerment resulting in raised aspirations 2. Development of new skills, experiences and qualifications 3. Viewed by others as active citizens and positive contributors to society 4. Improved financial and emotional literacy 5. Increased employability

Young applicants and beneficiaries

1. Improved sense of empowerment through increased confidence and capacity 2. Sense of achievement - YouthBank grants turn good ideas for community benefit into action 3. Better understanding of community and increased sense of belonging to it 4. Gain valuable life experience - application process, form filling, project management, budgeting, marketing, evaluation etc 5. Viewed as valued positive contributors to society

Communities

1. Stronger intergenerational relationships 2. Improved community cohesion as the community benefits from community events led by young people 3. Young people invest in the sustainability and development of projects, clubs and services through YouthBank grants 4. Young people are active citizens and positive contributors to community life 5. Reductions of anti-social behaviour as young people are involved in productive and interesting activities funded by YouthBank 6. Improved health and wellbeing through increased participation 1. Legislative & policy fulfilment 2. Continual professional development for YouthBank Coordinators 3. Enables innovative community investment 1. Reaching young people you could not reach on your own 2. Maximising the peer approach and support model 3. Creatively investing in communities 4. Inspiring active communities 5. Enabling increased participation opportunities 6. Value for money investment

Host organisations Funders (grant pot investors)

YouthBank Scotland Background YouthBank Scotland YBS is the national network of YouthBanks in Scotland. Originally YouthLink Scotland was commissioned by YouthBank UK to pilot YouthBanks in Scotland. In 2006 the concept of YBS was born in response to the identified need for dedicated support and accredited training appropriate for a Scottish context. Between 2006 and 2008, local YouthBanks in Scotland submitted evidence of need and suggestions of purpose to YouthLink Scotland with the aim of building a comprehensive funding application. On the 1st April 2008, YBS was formally launched as a joint project of YouthBank UK and YouthLink Scotland with three year funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Young People’s Fund.

The YouthBank Model YouthBank is an innovative grant making and empowerment initiative run by young people for young people in communities. YouthBank builds on young people’s skills and experiences to enable them to give cash for action, funding young people’s ideas for the benefit of the wider community. This is a tool that can be used in a variety of geographic and thematic communities.* From 1999 YouthBank UK piloted and developed the model of YouthBank across the UK.

Upon its establishment a project steering group was set up with membership from YouthBank UK, YouthLink Scotland, YBS Staff and young people and co-ordinators from local YouthBanks in Scotland, to oversee the management of the project. This group evolved to become the Shape the Future Working Group focusing on the business of YBS and in particular the sustainability of the project beyond March 2011. The developed a proposal that YBS becomes an independently constituted body to ensure sustainability after March 2011. In January 2011, YBS became a formally constituted independent organisation with its own board of directors. In February 2011 YouthBank UK became insolvent and no longer exists. YBS became a company limited by guarantee on 14th March 2011, and is in the process of sourcing funding from April 2011 onwards.

YouthBank is more than just a way of giving out grants. It is about supporting and training young people to enable them, through grant-making and related activities, to benefit other young people and the community, as well as themselves. YouthBank provides a positive role for young people in their communities and, in turn, can improve the community’s perception of them. YouthBanks directly contribute to the regeneration of communities and, by putting money into the hands of young people, ensures that their priorities are met.

* http://www.youthbankscotland.org/ March 2011

viewed

YouthBank Scotland Background YBS also established and co-ordinates the Scottish Advisory Forum which is the young people’s leadership and governance group of YBS. Each YouthBank in Scotland selects or elects two young grantmakers to be their national representatives to SAF which meets four times per year and shapes YBS work.

YBS are located within YouthLink Scotland and have two staff members; a Senior National Development Officer and a National Development Officer. Line management is provided by YouthLink Scotland along with office support. There are currently 19 YouthBanks across Scotland with a further 15 in development.

SAF has a number of working groups: ►► Licensing working group - Considers applications from groups who want to be a YouthBank. ►► BIG Splash! working group – Makes decisions on the YBS development fund for the capacity building of young grantmakers. ►► SAF meeting agenda working group - Shapes the activities of all SAF meetings. ►► Promoting YouthBank working group Creates innovative as well as tried & tested ways to promote YouthBank in Scotland. ►► New technologies working group - Pilots how best to use new technologies to further the work of the network and YBS ►► UK Advisory Forum members - YBS link to YBUK through 3 members, elected by the Scottish YouthBank network to represent their views at the UK Advisory Forum and vice versa.

As the national network, YBS: ►► Provides capacity building support for local YouthBanks across Scotland ►► Provides accredited and nonaccredited training for young people and Local Co-ordinators ►► Co-ordinates the Scottish Advisory Form with representation from each YouthBank in Scotland ►► Proactively and reactively provides opportunities for young people to raise the profile of YouthBank through events and conferences ►► Promotes YouthBank to policy and decision makers in Scotland ►► Supports the development of new YouthBanks ►► Co-ordinates monitoring and evaluation (See Appendix 1 for a full list of stakeholder groups involved in the YBS network).

The YBS Co-ordinators group brings the support workers’ perspective to YBS work and planning. Meeting space is always available during SAF meetings but this group comes together once per year in a residential, to access training, share practice and participate in collective planning and problem solving.

The Policy and Practice Context through key life transitions, ensuring they are informed, and boosting their aspirations; ►► work with local partners to address barriers and gaps - so that young people are not excluded from opportunities or have their capacity to achieve their potential limited; ►► recognise and promote young people’s positive contribution to their communities, and as national and global citizens; and ►► involve young people at an early stage, along with the voluntary sector and other relevant partners, in developing services and opportunities in the context of community priorities.

There are a number of key policy frameworks that shape the work of YBS and local YouthBanks, who deliver significant impact within these policy frameworks.

National Performance Framework

Curriculum for Excellence

The Concordat provides a set of national outcomes and indicators that outline what local and national government aim to deliver alongside other partners, including the voluntary sector. There are 15 national outcomes, with National Outcome 4 being most applicable to YBS:

Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18. It has been introduced to raise standards in learning and teaching and improve children’s life chances.

“Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens”

Valuing Young People

The knowledge, skills and attributes learners will develop will allow them to demonstrate four key capacities:

Valuing Young People was published by the Scottish Government in 2009 and was designed to support partners to deliver positive outcomes for all young people, whilst recognising that some need more help than others to realise their potential. Valuing Young People sets out the following principles for working with young people.

►► ►► ►► ►►

Successful learners Confident individuals Responsible citizens Effective contributors

Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. Some

We will work together to: ►► deliver services that reflect the reality of young people’s lives - supporting them 10

The Policy and Practice Context of the outcomes and experiences within the Health & Wellbeing curriculum area are particularly relevant for YBS and the YouthBank Network. The table below identifies those outcomes within which YBS and YouthBanks have a significant contribution to make. Health and Wellbeing Outcome Curriculum Area Mental and emotional I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am wellbeing developing the ability to talk about them I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others Social wellbeing I make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to improve and manage my learning and, in turn, I can help to encourage learning and confidence in others Representing my class, school and/or wider community encourages my self-worth and confidence and allows me to contribute to and participate in society Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community I value the opportunities I am given to make friends and be part of a group in a range of situations As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others Planning for Choices and I am developing the skills and attributes which I will need Changes for learning, life and work. I am gaining understanding of the relevance of my current learning to future opportunities. This is helping me to make informed choices about my life and learning

The Policy and Practice Context 16+ Learning Choices

►► Article 12: Children have the right to express their views freely and have their opinions listened to in all matters affecting them

16+ Learning Choices is a guaranteed offer of a place in post-16 learning for every eligible young person who wants it and is part of the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence.

►► Article 13: Children have the right to get, and to share, information as long as the information is not damaging to them or others

16+ Learning Choices is the Scottish Government’s model for helping young people stay in learning post-16, since this is the best way to ensure their long term employability. It aims to help build capacity in individuals, families and communities; and support economic growth in Scotland. Critically, it aims to help prevent and reduce youth unemployment. By December 2010 16+ Learning Choices will be a universal model for all young people - generally those aged 15-18 - leaving any episode of learning, regardless of setting and including compulsory education, during the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence. 16+ Learning Choices is for every young person and gives particular attention to those who are at risk of moving into a negative destination.

►► Article 15: Children have the right to meet with other children and young people and to join groups and organisations as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights ►► Article 17: Children have the right to reliable information from the mass media. Television, radio and newspapers should provide information that they can understand and should not promote materials that could harm them ►► Article 23: Children who have a disability should receive special care and support so that they can live a full and independent life

UNCRC

►► Article 29: Education should develop a child’s personality and talents to the full. It should encourage them to respect their parents, their own and other cultures

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out the rights that all children and young people up to the age of 18 should expect to be realised. The following articles are those most relevant for YBS and the YouthBank network.

►► Article 31: Children have a right to relax, play and join in a wide range of activities

►► Article 3: All organisations concerned with children should work towards what is in their best interests 12

The Policy and Practice Context Financial and Political Climate This evaluation took place against a challenging financial climate. Local Authorities, public bodies and the voluntary sector are facing increasing pressures on budgets and resources and many are proposing cuts to personnel and/or services. The participants in this evaluation were well aware of financial constraints but also demonstrated a positive and constructive approach to funding locally, recognising the need to demonstrate impact in their communities to secure funding. This report acknowledges that over the coming years, budgets may become increasingly restricted and YouthBanks across Scotland will need to clearly articulate the difference they are making to young people involved as grantmakers, the beneficiaries of grant making and the wider community in order to maintain or grow funding.

Methodology ►► Two YBS Staff ►► Seven representatives from organisations and funders

host

Throughout the fieldwork it became apparent that some young grantmakers were also beneficiaries and some workers involved in supporting the young grantmakers were involved in supporting applicant groups. This demonstrates the interconnected nature of youth work in a local area and in all fieldwork we focussed on connections with local YouthBanks and YBS. In order to illustrate the impact of YBS on young people and local YouthBanks, Northern Star has developed a series of case studies that tell the story of a particular young person, YouthBank or topic (such as training) in more detail.

Methodology Northern Star used a combination of face-toface and telephone interviews, participative sessions, visits and written submissions to carry out the evaluation speaking to young people, local YouthBank co-ordinators, YBS staff and stakeholders, projects who have benefited from YouthBank funding and the funding organisations. Given the timescale of the evaluation we utilised the opportunity to work with young people and co-ordinators at the Scottish Advisory Forum residential on 28/29th January 2011. We also selected participants based on recommendations from young people themselves, YBS staff and co-ordinators, as well as drawing on records of projects funded. Individuals and YouthBanks were not selected as representative samples. During the fieldwork we spoke with a total of:

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Given the network of relationships between young people involved in YouthBank, the various host organisations, YBS itself, funders, local projects and the local community, we examined the chain of benefit that links all these people and groups together and which makes up the multiple impacts that are so characteristic of YBS. To really understand the chain of impact we focussed on two individual YouthBanks – North Ayrshire YouthBank and Youth Chex (Scottish Borders) - and talked to as many stakeholders as possible, including some of the young people who take part in it, local projects who’ve been funded by it, the community it is part of, the organisation that hosts it, the funder who gives money to it and YBS. We think that this methodology allows a detailed understanding of impact presented as a story told from multiple perspectives.

►► Ten local YouthBank co-ordinators (two of these were previous co-ordinators) through one-to-one interviews and one group session ►► Seventeen grantmakers though group sessions and two-to-one interviews (two of these young people were no longer grantmakers but had moved on to being YBS Ambassadors) ►► Twelve applicant/beneficiary organisations – including young applicants and adult workers/ supporters 14

Methodology Participatory Research

Findings

In line with the values of both Northern Star and YBS we provided research training for all of the young people attending the SAF Residential and worked with four young people in more depth to develop the knowledge and skills to lead and deliver parts of the evaluation. The participative training and support provided by Northern Star enabled four young people to analyse the impact of YouthBank in their area by identifying a likely case study and an action plan for delivering their evaluation. The training session covered principles of participatory research, ethics, data collection, analysis and reporting. The case studies generated by the young people are clearly identified throughout the findings section of the report and it is hoped that their participation in this evaluation has increased the skills and knowledge of the young researchers to contribute to quality evaluation of their local YouthBanks in the future.

The findings of this evaluation are reported by stakeholder group and organised by the outcomes detailed in the introduction above. Outcomes for beneficiaries and the community are presented in the form of the Beneficiary Chain Analyses of North Ayrshire YouthBank and Youth Chex. These are followed by further impact findings about grantmakers and host organisations/funders and a final section of recommendations for YouthBank Scotland.

Quotations In this report we include many quotations from young people and adults as evidence and to allow them to voice their own opinions. All of the quotations from participants in the evaluation are anonymous. Where we have included quotations, we have sometimes removed repetitive phrases and redundant words, and we have always indicated this with an ellipsis (written as â&#x20AC;Ś ). We have not edited quotations any further by changing word order or altering Scottish words.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis North Ayrshire

YouthBank

Background North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland has a population of 135,510. Children and young people up to the age of 29 account for over a third of North Ayrshire’s population. * North Ayrshire is approximately 30 miles across and also includes three islands in the lower Firth of Clyde. According to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (2009), 23.1% of North Ayrshire’s population fall with the 15% most deprived areas in Scotland although this is a trend that is improving over time. North Ayrshire YouthBank (NAYB) was established in 2004. NAYB currently has seven young grantmakers and a grant pot of £5,000 for 2010/11, with a further £10,000 in 2011/12). NAYB is youth-led and is supported by a Local Co-ordinator who is employed by North Ayrshire Council. The Co-ordinator’s role is to provide support for the young people and their grant making meetings, ensuring they have all the information they need to make their decisions and enabling them to take the lead in running NAYB.

Impact on Grantmakers Outcome: Increased confidence and sense of empowerment resulting in raised aspirations Through their involvement in NAYB, grantmakers were able to demonstrate a significant improvement in confidence. The grantmakers provided examples of how improved confidence had helped them both within and outside of NAYB. All had become more confident in delivering their responsibilities as a grantmaker including analysing and evaluating applications, expressing their opinion and challenging the views of others sensitively and appropriately. They felt more able to discuss and query applications with young people and workers from applicant groups. Grantmakers were able to take on more responsibility for NAYB over time: I started…as a committee member, just came to all the meetings, seen how it worked for a while and then a few years later, I was a secretary, so I was writing minutes and taking stuff to committees, and now I’m the chairperson…run the meetings…make sure everybody’s getting a say in the grants that we give out. (Female, 19) * Children and young people aged 0-15 account for 18.1% of North Ayrshire’s population whilst young people aged 16-29 account for 16.5% of the population. In total there are 46,988 children and young people in North Ayrshire. Data from http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/council-area-data-sheets/north-ayrshire-factsheet. pdf viewed March 2011.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Outcome: Development of new skills, experiences and qualifications In a workshop setting the NAYB grantmakers were asked to identify the skills they had developed through their involvement in YouthBank and the change they had seen over time. The image below displays their completed skills scale. Each young person rated each skill before their involvement in YouthBank and then again since their involvement in YouthBank.

In the skills mapping exercise the NAYB grantmakers identified the following skills they had developed through their involvement in YouthBank and examples of when they had used these skills: Communication skills ►► Listening to and respecting other grantmakers’ opinions during discussions on funding applications ►► Ability to talk to and make friends with new people ►► Talking on the phone to applicants informing them of the outcome of their application and explaining the reasons for the decision Delivering presentations ►► Delivering a presentation about NAYB at the launch day Negotiation skills ►► Sharing opinions during discussions on funding applications and being able to back up opinions with evidence Literacy ►► Writing minutes of meetings and letters to applicants Team working ►► Being part of the grant making team and supporting other team members 17

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Life skills ►► Organisational skills including managing time ►► Writing cheques ►► Managing money ►► Seeking out best value for money ►► Organising meetings Better understanding of equality ►► Being able to see and understand someone else’s point of view especially if they are different from you All of the young grantmakers felt that the skills they had identified had improved over time, some seeing small improvements whilst others recording significant changes. One grantmaker identified a major improvement in his literacy skills that he attributed to drafting letters and minutes at NAYB. The improvement had also been evident in his school work for the first time scoring 1 in English. The current and previous Local Co-ordinators also identified skills development as a major impact of young people’s involvement in NAYB. They’re learning life skills…they’re learning early on about budgeting, citizenship – you know they’re making a difference in their community… divvying up the work and actually working together. They’ve done presentations to the local council, so they’re standing up and speaking in front of other young people and adults…they’ve got to sometimes phone up and get more information or if they’re organising things, how to apply for funding themselves … and again the confidence and actually getting the accreditation out that means they gain skills for employment. (Previous Local Co-ordinator NAYB) There was clear evidence of grantmakers who had been involved over a longer period, peer-mentoring newer members. Although not a formalised system, the mentors support newer members in understanding and assessing the funding applications they receive, facilitating discussion about the application and sharing their training and knowledge. Grantmakers in NAYB clearly understand the responsibility of their role and those that have been involved for a while take an active role in supporting less experienced grantmakers. Decision making about funding applications is entirely led by young people with support from the co-ordinator only when necessary, and the skills and knowledge of the young people enable them to participate effectively. Outcome: Improved financial and emotional literacy At their decision making meetings, NAYB’s grantmakers analyse and scrutinise applications they receive including the amount applied for and the breakdown of costs. The grantmakers were very clear that the applications need to represent value for money and had developed the skills to enable them to assess that. They provided feedback to groups on where to find resources more cheaply and demonstrated good financial literacy. 18

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The NAYB grantmakers have to make and share challenging decisions such as turning down requests for funding. The grantmakers demonstrate emotional literacy in the way they approach the decision making process. Where only partial funds are granted to an applicant the young people communicate that decision and reasoning to the applicant group via telephone and were able to articulate the need be impartial and clear with the young people who had applied. They give advice and clear information to those applicants that are not awarded full funding or whose application is not funded at all. The grantmakers are accountable for the funds they award and in recognition of this responsibility have themselves developed application and assessment criteria to ensure the grants they award deliver best value for young people. NAYB will not fund staff costs or young people over the age of 25, in addition every six months they require evidence from beneficiaries of what the money had been spent on. They have ownership of the whole process and clearly take responsibility for all elements. Outcome: Increased employability In addition to developing the confidence, skills and competencies described above, two young people from NAYB had been able to translate their involvement into employment. Throughout its development, grantmakers from NAYB had developed strong links with the local Bank of Scotland branch and two of the young people from the YouthBank had gone on to secure employment at this bank. Their participation in NAYB and the experience and skills they could demonstrate played a key role in securing their employment.

Impact on beneficiaries and their local communities During the fieldwork for the Beneficiary Chain Analysis of NAYB we spoke to three applicants who had received funding: ►► Evolution Skate Park – received funding for a mini ramp that has been used by young people learning to skate ►► Ardrossan Youth Association – received funding for a training and team building residential, and for their summer programme that they run for other young people in the area ►► A young person who had applied as an individual (female aged 19) for funding for her trip to Malawi with a public health nurse to support health and education projects. NAYB does not fund overseas trips but awarded a grant to support the intensive fundraising for the trip, some of which was donated to projects in Malawi. For each of the beneficiaries, not only had the funding been used to deliver impact for young people in North Ayrshire but the process of applying had delivered significant benefit for the applicants.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The process of application has been designed by the young grantmakers within NAYB. They recognised the need for the application form and process to be accessible and appropriate for young people. All three beneficiaries found the application process simpler and clearer than other funding they had applied for. They found the grantmakers approachable and helpful if they had any queries. The youth-led application process (only young people can apply) offered an opportunity for young applicants to develop skills and confidence and boosted the capacity of community based organisations to apply for funding. Success in their funding applications generated a sense of empowerment amongst the young people we spoke to. The feeling that they had achieved something they had worked hard on had a real impact on the confidence and capacity of the young people. The Ardrossan Youth Association (AYA) had benefited from two successful funding applications to NAYB. AYA is a group of young people who run the Ardrossan Youth Centre which provides a vital and well-used resource for young people in the local community. The centre houses a variety of youth groups, drop-ins and sessions and is run by young people from the tuck shop to the upkeep of the building. The first successful application to NAYB funded a residential for the young people from AYA. During the residential the young people developed good relationships with each other, understood more about working as a team, communicated more effectively and developed confidence. The young people in AYA felt that the residential was important in helping them gain the skills and confidence to run the centre. The residential also provided training on public speaking and presentations which enabled some of the young people to go on to deliver a presentation about AYA at the North Ayrshire Millennium Volunteer Awards to over 100 people. The Chair of AYA was able to clearly identify an improvement in the confidence and skills of one young member who when he first started was shy and quiet and then went on to play a lead role in delivering the presentation. AYA identified that applying to NAYB had helped them develop the skills to complete further funding applications and had increased the fundraising capacity of the organisation. Their second successful application provided funding for the delivery of the AYA Summer programme, a series of activities and events for local young people over the summer holidays. A total of 50 young people took part in a programme supported by workers from North Ayrshire Council that was developed as a result of a consultation. The programme offered opportunities for diversionary activities for young people in the local area as well as having a significant positive impact on the organisational, communication and teamwork skills of AYA. The grant from NAYB enabled AYA to deliver benefit for local young people and the wider community. NAYB has provided two grants to the Evolution Skate Park in Stevenson which is now the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest, outdoor, fully supervised skate park. The skate park has three main aims: 1. To provide leisure services for young people from disadvantaged areas 2. Tackle youth crime and discourage anti-social behaviour 3. Encourage young people to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyleâ&#x20AC; â&#x20AC; Case Study: Evolution Skate Park from Social Enterprise in North Ayrshire: A different way to do business, North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The skate park is used by over 13,000 young people per year and works closely with schools and organisations for young people with disabilities to ensure they are able to access and use the facilities. The skate park’s Youth Committee has successfully applied for funding on two occasions, being awarded £300 toward the costs of a mini ramp, and £1,000 towards the development of the park overall. The process of applying for the money was straightforward and the fact that the application was assessed by young people made the process less intimidating for the Youth Committee. Their success had a real impact on the confidence of the group and generated a sense of achievement. The skate park manager verified that the process of application had provided a learning opportunity for the Youth Committee that they had used in future fundraising. The mini ramp at the skate park part funded by NAYB has been specifically used by new skaters when learning to skate and provides an opportunity for young people to build their confidence. Overall the skate park had made a significant impact on the lives of the young people who attend, their families and the local community. The park manager reported parents noticing a positive difference in their children after attending the skate park. The park contributes to the health and wellbeing of the young people who attend. “Youth related crime is down and the local police recognise the value of the centre by providing an alternative activity for young people with a sport related focus”.‡ A significant outcome has been an improvement in the relationship between local young people and the local police. A letter from Strathclyde Police in support of the expansion of the skate park states that: …from a policing perspective, I am extremely keen that this facility continues to flourish as in my opinion it has also contributed greatly to the quality of life for nearby residents and aided a reduction of crime figure locally. (Strathclyde Police)§ In providing funding to support the young individual’s trip to Malawi, NAYB enabled the applicant to develop advanced fundraising and budgeting skills. The grant that she received helped her to fundraise £9,000 for the trip. I learnt about money, like how to budget the money for accounting. You need to keep this much for this and make sure that you don’t overspend on that, because you need to keep that money for certain things. (Female beneficiary, 19) The trip itself had a significant impact on her outlook and confidence. She states: I’m a lot more confident since I went… I’ve told them (AYA) all about it and I’d done a wee presentation, had pictures and showed them all... because they did fundraising… they’re still doing fundraising now, just to send over to the schools, so even though I’m not going back for a while, they’re still doing stuff. (Female beneficiary, 19) ‡ Ibid § Letter from Brian Skimming, Community Policing Inspector, Wards 4 and 5, North Ayrshire Sub Division, Strathclyde Police to Evolution Skate Park. 21

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Through its grant-making and support for local organisations and individuals, NAYB is making a difference in the local communities. In particular, NAYB is contributing to: ►► Stronger intergenerational relationships ►► Improved community cohesion as the community benefits from community events led by young people ►► Young people investing in the sustainability and development of projects, clubs and services through YouthBank grants ►► Young people as active citizens and positive contributors to community life ►► Reductions of anti-social behaviour as young people are involved in productive and interesting activities funded by YouthBank ►► Improved health and well being through increased participation NAYB’s support for the AYA is having an impact on the way young people are perceived in the community. The chair of AYA notes that feedback from the community has been “mostly good” and “they can’t believe sometimes that there’s young people that are in here that run it”. The AYA feels that its work in the local community is helping local people to understand that “maybe not all young folk are the same and they start to change the way folk think”. The members of AYA were very clear that the experience of applying for funding from NAYB has helped the Association in other ways due to the resulting improvements in confidence and skills such as letter writing and costing of projects. As a direct result of their experience if applying for funding to NAYB, they were more confident about fundraising to such an extent that the young people from AYA are now working with the local community centre to support them to apply for funding. And there’s an adult group…we do a partnership with them…we’re all saying that if you want help, then we can help you to get the funding... because we’ve done it … before. (Chair AYA, female, 19) This example provides evidence that the improved capacity of AYA to secure funding is having a direct impact on other community organisations. The Local Co-ordinator was able to verify that the funding from NAYB has enabled local groups and individuals to deliver and achieve more. There was an example of funding provided to a custom bike group which engages young people and in particular young males in a project to create a custom motorbike. NAYB provided funding for the group to enter their bike into a competition in England which they wouldn’t have been able to attend without this financial support. Competing gave the young people involved a sense of achievement in addition to the mechanical and teamwork skills which they developed through constructing the bike. NAYB funding has also ensured equality of access for young people with disabilities through the Ayrshire Deaf Club, and has funded projects in rural areas or islands such as the Millport Pipe Band and the Arran Youth Foundation’s Youth Centre.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Impact on Host Organisations/Funders NAYB is hosted and funded by North Ayrshire Council who provide the staffing, physical resources and the grant pot for distribution. NAYB impacts on North Ayrshire Council in the following ways: ►► Continual professional development for YouthBank Co-ordinators though YBS ►► Legislative and policy fulfilment ►► Reaching young people they may not otherwise reach ►► Maximising the peer approach and support model ►► Creatively investing in communities ►► Enabling increased participation opportunities The lead officer for Youth Services in North Ayrshire describes NAYB as: …core to the Citizenship and Participation Strategy of North Ayrshire Council, ensuring that young people views and aspirations are included in the planning of services. The young people have also a role to play in our local Cashback process… it [NAYB] proves that young people do have a positive role in the allocation of funds; it provides them with an interest in the democratic process. It also widens their own personal horizons and enables them to come in contact with young people outside their normal peer group. (Lead Officer Youth Services, North Ayrshire Council) Both the current and previous Local Co-ordinators felt that supporting NAYB and their involvement in YBS has given them significant levels of satisfaction through seeing “young people transformed” by their participation. Both co-ordinators report that their own professional development has been enhanced by support from YBS through attendance at residentials where Local Co-ordinators are able to access peer support and mentoring from other Local Co-ordinators. They are actively encouraged by YBS to share and develop their practice and this is reinforced by activities organised by YBS such as ‘traffic lights’. NAYB is a vehicle through which young people develop improved confidence, communication, teamwork and organisational skills and this in turn delivers impact for the Council in key strategic areas such as: ►► National Outcome 4 - “Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens” ►► Valuing Young People ►► UNCRC ►► Curriculum for Excellence and 16+ Learning Choices Throughout this Beneficiary Chain Analysis and the rest of this report there is strong and sustained evidence that involvement in NAYB and YBS is enabling young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. In addition, support for NAYB is helping North Ayrshire Council to demonstrate the delivery of all of the eight health and wellbeing outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence identified in the the Policy and Practice Context section. 23

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The skills and confidence (detailed in the above sections) developed by the young grantmakers in NAYB are evidence of fulfilment of these outcomes. Through their involvement they are delivering a significant positive impact on other young people and the wider community. There is evidence that their involvement is improving their employability as well as enabling them to develop an enhanced understanding of the perspectives of other people in their community. They are actively promoting and protecting the rights of young people and creating opportunities for young people to participate in activities that enable them to make new friends, learn new skills, adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle and increase their confidence levels. There is the opportunity for NAYB to significantly contribute to 16+ Learning Choices, this is however not formalised within North Ayrshire and presents an opportunity for development in the future. With reference to Valuing Young People, the youth-led and peer assessment model of YBS and NAYB enables funding to be directed to the services and opportunities that reflect the reality of young people’s lives in North Ayrshire. It helps North Ayrshire Council to work with small and very local partners to address barriers and gaps in provision helping to ensure that young people are not excluded from opportunities. As the lead agents, young people shape the delivery of NAYB and through their insistence on a youth-led application process fosters this ethos in other organisations. This helps to ensure that young people are involved at an early stage in developing services and opportunities in the context of community priorities. North Ayrshire Council is able to reach small community youth groups through their support for NAYB. Many of the applications that NAYB has funded deliver diversionary activities for young people providing benefit to the whole community. NAYB has also had an important role to play in building connections in the local community and helping local workers to develop an improved understanding of groups and opportunities for young people in their community. The previous co-ordinator described: …learning about what’s in your community, you’re getting grants in and there could be groups out there that you actually didn’t know existed. So it helped me as a youth worker knowing there was other youth groups in the whole of North Ayrshire and other community groups I didn’t know about. (Previous Local Co-ordinator, NAYB)

YouthBank Scotland Both the young grantmakers and the Local Co-ordinator talked positively about the support they received from YBS. They understood the role of YBS to be the national body for YouthBanks in Scotland, providing links between the local YouthBanks, organising national residentials and providing training and support for young people and workers. There is a very positive relationship between the grantmakers/Local Co-ordinator and YBS and the Local Co-ordinator identified a strong bond of trust that exists. 24

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The impact that YBS has on NAYB can be categorised into four key areas: ►► Communication ►► Training and Residentials ►► Support for NAYB ►► Upholding a youth-led ethos Communication The Local Co-ordinator and young people really valued the role that YBS plays in keeping them up to date with what is happening in other YouthBanks as well as the national picture. The Local Co-ordinator uses the information from YBS and residentials to feed into NAYB. Their involvement in YBS enabled them to change their application form to be more young people friendly. The co-ordinator commented specifically on how YBS reports on previous activity and initiatives at each residential and how this ensures she is up-todate. Grantmakers felt that they were better informed of the national picture as a result of YBS. Training and Residentials YBS has delivered two sets of training specifically for NAYB – Introduction to Grant Making and Decision Making Skills. The training was delivered locally by YBS and accredited ensuring that young people are able to include the training received and skills developed on their CV. The training was identified as important in building the capacity of NAYB and has also been cascaded to other youth groups in the area. The training they gave was second-to-none, it was fantastic, really good and some of it I’ve been able to use with some of my youth work groups. (Previous Co-ordinator, NAYB) NAYB grantmakers and the Local Co-ordinator all highlighted the national residentials organised by YBS as hugely beneficial. The residentials enable both young people and workers to network, develop peer support and receive training. Young grantmakers found the residentials both informative and motivational and are a key part of the service that YBS provides. As a direct result of information gathered at residentials NAYB have made changes to their application process. The benefit for young people of the residentials was such that the previous Local Co-ordinator wanted to take all the NAYB grantmakers along to ensure they all have the opportunity to develop the networks and skills on offer. Support for NAYB The Local Co-ordinator was well supported by YBS both formally through residentials and informally through phone and email contact. The support’s excellent…I think it would be impossible to run without their support. (Local Co-ordinator NAYB) NAYB has benefited from financial support from YBS through the BIG Splash! Development Fund. The financial support enabled NAYB to go on a local team building and training residential. The residential was used to bring newer members of NAYB up to date, develop 25

Beneficiary Chain Analysis evaluation and a forward plan for NAYB and foster a strong team ethos. It supported the transition from one local coordinator to another and also enabled NAYB to think strategically about its development, something that they don’t have time to do in regular meetings. Without the financial support from YBS, NAYB would not have had the funds to deliver this residential. Upholding a Youth-led Ethos The Local Co-ordinator identified establishing and maintaining a youth-led ethos as one of the things YBS do best. This in turn helps maintain a youth-led ethos at a local level ensuring that young people are getting the experiences and opportunities that have helped them develop skills and confidence. The NAYB grantmakers are clear that a youth-led ethos is important and foster this in other organisations through the insistence on youth-led applications. The YBS focus on ‘youth-led’ works for the benefit of young people and host organisations and is enabled through training and support from YBS to ensure both young grantmakers and the Local Co-ordinator have the skills and confidence to deliver on this agenda. YBS has provided support for both the Local Co-ordinator and the grantmakers during periods of change and re-organisation in North Ayrshire and in particular played an important role in the transition from one Local Co-ordinator to another. Recommendations for YBS These recommendations come directly from the grantmakers and Local Co-ordinators of NAYB: ►► National Funding Pot – Local YouthBanks could apply for funding to distribute in their local area. This was felt to be increasingly important and useful in the current economic climate. The national funding pot was not suggested as a replacement for local funding arrangements but additional to local funding and in particular would be useful to sustain local grant giving whilst fundraising from other sources. ►► National YouthBank Challenge – NAYB would like to see YBS setting local YouthBanks a challenge every quarter. One of the challenges could be light-hearted, such as who can get the most photos of the YBS piggy bank, whilst others would be more impactfocussed such as the best example of the difference a grant has made in a local community. It would help YouthBanks to share information with each other through YBS and raise the profile of groups locally.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis

Youth Chex Background Scottish Borders in the south east of Scotland has a population of 112,430. Children and young people up to the age of 29 account for 31.3% of the population. According to the 2001 census, there was a notable decline (-22.3%) in the population of young people aged 15-29 since 1981, although this is a trend that is expected to reverse by 2016. Scottish Borders is the 6th largest local authority area in Scotland, but is unusual in having no principal regional centre. Instead the region has a number of market towns and villages scattered across a large area, leading to higher than average levels of remoteness and inaccessibility, compared to the rest of Scotland.* Youth Chex was re-established in 2009 after an earlier YouthBank in the Borders area was wound up in 2007. Youth Chex is supported by Scottish Borders Council and Youth Borders, the voluntary youth work body for the region, and has a grant pot of £40,000 in the current financial year. Youth Chex is youth led and is structured into 5 local HYPPE (Helping Young People Participate and Engage) panels involving a total of 60 to 80 young grantmakers, who make funding decisions in two rounds each year. The local panels also take part in other participation opportunities such as consultations, co-ordinated by a Participation Officer, and supported by Local Area Workers supporting HYPPE panels and administrative staff from the Community Learning and Development team.

Impact on Grantmakers Outcome: Increased confidence and sense of empowerment resulting in raised aspirations Through their involvement with Youth Chex, all grantmakers demonstrated a considerable improvement in confidence, giving examples such as being more able to speak out in front of people, voice their opinions, make better choices, and overcoming shyness. In the process of taking part in Youth Chex activities, grantmakers developed their communication skills to large groups, and became more able to make unbiased decisions and make better choices. Workers observed an increase in grantmakers’ abilities to evidence opinions, and also noted grantmakers displaying attitudes of greater awareness of the wider area outwith the Borders and of their own horizons broadening. This is against a context in which workers reported that young people from the area often demonstrated low levels of confidence resulting from their perception of themselves as coming from an insignificant area, with one commenting: I think there’s a perception that a day at the Borders’s a day wasted … but they find it quite hard sometimes to recognise things outside their own area or their own town even, or their own high school, and they’ll suddenly be aware that they’re part of a much bigger process. (Local Area Worker) *

Data from “Scottish Borders in Figures 2010”, published by Scottish Borders Council.

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Outcome: Development of new skills, experiences and qualifications In a workshop setting Youth Chex grantmakers were asked to identify the skills they had developed through their involvement in Youth Chex. Each young person rated each skill before their involvement in YouthBank and then again since their involvement in YouthBanks, with many of them reporting considerable increase in skill levels. The skills they identified are detailed in the image and text below:

Delivering presentations ►► Delivering an assembly to 300 school pupils ►► Taking part in workshops ►► Talking to others to promote Youth Chex Decision making ►► Making decisions more quickly ►► Justifying decisions with evidence ►► Making unbiased decisions Negotiation ►► Putting forward arguments without saying things that upset others ►► Giving reasons and justification for opinions ►► Knowing when to put forward arguments Team working ►► Voicing opinions instead of silent agreement ►► Co-operation and taking others’ opinions into account ►► Less fear of what other people think

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Life skills ►► Managing money and saving instead of spending ►► Supporting others as a mentor The Local Area Workers and Participation Officer identified skills development as a significant impact for those taking part in Youth Chex, with examples being a better ability to cope with information presented as forms, evaluating complex information, and making judgements using appropriate forms of evidence. One worker also identified that skills that young grantmakers had learnt were being shared with other people and thereby impacting the wider community: I think their learning on the process has been quite huge and they’ve taken that back to the groups and organisations they’re involved in with HYPPE, because the standard of bids that are coming in now has shifted. (Local Area Worker) Outcome: Viewed by others as active citizens and positive contributors to society Young grantmakers felt that taking part in Youth Chex demonstrated to others that they made a positive impact in society and had the ability to make good decisions, with one grantmaker saying, It’s young people giving money back to the young people in the community which in turn gives the community something.... [we] prove our critics wrong … look at what we’ve spent and look at £107,000 and we’ve spent it on these projects, can you see any ones that’s wrong with that? (Grantmaker, male, 18) This attitude, widespread amongst grantmakers, contributes particularly strongly to the Curriculum for Excellence outcome, ‘Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.’ The Participation Officer described how the process of participation enables young people in ways in which the wider community can see; I think that’s what’s hardest with participation is that people can’t see it, unless you’re part of it it’s not something you can observe directly, so I think you see the end product and people say, ‘Oh they’re the nice shiny kids’. But six months ago they weren’t the shiny kids and working through this, giving them trust, giving them opportunities to make decisions has enabled them to get up there and stand and speak and that’s what they’re seeing as the participation, they’re not actually seeing the process though. (Participation Officer) This evaluation found evidence that positive images of young people taking part in society were being disseminated widely because of Youth Chex. One example of this was Youth Chex’s involvement with Wired, a radio show by young people broadcast weekly on Radio Borders and supported by Community Learning and Development, to give young people a voice. Young grantmakers take part in the show which features a regular update on the work of Youth Chex. One worker involved in the show emphasised: 29

Beneficiary Chain Analysis The young people often highlight the positive they’re involved in and what they’re achieving so that other members of the community would get to see what young people are involved in. (Adult Supporter - Wired) Youth Chex has also funded Wired to enable more young people in all areas of the Borders to take part in documenting and broadcasting news stories from their local areas, giving them a voice. Outcome: Improved financial and emotional literacy We found many young grantmakers talking about their greater maturity and improved ability to focus: “I’m more mature, I know that I can put my mature head on”. Workers also observed increased abilities amongst grantmakers to empathise with people very different from themselves, such as young people who are parents or who have disabilities. Increased empathy and tolerance for others was particularly marked amongst grantmakers from the Borders who had taken part in the Scottish Advisory Forum, where those young people observed a greater diversity amongst members, such as disability and sexuality, and where they also reported great appreciation for the inclusiveness fostered in that environment. Grantmakers in the Borders also come from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, including those in and leaving care, young carers those with Asperger’s Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It was clear that the role of workers in facilitating mutual tolerance amongst such diverse individuals was key to fostering greater emotional literacy and mutual respect. During decision making sessions in the Borders, workers would provide careful support to overcome barriers such as literacy and attention-span so as to enable youth-led decision making. You’ll have groups who will scan it and somebody will feed it back, some record their notes, they have one person record notes, some [groups] will all do it, so they can use their skills and confidence areas to how they want to use it.” (Local Area Worker) In terms of financial awareness, grantmakers demonstrated that they paid careful attention to evidence of value for money in applications. Workers observed that young people generally took great pains to establish good value for money, and that this contributed to a highly advanced awareness of what it takes to run a project. They’re starting to understand that rather than just going for the cheapest option, they’ve got that concept of value, and they also have the concept of who are the beneficiaries. (Local Area Worker) The Participation Officer attributed some of the skills development to the structural set-up of the funding guidelines for Youth Chex: We’ve never had a minimum or a maximum set for the grants and that’s also quite useful in some ways, because it means you will have to assess the value for money. (Participation Officer)

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Outcome: Increased employability Grantmakers talked about the relevance of Youth Chex to developing skills appropriate to future employment and higher education, particularly better communication and interpersonal skills, and in increasing their confidence for the future. Workers emphasised the “unique selling point” that involvement in Youth Chex gave to the young people who had gone on to do other things. It was certainly clear that involvement in Youth Chex was particularly helpful in developing transferable skills that would complement vocational skills; familiarity with budgets, judgement skills, dealing with conflict, negotiation, decision making, ability to focus on a task, analysis of written material were all evidenced by young people and witnessed to by workers in the course of our research. Grantmakers understood the relevance of their current learning to future opportunities (an important outcome for Curriculum for Excellence) and could identify how Youth Chex would help them in their future work and study. Particularly good development in these areas was seen by young people and by their workers who had had the opportunity to take part in YouthBank opportunities outside their local panel area, such as at Youth Chex steering group meetings, YBS national residentials and Scottish Advisory Forum meetings. These young people took on greater responsibility, developed their leadership skills and increased their decision making experience by considering more strategic matters. Young people who had had these opportunities also included those who went on to pursue careers in the community learning and development field, because having had experience as local grantmakers, they wanted to develop more structured skills in supporting community development. Other outcomes Another significant area of impact on grantmakers is their own increased awareness of opportunities available to them in their community because of their work assessing applications from community groups. There’s quite a bit of learning, from my panels anyway, that previously you’d be maybe doing a mapping exercise and what’s on in your area for your people? ‘Nothing, nothing, it’s rubbish.’ And now they’re actually saying, well, there’s quite a lot. (Local Area Worker) It was common to find that young grantmakers were involved in a variety of different volunteering opportunities. Partly this was facilitated by the cross-cutting nature of participation work in the Scottish Borders, with Youth Chex not being delivered as a standalone project but as a strand of participation work. YouthBank contributes across the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence Workers empowered young people in their understanding of their own learning by describing Youth Chex in terms of Curriculum for Excellence: We introduced that language to the young people because we felt that that criteria gave some consistency across our commitments to children and young people’s services but also develop the young people’s understanding. We had two young 31

Beneficiary Chain Analysis people who went to Curriculum for Excellence Best Practice Day and presented Youth Chex as a living, breathing example of the curriculum and they knew more about it than the audience, because they knew the language. (Participation Officer)

Impact on young applicants and beneficiaries During our research we spoke to young people and adults from seven beneficiary groups who had received funding from Youth Chex: ►► Rowland’s Dry Bar, who received funding for a summer programme for young people ►► Howdenburn School House, who work with young people with severe disabilities, who successfully applied for a residential weekend ►► E15/E18 groups at Galashiels Academy, whose funding enabled young people from two different groups to go out together on trips ►► LGBT Youth Borders, who received funding to develop an online youth group for young people who couldn’t attend their regular youth group night ►► Wired radio show project, whose grant paid for equipment to enable more young people from remote areas to contribute to their broadcast ►► The Borders Ice Rink curling group, who used Youth Chex money to enable more young people to take part in curling ►► Hawick Youth Centre, whose young people used a Youth Chex grant to refurbish their space and put on a successful Friday night disco ►► We also spoke to Youth Chex workers and young grantmakers who told us about a number of other beneficiary projects Outcome: Improved sense of empowerment through increased confidence and capacity We found strong evidence that the process of applying for Youth Chex in itself, regardless of the outcome of the application, developed confidence and capacity in groups. One worker talked of how a group had developed their ability to put forward a strong argument for funding: There’s been an active group for some time trying to get a skate park ... up and running and the first application on the first round of Youth Chex failed at the first fence, unfortunately, because it was absolutely vacant of any meat at all, but when they had a second go at it they put in a bid purely for the planning and the architects fees, just the very, very basic stuff, it was still ... over £3,000, so quite a lot and they were successful. (Local Area Worker) Other beneficiary groups also talked about how the process of putting together an application and then delivering on the project was very important for developing the skills of the young people leading on the application and the project. Rowland’s Dry Bar found this process to be crucial in developing young people from participants into leaders, providing an opportunity for young people to generate funding that adult supporters of the organisation had not been able to secure. Another beneficiary group, Howdenburn School House, that involved young people with severe disabilities, found that a Youth Chex grant 32

Beneficiary Chain Analysis had multiple impacts on the capacity and achievements of young people benefiting from the grant: They will have increased independence; they will have the opportunity to be away from home with their peer group, because quite a few of them have respite but it’s not always going to a setting that’s with their friends and their peers. And that also means that they can fulfil one of the requirements from their Caledonian Bronze Award which is to spend at least one night away from home with friends. It means that they can put that towards their qualification, but the experience of being away, away from mum and dad, with their friends is so difficult to measure. It will be a very positive experience for them. (Adult Supporter of Beneficiary Group) The adult supporter mentioned that it took a long time after their application was approved for money to get into their bank account, and because their activity was booked for a particular date they needed the money quickly. Outcome: Sense of achievement - YouthBank grants turn good ideas for community benefit into action Beneficiary groups strongly believed that the process of successfully applying for a Youth Chex grant gave young applicants an enormous sense of achievement. So I think that process in itself is supporting young people’s decisions, because if they’ve made that decision to do a project and then other young people are going ‘Yes, that’s a good idea’ and then they’re seeing it happen, that process in itself is empowering and it’s confidence building on top of all the impacts that you get from the money actually being earned and the project going through. (Local Area Worker) Outcome: Better understanding of community and increased sense of belonging to it Adults observed that the way that young people lead the grant application process results in a greater degree of ownership of their activities and of their responsibility for community work: If the young people who’ve bid get the stuff then they’re far more precious about it than if an organisation just gives them it...because young people appreciate and they’re recognising they’re far more responsible for whatever it is. (Local Area Worker) Our research uncovered evidence that involving young people as applicants generated wider impact on them and the local community than just the benefit directly resulting from the grant. One adult volunteer supporter from Rowland’s Dry Bar gave examples of this wider benefit by considering the change in the young applicants since their successful application;

Beneficiary Chain Analysis They actively look to be involved in other things, and they want to be doing things and they want to raise awareness about stuff. It’s given the whole group of them a real group identity and a good identity of what Rowland’s is and what they want to see Rowland’s doing in the community because at our parents evening, ... we had 80 of the parents and other people come into Rowland’s to watch the show, we didn’t have space to put everybody; so it’s actually raised the profile in the local community as well. (Adult Volunteer Supporter, Rowland’s Dry Bar) Outcome: Gain valuable life experience - application process, form filling, project management, budgeting, marketing, evaluation etc Many beneficiary groups interviewed talked about how the process of applying for the grant had provided a great opportunity for adults to work with young people to foster their skills in form filling, writing a budget and then running the subsequent project. This was found to be most beneficial for young people when adults took the time to provide appropriate levels of support according to the needs of the individuals, not according to the requirements of the process. For some young people this was their first opportunity to acquire basic life skills: They needed a tremendous amount of support to approach ‘outsiders’, they didn’t know how you contact them. (Adult Supporter) Successful applications gave a great boost to these young people and often played a significant part in their personal development; One of...the guys that filled it in he’s just really proud of himself and that’s really nice, and that’s in turn given him confidence in all aspects of his life. (Adult Supporter) Outcome: Viewed as valued positive contributors to society Workers and young people viewed the process of applying for a grant from Youth Chex as tangible evidence that they can contribute something positive. One adult supporter of a successful beneficiary group described how the grant had given a group of young people with moderate learning disabilities the opportunity to work with a group of others with more severe disabilities than themselves, by acting as helpers on a joint day out. This led to a change in perceptions of those with moderate learning disabilities, who had often been seen in their school community as troublesome, but were now publically acknowledged for their positive contribution to others.

Impact on Communities Outcome: Stronger intergenerational relationships There was clear evidence from several sources that Youth Chex grants enabled younger and older people to work together in their communities and led to stronger relationships. One young grantmaker had wanted to apply for funding for a basketball net for his community, but had no group with which to apply. He went to his local Community Council as the 34

Beneficiary Chain Analysis only established group in the area, and successfully pitched his idea to them, leading to them all working together to raise the money. The Borders Ice Rink curling group’s grant meant that their young people gained a lot more experience in the sport and so needed better opposition, and so were now regularly playing against adult teams. A volunteer at Rowland’s Dry Bar talked about the impact that having a grant had on their group’s standing and relationships within the wider community: That intergenerational thing is important because in the Borders...young people can be viewed so negatively sometimes in small communities...that’s one of the things we tried to do to get the parents to come in and actually other people, they can easily have preconceptions of what they expect young people to be doing and it’s not always constructive. But you tend to find that if you do open up and say “Come and have a look”, they actually do come and they do want to see, so there is an element of wanting to see some positive rather than it always being negative. (Volunteer, Rowlands Dry Bar) Outcome: Improved community cohesion as the community benefits from community events led by young people Those witnessing the impact of beneficiary groups described different ways in which young people initiated projects that brought different sections of the community together and increased their mutual understanding. One worker talked about an applicant who had successfully got a grant to do awareness raising work, talking to young people in schools about prejudice and experience of being partially sighted. This case demonstrated how Youth Chex’s structure, embedded within young people’s services in the council, could provide enhanced impact to the young people taking part, as the applicant had struggled to get any response from schools she approached. The worker described how the Youth Chex team had supported the applicant after being successful: She’s spoken to the director of education and written to him and he’s written back and he said that he will make sure the doors are open to her, and we’re putting that in front of a headteachers meeting in a couple of weeks to say ... part of the deal was that she would get access to our schools to go and speak to pupils about prejudice and issues around partially sighted people. (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) Another group of young applicants had used money for their Drum Academy to develop facilities to teach young people to drum and had seen a huge increase in the numbers of young people taking part. This had had a knock-on effect on the wider community: [Young people] were then moving on to doing the town band and learning skills that way. So it was bringing them into the community and working with an older generation as well... That’s made a massive improvement to that facility in that area and it’s going to bring young people into that project, which is... desperately needed, I think, to keep the town band going to bring in people of each generation. (Local Area Worker) 35

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Outcome: Young people invest in the sustainability and development of projects, clubs and services through YouthBank grants Local Authority Officers who had an overview of a whole range of Youth Chex grants demonstrated that these grants had impact across a variety of different services in the area, sustaining and often increasing provision for young people in a number of different areas. So it’s actually helping to sustain levels of service delivery right across the sector … not just in the first sector youth work, some of it’s going into schools and some it´s going into arts organisation, sports organisations, so right across the board in the Borders, £40,000 is quite a considerable sum. (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) Local Area Workers who supported the grantmakers were also clear that Youth Chex funding sustained the fabric of the area that would help retain young people’s involvement in their community I think trying to retain young people in the area; they tend to not come back. Getting people involved in the earlier stage, they’ve got more of an investment, so for a longterm it’s definitely a positive. (Local Area Worker) Outcome: Young people are active citizens and positive contributors to community life Through all our research, the most common impact described from Youth Chex grants was that they enabled young people to take an active part in contributing to the life of their community through the activities that they developed and put on. An adult volunteer supporter from Rowland’s Dry Bar explained how this was viewed by the adults in their Board; The Volunteer Board have worked for the last so many years fundraising … and, all of a sudden, a group of young people have secured £3,000 for the summer program, using ... in some ways a more robust process than some of the adults applied for funds and all of a sudden the young people have made that contribution. And, for the volunteers … what a great impression, those young people respect what we’ve done, ... they’ve enabled an opportunity for themselves, we don’t have to worry about finding money for that. (Adult Volunteer Supporter, Rowland’s Dry Bar) Outcome: Reductions of anti-social behaviour as young people are involved in productive and interesting activities funded by YouthBank All of the beneficiary groups described how their grants enabled young people to take part in positive activities. Those groups working outside a school setting were particularly clear that those attending often were diverted from less productive activities. For adult workers, a Youth Chex application was often used as a way to involve young people and provide an alternative activity to anti-social behaviour. A youth worker at Hawick Youth Centre described how she had specifically engaged some young men who had been causing issues within the community, in researching and applying for a project to revamp 36

Beneficiary Chain Analysis the disco space within their youth centre. After their application was successful these young applicants had developed a Friday night disco that brought more young people into the centre rather than being out elsewhere in the town. At Rowland’s Dry Bar, young people talked about what they would be doing had they not been involved in an activity programme funded by Youth Chex, and believed that they and others would be more likely to be bored, hang around on the streets and drink had they not had those diversionary activities. Outcome: Improved health and well being through increased participation It was clear from our research that many grants had resulted in more young people taking part in health and wellbeing activities, including sport, healthy eating courses and outdoors activities. The range of grants with an impact on wellbeing also included those that focused on reducing isolation amongst young people marginalised by sexuality, poverty and mobility issues. These had a positive impact on young people because they brought them together with others and often enabled them to access physical and mental wellbeing activities that they had never had the opportunity to take part in before. This outcome was particularly strong for the groups working with young people with disabilities. It was clear that the application processes developed by young grantmakers were particularly good at including young people with literacy issues or other challenges that meant they couldn’t apply using a traditional written form. Youth Chex has accepted applications via audio and video recordings, applications using pictures with written support from adults transcribing young people’s words. Those applications that were successful often led to the most marked impact on young applicants, as due to the nature of their disabilities they were the ones least able to take part in the activities that other young people could more easily access. Outcome: Ambition and sense of achievement for beneficiaries Youth Chex’s own evaluation procedures meant that local grantmakers carried out some monitoring interviews which recorded a great sense of achievement for beneficiaries. Even just the process of applying for funding as well, in the monitoring interviews, the few that we’ve done, at least two that I can think of have come back and said ‘It was a really great feeling to have put all that work in and be successful and have somebody go yes, we believe in you enough to give you the money and we would apply again”. (Participation Officer) Outcome: Improved participation In beneficiary groups that operated open access provision for their local community, we found that the role of adult supporters was important in enabling marginalised young people to benefit from participation. One adult supporter described how they had ensured that those young people who could not afford to pay for their participation would benefit from their project; So they [young participants] made no financial contribution but that was one of the identifying factors as to why the young people we had identified in the first process would benefit the most from being involved in this project.(Adult Supporter) 37

Beneficiary Chain Analysis Other barriers to participation that were broken down by Youth Chex grants were the geography and difficulties of access particular to the Borders; and the transport and support needs of young people with physical disabilities. It was also particularly clear that for those young people with disabilities benefiting from a Youth Chex grant in a school setting, their attainment of Curriculum for Excellence outcomes around social development and community participation would not have been possible without the funding for transport or out-of-school activities that Youth Chex had provided.

Impact on Host Organisations/Funders In our research we spoke to a number of people from different parts of Scottish Borders Council who were involved with Youth Chex, some of those directly involved with young people, others with elected members and policy implementation within the local authority. We also spoke to Youth Borders workers and people from voluntary sector youth partnerships. The key impact on the Local Authority as a host organisation and funder was that Youth Chex provided a practical and useful mechanism for young people to affect genuine change through participation. If young people are getting the confidence to have their voice heard and be involved in decision making, that benefits the borders as a community, but it’s also making sure that the council have obligations to listen to young people’s voices. (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) This is seen by local authority representatives and elected members as being an important way to fulfil legislative and policy requirements around young people’s participation, but also a way in which to support local community development. Youth Chex’s structure as one strand of wider participation opportunities supported by Scottish Borders Council is seen by young people, workers and the council as being important to ensure that participation is meaningful and also to provide opportunities for young people to contribute strategically rather than just in ways responsive to local circumstances. This clearly relates Scottish Border’s practice to the Scottish Government’s Valuing Young People agenda, in particular the outcome ‘we will involve young people at an early stage, along with the voluntary sector and other relevant partners, in developing services and opportunities in the context of community priorities.’ One example of the value placed by the council as a host organisation and funder of Youth Chex, was that in recent round of proposed budget cuts, a proposal had been made to reduce Youth Chex’s grant pot funding by £20,000. Due to work done by Youth Chex staff and supporters within the local authority and thanks to strong support from elected members, this proposal was not taken forward and the budget was not reduced. Another recent proposal was to put Youth Chex grant money in with other community funding and streamline the two processes into one. The Participation Officer described, “we had to make a case of what were the unique points of Youth Chex, what we would lose in terms 38

Beneficiary Chain Analysis of the young people as grantmakers, their expertise, their knowledge, and [that] it’s not about just handing the grants to the community, it’s about the process and the learning.” Youth Chex is valued very highly by the council and its elected members, and a council education officer outlined how they had achieved this strong support: We’ve done a lot of work in the last couple of years in general, taking youth work strategy and youth work action plans to elected members. Also, because of the nature of youth work delivery in the Borders, it tends to be more units of delivery, more localised. So the elected members tend to know the local project. And they’re very supportive of their local project. ... So we’ve managed to get the buy-in in that way. The other thing is they’ve been really interested in relation to a comparable piece of work...called the Young Person’s Survey, and they’re certainly keen on that, so we’ve been taking every opportunity to give it a higher profile, and this is the reward you get sometimes, you get these kind of funds protected. (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) Council workers, Local Area Workers and the Participation Officer described a range of ways in which the council as a host organisation and funder received benefit from Youth Chex: ►► Continual professional development for YouthBank Co-ordinators as a practical and working example of participative practice for young people. ►► Practice development and sharing Through YBS events, young people and workers learnt good examples of how to support applicants better. ►► Enabling innovative community investment I think for the council, as the provider of the grant pot, they get funded projects that wouldn’t otherwise normally be funded or even happen. I think that’s what’s quite good about Youth Chex is that our reach actually goes out to quite small community groups and quite a lot of sports groups and really volunteer-led organisations that don’t have massive infrastructures and they have the opportunity to tap into a piece of financial resource that can make quite a significant difference to their community. (Participation Officer) ►► Reaching young people they could not reach on their own Local Area Workers demonstrated through evaluation forms submitted by beneficiaries that some of these groups had not been able to get funding anywhere else but Youth Chex. I think it’s less daunting for young people who are applying ... if they know that other young people are looking at the forms. ... although they know that none of their mates would be allowed to assess, the fact that they know that it’s people like that, it’s less daunting. (Local Area Worker) 39

Beneficiary Chain Analysis ►► Maximising the peer approach & support model The YouthBank model that Youth Chex applies through the ten golden rules of YouthBank Scotland, was seen by council workers as sitting very well in their participation model around young people shaping services. One Education Worker in the council described how the existence of Youth Chex paved the way for more work involving young people in shaping services, a clear example of the principles laid out in Valuing Young People. We’re about to do some really interesting work with the council, the elected members and young people on co-production. And we’re taking a report to council next week about an approach to our anti-bullying, and we’re taking a co-production policy approach which is about asking the council to establish a young people’s commission to do the work rather than the council do the work. So the young people do the work then bring the findings and say ‘This is what we support, this is what we saw, this is what we think should be our recommendations...’ Now that’s a more strategic approach and I think that’s just another element of where Youth Chex could sit along with our participation approaches, it’s important Youth Chex is not in isolation. (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) ►► Creatively investing in communities The Participation Officer described, Some of the other funding streams in the council are done through our business improvement unit and that can be quite bureaucratic, where as I think ours is much more considerate of young people’s need, of understanding their locality, focused on innovation, on good ideas. (Participation Officer) ►► Inspiring active communities Workers described how projects led by young people have also worked to inspire communities to become more cohesive. We have funded projects that are maybe a garden for older people with mental health problems, but the young people have carried out the projects, so they have been the beneficiary but the end product is maybe for somebody else. (Local Area Worker) ►► Enabling increased participation opportunities It was clear that Youth Chex has given Scottish Borders Council a meaningful model of participation that they can implement locally, through which they can respond to local issues and genuinely involve young people . So you’re showing and taking the young people through a process of real decision making really quickly in their participation experience, but also for the workers it’s given then something quite tangible to be able to explain and explore what participation means. So certainly that’s been one of the biggest impacts has been that we have something that people can see, because it’s hard to see participation, but you can see Youth Chex because it has money that makes a difference. (Participation Officer) 40

Beneficiary Chain Analysis YouthBank Scotland Youth Chex workers and Scottish Advisory Forum members valued the support and resources provided by YouthBank Scotland. From YouthBank Scotland it’s really about knowing that there is somebody there, that we’re not working in isolation, that there is the opportunity for the accredited training for the young people. ... The website gives us... we don’t have a dedicated Youth Chex website so we know that there’s that space there, we can put stuff on it if we need to. (Participation Officer) They particularly valued the opportunities it provided to develop leadership skills and national experience in young people who accessed opportunities like the Scottish Advisory Forum. They also praised the innovation of YBS in providing creative, professional resources; in contributing to the identity of Youth Chex through things like the YouthBank piggy bank, which really captured the imagination of grantmakers, and the flexibility of the YBS model which provided a network rather than a franchise approach. Youth Chex Steering group members very clearly articulated the benefit they gained from taking part in Scottish Advisory Forum and in other Scottish opportunities, saying that it had helped them set up Youth Chex well and that these opportunities continued to give them suggestions of how to develop Youth Chex and improve their grant making and application process. Workers and young people were keen that a Scottish rather than a UK identity was important to them. So we’ve really focused on getting our support and network through YouthBank Scotland. We felt that the capacity and the stretch and reach of that network met our needs. (Participation Officer) Workers expressed a desire to see YBS provide a kind of “state-of-the-nation” snapshot of information about all the different YouthBanks in Scotland: including things like the size of grant pots available, average grant sizes, and different promotional activities. Local Area Workers felt this would be a good thing to link them into the national movement and develop their understanding, as due to the locality structure of Youth Chex they did not often access national meetings. Local workers also hoped that YBS would develop a more structured communication approach with them in between Scotland residentials. They were highly positive about these residentials but felt that the momentum for their grantmakers was lost in between these events, and expressed a desire for more regular communication that was not just about the events, but would keep them updated on progress. Workers felt that in the past communication from YBS to Youth Chex had been less good, but that it had improved over the last 12 months as YBS had listened to and were responsive to co-ordinators needs. They felt the very youth-led nature of YBS had sometimes led to issues where YBS had offered opportunities to young people that Youth Chex had not been 41

Beneficiary Chain Analysis able to support because of lack of resources, thus raising expectations amongst young people that Youth Chex struggled to fulfil. There was a perception amongst one or two local workers that Youth Chex was not a priority for YouthBank Scotland, although they acknowledged that YBS itself had limited resources. Again this is related to the locality structure of Youth Chex, as workers with more central roles in Youth Chex felt that they had very good support and contact from YBS. It is important to note that the structure for Youth Chex was devised locally and YBS operates through a one key contact approach. One Local Area Worker expressed their position in the following way, I’m not clear on what I should be expecting from YouthBank Scotland. All I know is I’ve to support my HYPPE panel and the Youth Chex, so I don’t really know what expectations I’m meant to have, because I feel we had the training, it’s now underway and we’re evolving and developing that process within our panels and that’s different in every panel. We do the same mock bids and things like that, but I don’t really know what I would expect YBS to be doing. (Local Area Worker) A form of communication outside national co-ordinators meetings and Scottish Advisory Forum, that was accessible to locality area workers, such as a bulletin, might be one way to develop local awareness of resources available. YBS produce between one and three newsletters per year depending on other reports that have been produced. There is the opportunity to work with local YouthBanks to promote a wider distribution of the newsletters.

Recommendations for Youth Chex Retain and resouce regional and national links Local Authority Workers talked about the shift in council policy which has placed more emphasis on council resources being put into localities. However young people and workers were clear that there are great benefits to people coming out of their locality to regional Borders meetings/grant making in terms of socialisation and developing their skills. I think the participants get quite a good experience at the moment in relation to coming together as a regional group. There’s a good deal of rigour in the process, in the monitoring of the process and I think I’d be a bit hesitant about just saying, ‘Right, we’ll dismantle that and we’ll put it out into local area.’ (Education Manager, Scottish Borders Council) Invest in a wider group of people who can support its work Young People, Local Area Workers and council workers identified the Participation Officer as being absolutely vital to the ongoing support of Youth Chex. However some Local Area Workers identified that they did not have the time in their roles to benefit from YBS resources and opportunities. Some workers felt that Youth Chex was too reliant on the considerable experience and dedication of the Participation Officer and suggested that 42

Beneficiary Chain Analysis there should be more opportunities and resourcing for other workers to share in the coordination role so as to develop their skills and provide a wider base to support Youth Chex as a whole. One mechanism to do this would be through a Borders celebration day, in which workers could have a chance to learn from other groups and potentially access training or practice sharing sessions. Look at different ways to ensure funded projects promote Youth Chex Youth Chex was widely identified by workers and young people involved in projects and grant making as a significant support to the local community. However it was felt by many that projects did not acknowledge this support publically or take enough active measures to promote Youth Chex. A BIG Splash! grant had provided funding for certificates for beneficiaries to display â&#x20AC;&#x201C; could grantmakers or SAF members come up with creative ideas and resources for local projects to promote Youth Chex? Put on a regional celebration day which showcased impact of Youth Chex on projects from different localities Some local workers felt that sometimes grantmakers were too focused on their role in assessing applications and did not consider what happened next once they had granted the money. Workers also felt that there was not enough evaluation done of the impact of local projects, and that local projects did not always provide information to evaluate their own impact. Workers felt that young people in local panels should have the chance to see the impact of what they had done in funding groups, rather than just focus on assessment. Further development opportunities for grantmakers outside Youth Chex Workers felt that there should be more opportunities for training and development for young people outwith the local context of HYPPE panels, through national opportunities like SAF. Workers and young people valued the particular range of experience that they gained from going outside their area and developing more strategic skills. Develop more capacity in youth workers to support young applicants Some applicant groups described how they were hindered from supporting young applicants because their support workers were also involved in supporting grantmakers, and therefore had to avoid conflicts of interest in supporting both. Other adult supporters also felt that there was not enough guidance available of practical ways in which adult supporters can support young people in developing their application without taking over, particularly given the length of the form presented challenges for young people with literacy difficulties. Grantmakers demonstrated great flexibility in accepting application in different formats but this message was not heard by all applicant groups. Young people from Youth Chex demonstrated great skills in working with others, and could develop a session that they could deliver to adult supporters about how best to support young applicants. Consider ways in which successful groups can apply to Youth Chex again Two separate beneficiary groups mentioned the problems they faced because they were were restricted from carrying out repeated activities, which they perceived that Youth Chex did not view as innovative enough even though they were with a different group of young people. Youth Chex could consider the impact of this restriction on those groups comprising 43

Beneficiary Chain Analysis young people with severe disabilities, where the range of opportunities they can access are necessarily smaller because there are only so many venues that can provide adequate facilities. Put more resource towards evaluation of impact Grantmakers and workers felt that there was never enough time to monitor or evaluate impact of projects. Grantmakers also felt that young people in applicant groups were not taking part in evaluation but this was being done by adults. Grantmakers planned to send out young people to build evaluation capacity in groups but were restricted by a lack of time. However, for Youth Chex as a whole, being able to demonstrate impact has been crucial to its continuation and will become even more important in the future financial climate.

Further impact on grantmakers judgemental and more empathetic towards other young people and groups. Young grantmakers and workers commented on the diversity of the young people involved in YouthBanks across Scotland and in particular that the network engaged with young people who are vulnerable, marginalised, in ‘crisis’ or from chaotic backgrounds. Local workers found that the relationships they build with young people through YouthBank meant that these young people sought their support and advice during challenging or difficult times in their life.

Further Impact on Grantmakers Involvement in YouthBank has had a significant and positive impact on young people who participated in the evaluation. Young people and workers reported sustained involvement by young people in their local YouthBank over a period of time. This involvement demonstrates the success of the YouthBank network in fostering commitment and a sense of ownership by young people. Two of the young grantmakers specifically commented on how both their local YouthBank and YBS national events were welcoming and characterised by an absence of bullying or divisive activity. In particular these young people identified the benefit that YouthBank brings together young people who would not usually associate with one another for a common purpose.

The youth-led nature of both local YouthBanks and YBS is a hugely important driver of impact on young people. The opportunity and responsibility that a youthled approach offers young people has ensured their commitment and sense of ownership and has given them experiences which have helped to increase their confidence and develop their skill set. Yeah it’s very youth led. There’s some things like organising transport and things like that that we obviously sometimes give to the adults to do. But … say we’re having a decision making day which takes a lot of planning, all the ... planning for the warm up activities, the food and everything is organised usually by a young person and in the last instance it was a young person that was doing their Youth Achievement award that planned it. (Female 16)

Female: You get, like, well, Chavs and Emos mixing together, you know what I mean? Male: But even then they don’t even come to grinding marks, they even speak... (Male, 18 and Female, 16) Young people felt their involvement in YouthBank had helped them develop an understanding of other young people who they perceived as different from themselves. They were able to talk about becoming less 45

Further impact on grantmakers Outcome: Increased confidence and sense of empowerment resulting in raised aspirations Every young grantmaker reported increased confidence as a result of their involvement in YouthBank with many reporting significant increases. These increases in confidence were having positive effects on other areas of young people’s lives and were also reported by Local Co-ordinators as one of the major impacts of involvement in YouthBank.

The impact of these increases in confidence can be seen in a variety of situations including: ►► Delivering presentations ►► Securing funding for their YouthBank ►► Talking to new people ►► Facing challenges and making difficult decisions including rejecting funding applications ►► Taking on leadership roles in their local YouthBank ►► Involvement in other groups in their local area

…we’ve got a young [man]... he’s on the autistic spectrum so he first ... appeared on the radar about four or five months ago, and he started by coming into the drop-in that we run in the centre on a Friday night. And he’d stand at the wall, and he stood there for the two and a half hours that the centre was open and he never moved. And every week we’d all take it in turns to ... go up and talk to him. And after about seven or eight weeks he finally started answering back and started asking what other stuff was on. So we’d mentioned YouthBank. He came along, he sat at the other end of the room from everyone else, never said anything. And over the weeks he started getting closer and closer. He doesn’t sit next to us, but he’ll sit in the circle where we’re sitting now for our meetings. He doesn’t shut up. … He’s full of bright ideas… He came away to the UK residential in Glasgow, not something that any of us ever thought he would do, and he took part, he enjoyed it. So he has been a huge success. He’s still got a long way to go, but just the fact that he’s there and joining in. (Local Coordinator)

One young grantmaker described how her confidence had grown over the time of her involvement in her local YouthBank and how she had been able to give a presentation to officials from the Local Authority: F: Well we sat in for one for the meetings with the partnership officers and we had to do a presentation to them, and then... We did a presentation to the police department and fire department and councillors Interviewer: How did that feel? F: Scary but it was alright. Quite intimidating but once you start it’s easier as you go on Interviewer: And what happened as a result of you telling them about YouthBank? F: We got funding through it. (Female, 19)

Further impact on grantmakers Leadership Participation in local YouthBanks has helped some grantmakers develop leadership skills.

Communication skills After confidence, improved communication skills were the most frequently mentioned skill benefit of involvement in YouthBank. Young people felt that improved communication skills helped them: ►► Meet new people ►► Be more confident in new or unfamiliar situations ►► Listen more effectively ►► Chair meetings ►► Communicate opinions and debate issues ►► Deliver presentations in some cases to significant numbers of people

I was the chair for the first two years and then I took a year out to have the baby and then...I’m the vice chair now.(Female, 19) Development of leadership skills was most pronounced amongst those young people who were also part of SAF. The step up to a national level and the increased responsibility that this brings helped young people take on a senior role in their local YouthBanks. Their involvement in SAF is playing an important role in boosting the skills and capacity of local YouthBanks across Scotland.

Communication skills, and motivation and how to keep a group under control, keep everybody going… I do voluntary work with a Congolese group as well, so communication skills with them (Female, 19)

…sometimes we take on ... more leadership roles...if we’ve ... learned something new here [SAF] or ... from another YouthBank we take that back and say ‘Well we’ve heard another YouthBank did this’ so if we get an application through that we’re a bit confused about ... now we call them up or go and visit them (Female, 16)

Young people and workers involved in the evaluation identified communication skills as important in future employability and the ability to communicate an opinion clearly and effectively was crucial in improving young people’s relationships with a range of people in their lives such as parents/carers, teachers and members of the community.

Grantmakers are also taking the leadership skills they are developing through their involvement in YouthBank and applying them to other organisations, helping to improve the amount and quality of activities available in their local communities.

Organisational and time management skills Many young people who are involved as grantmakers in their local YouthBank are or become involved with other groups and organisations in their community. For some young people it is a challenge to balance this involvement with other areas of their lives whilst for others it provides an opportunity to develop excellent time management and organisational skills.

The skills they’re learning with YouthBank means that ...D’s chair at one of the groups and K’s vice chair or secretary at another group so the skills that they’ve got are transferring, so it means that when they do join another group they’re doing really well. (Local Co-ordinator) 47

Further impact on grantmakers Through the fieldwork we identified a need to support young grantmakers to improve their time management and organisational skills. There is the opportunity for YBS to support this through the development and delivery of training either directly to young people or through Local Co-ordinators. YouthBank Scotland’s programme of training is well respected and well received and the organisation is well placed to develop and deliver training in this area.

One of the primary functions of a grantmaker is to make decisions on funding applications and the process and criteria for applications. Key to effective decision making are good analytical and evaluative skills. Both grantmakers and local workers highlighted the ability of young people to ask appropriate and probing questions about grant applications they receive and assimilate the information they receive. …quite a lot of the decisions that we have to make are quite tough because we have to turn away a lot of applications and it was mainly when we had younger people coming into the group, the biggest worry was are they gonna be mature enough to make a decision without saying ‘oh, I want that one because that’s in my local town so ...I’ll benefit from that’ but they were really good and it just shows that they can make a really informed decision and not ... be biased. (Female, 16)

Fundraising skills One of the biggest challenges local YouthBanks face is securing funding for their grant pot particularly in this challenging financial climate. For some young people this challenge has offered the opportunity to develop and improve their fundraising skills. In assessing applications they are able to better understand what makes a good grant application and have been able to share this with other groups they are involved with. For others they have begun to plan and deliver fundraising events to generate funds for their grant pot. This activity will be supplemented by fundraising training developed by YBS.

Effective decision making has been further supported and developed by delivery of the accredited Developing Decision Making Skills (SCQF Level 5) by YBS

I think probably the biggest challenge is what we’re facing just now with the whole money situation, trying to get money raised. …We had a meeting two months ago, ... and I suggested doing …. even small things like bag packing at Tesco’s and stuff like that, doing bicycle runs, sponsored walks, sponsored swims. (Male, 19)

Outcome: Viewed by others as active citizens and positive contributors to society Young grantmakers felt strongly that the work they did with their local YouthBanks was challenging the negative stereotypes of young people. From the evidence we collected from beneficiary groups, it was clear that a common impact of successfully applying for funding from a YouthBank was that adults involved in these groups saw those young people as assets to their community and actively providing benefit. Many local YouthBanks also showed commitment to promoting the benefits of YouthBank to others and grantmakers

Decision making skills I’ve learnt to make decisions a lot more…Methodically, is that the right word? Instead of just saying aye (Male, 16)

Further impact on grantmakers were commonly active in raising awareness of their activities, through assemblies in school, presentations to organisations and through actively creating links with other local organisations including community councils, fire and police services and voluntary organisations.

Grantmakers also have to learn how to make and communicate difficult decisions such as rejecting funding applications and in some extreme cases requesting return of funds or equipment that have been awarded (see Daniel’s case study). Outcome: Increased employability Young people are experiencing increasing levels of unemployment in the current economic conditions. Those young people involved as grantmakers are developing skills and experience that enable them to progress on to education or employment. The experience grantmakers are gaining through YouthBank is helping to shape some of their career choices.

A key benefit of YBS identified by young people and workers has been YBS brokering opportunities for young people to participate in national events and meetings. This has given young people with local experience the chance to present the benefits of YouthBank and their involvement to government, policy and practice networks and national-level meetings.

I’d be like a Primary School teacher when I was younger, so now I’ve been to YouthBank and seen ... working with young people, now I prefer that so I want to do community education, (Female, 19)

Outcome: Improved financial and emotional literacy Through their involvement in YouthBanks young grantmakers have had the opportunity for new experiences and whilst they identified some of their experiences as challenging, these experiences have also provided excellent learning opportunities particularly to develop their emotional literacy. For many grantmakers the process of awarding grant to projects in their local community brings with it a conflict of interest, as many of the applicants or their organisations are known to them. Grantmakers demonstrate a remarkable maturity in managing these conflicts of interest and maintaining a commitment to a fair, equitable and transparent application and decision making process. Local workers commented on the changes they had seen in grantmakers over time, moving from wanting to fund projects that they themselves were interested in to those projects that would have the greatest impact on the community. This is also the case at a national level where SAF representatives award funding from the BIG Splash! Development Fund to other YouthBanks.

There were strong examples of young people demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit using the contacts and skills they had learned in their YouthBank: ….we’d had Theatre Mojo up in Aberdeen doing a workshop with them, so he [grantmaker] does fire breathing now. And they’ve actually gone off on their own from the training that they originally got, they now have their own committee. And they’re now looking at franchising... taking out their skills to different events throughout the year. So the skills that they’ve ... learned through YouthBank and their committee skills, ... they’re actually taking it and they’re now setting themselves up as a proper fire troop. (Local Co-ordinator) 49

Case Study Daniel, aged 18 Dumfries and Galloway I first got involved in YouthBank when it started in Dumfries and Galloway four years ago, I’m one of the ones from the beginning. In high school one of our local workers had a stand at front reception so I went up. That’s how I got involved in YSEG, the Youth Strategy Executive Group. I learnt that YouthBank is also under an umbrella of YSEG so I got involved through that. Dumfries and Galloway is split into different areas, my area was Stewartry. Every week, we were coming in for a couple of hours to look through applications and process them. When I first started, one of the workers kept saying I was quiet, and I didn’t speak that much. My first meeting, I was sitting there quietly; I felt ‘I don’t know anyone’; but as I got further and further on I learnt great skills like team-working, communication, and networking. I have got more confident through YouthBank. Through YouthBank I’ve done more things like presentations. I had to go and do a talk at Holyrood in front of people in charge of disability organisations. And I pretty much said to them, ‘to be honest with you, if I hadn’t had done any of these things I wouldn’t be standing in front of yous now’. I’ve seen YouthBank make a big impact in the community. There was one application from Dumfries that came forward for some funding, it was only a small group and they asked if they could set up a dance group. Then, I think they were in a small village hall. But they only came forward for a certain amount of money. The YouthBank group decided they wanted to give them more, and they’ve actually now got their own premises in Dumfries. They’re called Body Electric dance school, and now they’re fully booked, if you want to get in you have to put your name forward and wait a few weeks to join. So this shows that some person’s wee idea has now become money-making. And if they hadn’t got the funding they wouldnae be there, and there would just be a derelict shop. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced through YouthBank was when we had a group that we’d funded that folded. They were a really good group, they had got equipment, cameras and lights from YouthBank. When the group folded, one of our policies is we have to get the money back if they haven’t spent it, or get their equipment. It wasn’t the young people’s fault, it was the staff; we felt really, really sorry for them, they’d worked so hard and we had to take all their hard work back off them and put them down another peg on the ring. It was disheartening. We had a decision group, and we thought, what are we gonna do? Because if we leave it, it’s not their own personal equipment, it’s just gonna sit there and go to waste; we were asking one another, ‘Do you want to do this? Do you want to do that? Who doesn’t? Who does?’ And eventually we came to the decision that we need to take this equipment back off them. I wasn’t actually there for it going off with the group, but I think it went as alright as it could go. Through YouthBank you learn to understand things more and feel more sympathetic, or you get more worked up about things. Now I’ve got more time to accept and think and I’ve got more process power to think things through. 50

Case Study Now I’m a representative at the national Scottish Advisory Forum, SAF. Obviously as you move on it gets a bit harder because you’re moving from your local level where you get settled in your ways. Because you get outside your local area you meet other people, in that way you’re networking with other YouthBanks. Every time I come to a national residential I still get butterflies, and I’m thinking, ‘who’s going to be here? I’ll know no one’. But within a couple of hours speaking to everyone, you’re laughing and joking. At the residential weekends you’ll be with people that if you saw them in the street you wouldn’t honestly speak to them, but since you’re in a hotel with them, and even though you haven’t known them for long, you start getting really friendly with them, everything just falls into place and I don’t think anyone has any problems. It’s not like when you’re at school because it’s a safe environment with no slagging off. If they saw each other on the street they’d probably try to murder each other, but everyone speaks to everyone, everyone gets on, everyone’s happy. I was involved in the interview for one of the YBS staff members, it was hard because there were three candidates and obviously one was not good enough. Then there was a man and another woman and it was so hard to decide because they were both good. We thought, who would work well with the other staff member? I was thinking about the hard work and effort that YBS put in to organise events like the SAF residentials. The amount of time and effort and the amount of patience they’ve got! There’s kids from different backgrounds with different disabilities, with different views, religions, gender, they’ve got to be really open minded with everything. It just shows that they’re really good at what they do for a job. All of the hard work that goes into the SAF events and also back at the YouthBanks is amazing. Without the workers we wouldnae be here, we’d be back down the road, sitting on our pitch just watching TV. Currently I am at college in Glasgow studying City and Guilds Level 2 Paint and Body Repair. The stuff I’ve learnt from YouthBank around communication, team-building, and organising all helps in jobs and college because I have to work with other people and it helps me get on better with them. I’m working in a busy environment so if your communication starts to fail then you don’t get the work done in time. Organising skills are important and have helped me get all my college work done in time and also for keeping up with all my work. Being involved in YouthBank will help make a difference to my future, because I am more confident in myself, and that means I can get on with a lot more people, and it helps me progress in a job and college. In the future, I’d like to see YBS expand on what we’ve obviously got, we could take it to a wider scale, help more YouthBanks to start opening up or restart, get more young people involved and more staff onboard. That way we could become bigger and bigger and can keep the ball rolling and rolling for many years to come.

Case Study Mahri, aged 16 Youth Chex (Scottish Borders) I first got involved in Youth Chex last March (March 2010) when they were recruiting members through a youth group which I attended at the time. I went along to the decision making day and remember being slightly nervous because I didn’t really know anyone there. When I got there though I was made to feel very welcome by the staff and other new and old members. I was also very excited on my way to the first meeting because it was something I had never heard of before and it seemed like a really good idea and something I really wanted to be part of. I enjoyed the decision making day and that same day I stood as a candidate for the Youth Chex Scottish Advisory Forum and got the place! Youth Chex has got quite an unusual set-up as we don’t meet a regular basis, we meet maybe three times a year, and we have 60 to 80 grantmakers. People come as grantmakers through another group, based in each locality, to make decisions on funding applications. I’m also the representative for the Scottish Advisory Forum and because of this I take on more of a leadership role within Youth Chex and sit on the steering group for Youth Chex. Our Local Co-ordinator helps plan meetings, and arranges transport for us to meet and due to the geographical area covered by the Borders, this is a big task! In meetings she helps us stay on track and aids us in note-taking. Our participation workers support us in our local areas within the Borders. Through Youth Chex I have done induction training on how to assess application forms which has helped me to understand the application assessment and complete it more easily. I am more confident in the process and am able to help new grantmakers complete the assessment. Through SAF I have taken part in decision making training which helped me to identify the type of role I take in the group, and the role of other people too. I have used it to get the best out everyone in the group and listen to their opinion so a decision reflects all the young people involved. Since being involved in Youth Chex and SAF I have gained communication skills, and I now feel comfortable speaking to people that I usually wouldn’t - I ran a workshop for adults on Youth Chex and Curriculum for Excellence. I have been able to work better in groups and I try to encourage inputs from other young people. My improved group work skills help me to keep people focused on the application process in decision making days. I feel I have developed my decision making skills as a result of my involvement with Youth Chex and am more confident about making decisions about applications that Youth Chex gets. I am more confident as a result of being involved in Youth Chex. I am now confident to write and speak out and state my opinion. In fact all my school reports state that I make more of an input in class since I began Youth Chex and my presentations in school have improved. I am more confident in trying new things and I am now considering going to China for a year, to teach English. 52

Case Study I volunteer at a local youth group and I feel they have benefited from the skills I have gained at Youth Chex because it has helped me run more workshops and activities independently. Youth Chex has made a real impact in our community. You can see the difference in the way people talk about young people when they see them achieve due to Youth Chex funding. It has also has helped young people gain skills e.g. photography, dance etc and has benefited the community by allowing young people like me to get involved. I have represented Youth Chex at SAF for almost a year and it means I get to see other members of other YouthBanks so we can support each other, find solutions for similar problems and link up for national celebrations of what we do. Being involved in SAF has helped us make changes to the way we do things at Youth Chex. We used other YouthBank’s application processes to help us change our own and it also gave us the idea for a showcase event to celebrate achievement. I think that Youth Chex will definitely have an impact on my future. I believe it will greatly influence my chances of getting into university as it has improved my school grades. I would like to do community education and I think the skills I have learnt will be really useful. Being involved in Youth Chex has been great and it’s the most amazing feeling that you have the ability to influence other young people’s lives for the better. I have made so many new friends through the organisation that I would never have met, or had the confidence or mind-set to talk to before and I’m now friends with people from different social groups. If I had to pick the best thing I have done as a result of Youth Chex it would have to be awarding money to a group of young people with learning disabilities. It meant they had the opportunity to go on a residential and take part in activities that other young people would do and without Youth Chex this would not have happened!

Participatory Research The YouthBank Impact in Dumfries and Galloway

This case study was researched and written by Caitlin, a grantmaker from Dumfries and Galloway who took part in the participatory research programme. In Dumfries and Galloway there is group of hard working young people who are part of the Youth Strategy Executive Group (YSEG). This group does lots of work to make thing better for young people. One of the organisations that work with YSEG is YouthBank. Dumfries and Galloway’s YouthBank is part of a network of YouthBanks from all over Scotland and it funds youth groups and youth projects in Dumfries and Galloway. The innovative project impacts on young people in many different ways whether a young person receiving a grant or young grant maker making a difference in your community. I spoke to previous grant makers from Dumfries and Galloway to see if their involvement in YouthBank gave them skills, knowledge or experiences they can take on in and use further life. Both Jodi and Gary got involved in YouthBank through YSEG. Jodi has been involved since she was just 13. She was one of the young people that set up Dumfries and Galloway YouthBank. Gary also got involved at a young age and for both young people it was a chance to make a difference in their community and influence things for young people. Although nervous at first, confidence soon grew and both were able to speak about YouthBank to the public. As well as being members of Dumfries and Galloway YouthBank both were members of the Scottish Advisory Forum or SAF for short. This group of young people is made up of two members from each YouthBank across Scotland and makes decisions about what happens in the YouthBank network at a national level. It involves 3 meetings a year and a lot of responsibility. Being so involved in Dumfries and Galloway YouthBank and SAF, both Jodi and Gary’s confidence increased. I asked them how they would rate their confidence before their involvement in YouthBank and after (out of 5). Both rated their confidence a 2 at the beginning and now see it as a 4 due to their involvement with YouthBank. As well as an improvement in their confidence they have also developed a long list of skills including: ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►►

Being able to write a report Giving constructive feedback Being able to stand up for what you believe in Making decisions based on evidence Evaluating projects Negotiation skills Interviewing skills Social skills Communication skills

These skills have helped both Gary and Jodi in their day to day life but also at university. When Jodi applied for a competitive course she wasn’t too sure about getting in but at her interview they seemed very interested in her work with YouthBank. In her opinion it gave an edge that others didn’t have. Although learning is important, fun is also a 54

Participatory Research huge part of YouthBank. Residentials bring back great memories for both Jodi and Gary. Residentials are a great chance for young people from different YouthBanks to meet one another whether this is young people from across Scotland or even the UK. Residentials had a variety of work shops were Jodi and Gary learnt new things to take back to their YouthBank or have a laugh with the team building exercises and energisers. Jodi and Gary learnt skills and gained life experience through YouthBank. They have used these skills and experience in day to day life and in the competitive world of university and college. Both young people talked about the lifelong friends they had made with young people from all different backgrounds. It is clear to see that YouthBank has a positive impact on these young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. Caitlin McDowell, Youth Researcher

Participatory Research Katie, aged 15 Broch Area YouthBank The first YouthBank meeting I went to was on the 12th May 2007. A friend of mine told me about YouthBank and I tagged along to one of the meetings. To begin with I was really nervous, but the people there made me feel really welcome and they were really friendly. So after a while I settled in. Our YouthBank is called Broch Area YouthBank (BAYB). Originally we were called Fraserburgh YouthBank, but we thought that the name limited it to the people who live in the town and we wanted to open it up to the eleven feeder villages which is known locally as Broch, so we decided on Broch Area YouthBank. We normally meet once a week on a Thursday after school. As well as being involved locally I also represent BAYB at the YBS Scottish Advisory Forum. As a SAF member I tend to take on some of the leadership roles in BAYB. Since I have been involved in BAYB I have really developed skills and confidence which I have used in other areas especially at school and at my other youth groups. I think I have become a better communicator, and a better listener and I have used these skills during a debate to listen to other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions, and take them on board as well as to voice my own opinions. I can present to people where before I was too scared to do anything. We had to do a talk at school and I gave mine on BAYB. I think I was better than I would have been without any of training I have had from BAYB and YouthBank Scotland. I am a lot more confident and now I can discuss issues rather than staying silent in a corner. The first SAF meeting I went to, I shuffled in and sat at the back, I barely talked and gave quiet, short answers. Now I am walking in the middle of the room, sitting in amongst everyone, talking to complete strangers that are new to YouthBank and giving informative answers as well as asking questions. I think I have changed a fair bit, for the good. The best think about YouthBank is the social aspect and being able to see what we have done for the community. In the future, I would like to fundraise for BAYB and get a bigger grant pot, so that we can extend what YouthBank can do, to make a bigger change in our community. This case study was produced by Katie as part of the participatory research programme.

Impact on hosts and funders I don’t think they know what they get out of having a YouthBank. They don’t value us as much as I would like them to; I probably have to take responsibility for that in not having pushed it… They don’t realise what we do and how that is benefiting not only young people but the whole community; and we need to make more of an effort in that. (Local Co-ordinator)

Impact on hosts and funders

In articulating the benefits of YouthBanks to hosts and funders, workers identified that YBS was instrumental in advocating the benefits of the YouthBank model.

Further to the two Beneficiary Chain Analyses, this evaluation looked at the impact on host organisations and funders of supporting YouthBank. We did this through interviews with Local Co-ordinators, YBS staff, a participative session with 10 Local Co-ordinators at the YBS residential in January 2011, and through investigating the impact of particular YBS activity which benefit host organisations: YBS training and the BIG Splash. These two initiatives are profiled in case studies over the next few pages, as well as a case study of one Local Co-ordinator from North Lanarkshire. The stories in these case studies speak most powerfully to the cross-cutting nature of the impact that YouthBanks bring and also to the rigour that YBS contributes. Further impacts are also outlined in the Policy Impact commentary.

I think they promote the concept of YouthBank really, really well, I don’t think any individual YouthBank would have the capacity or contacts to do the lobbying and promotion of the concept of YouthBank the way that YouthBank Scotland can. (Local Co-ordinator) This was seen not as YBS sole role but something that co-ordinators found very helpful in proving the worth of their YouthBank. For example, one co-ordinator stressed how the policy articulation provided by YBS in the training she attended was not something she had the time or resources to gather, but was very important in justifying her involvement locally.

It is clear that whilst people directly involved in YouthBanks can identify significant impacts on host organisations and funders in a range of different ways, they don’t feel that all host organisations and funders are actually aware of these benefits. Examples range from Youth Chex, whose funder the Scottish Borders Council has proved its support financially and in policy commitments, to a co-ordinator who spoke candidly about their host organisation and funder:

They were speaking about policies and how they will link into our practice .. it was just at the start of Curriculum for Excellence, and they were linking it to the national outcomes and everything which was really good because it was getting to the stage that we were having to do that with our own work. (Local Co-ordinator) 57

Case Study The BIG Splash! The BIG Splash! is a national development fund administered by YouthBank Scotland, that local YouthBanks can bid into to build their capacity. The finance for this was part of the original Young People’s Fund grant from the Big Lottery Scotland, which made £100,000 available to invest in the skills, knowledge and experience of young grantmakers. In 2008 YBS initiated a youth-led process to design the criteria and administration for this fund. Young people from the Scottish Advisory Forum worked with YBS staff to decide where there might be need for investment in YouthBanks. This was done on the basis of UK-wide piece of evaluation that took a snapshot of the activities of individual YouthBanks, and analysed who was involved in grant making. From this, SAF members built a menu of 10 key themes for development which they thought would be relevant to the business of grant making that Scottish YouthBanks carried out. The menu included themes directly necessary to enable good grant making; as well as themes that would help young grantmakers to work together more effectively, such as teamwork, governance and management training. There were also themes about personal development for young people involved, recognising that the process to train young grantmakers might for some require developing their self-confidence or ability to lead. Other menu items were about YouthBank groups working on their own self-sufficiency, such as presentation skills to help them promote their fund locally or raise money themselves for their grant pot. This menu was agreed by the Big Lottery Fund, and was intended to complement the essential training that each YouthBank would have to carry out as a condition of their license. SAF members were instrumental in designing how the BIG Splash! would be run. They put together a light-touch application form that contained the guidance materials and form in one editable document. They broke down each of the 10 menu themes giving examples for local YouthBanks, although it was important that YouthBanks could apply for anything - training, activities and physical items - as long as they contributed to one of the menu of themes. In this the application process is an innovative example of an outcome-focused funding process which did not use standard outcomes terminology. Another important feature of the fund was that all applications must be from young people, but also have a supporting statement from a local YouthBank co-ordinator, with the recognition that sometimes young people want to do things beyond what their organisation has the capacity to do. One YBS staff member commented, “sometimes that’s fine, it’s just about recognising that that’s something that has to be entirely youth-led that you can take forward with limited support, and that’s the entire thing, we know you need some support. But for other ones, you’ve got five different ideas come out of this YouthBank, and we need to get that down to one at a time”. Over the course of 3 years (2008 – 2011), SAF members met at national residentials where a core part of the agenda would always be considering BIG Splash! applications. Although young people in Scotland were instrumental in the design and and continue to be so in the delivery of this fund, YBS have found it difficult to access information which would help them learn from the fund strategically, as all monitoring has been held by YouthBank UK. 58

Case Study The BIG Splash! has distributed a total of £50,843 covering a range of different outcomes. The majority of grants included some form of team building, often in a residential setting, reflecting the shortage of time in the course of local YouthBank meetings. All themes from the original menu have been addressed in these applications, although the majority of money has been spent on activity costs such as training, workers’ time and residential costs, with less on capital costs such as equipment or materials. Impact on YouthBanks It’s clear that the impact of the BIG Splash! on local YouthBanks has been considerable. Grants have enabled YouthBanks to spend time building the teams of grantmakers and developing their skills in evaluation, monitoring, decision making, and forward planning. This has strengthened local YouthBanks and also enabled more sustainability over the long term. For example, North Ayrshire YouthBank supplemented their local authority support with their BIG Splash! grant at a time when it was important to ensure continuity for the project, using a residential to get the whole group together for some forward planning. It was just great, we did so much hard work that weekend, and also L. was coming on as a new coordinator and she came with us so it was a good transition to introduce L. to the group and get to know her as well. It was great, it was just fantastic that we could do that, especially now that North Ayrshire Council haven’t got the same funds and it meant we actually applied for funding for a worker to go as well. (Previous NAYB Co-ordinator) This capacity-building was often combined with activities to strengthen core skills and extend the reach of YBS support. A YBS staff member commented that for many grants, “they went on a residential but part of that was when YBS parachuted in and delivered the accredited training. But they created that environment that enabled young people to focus entirely on it for that day or that weekend.” Some grants also helped develop networks of support between local YouthBanks beyond that mediated by YBS, such as a Highland Network Celebration organised by Ross and Cromarty YouthBank on behalf of four other Highland YouthBanks. This event also gave an opportunity to make more local people, councillors and funders aware of the impact of the YouthBank in their local community. This idea of widening local support was taken up through a special grant round to promote YouthBanks in Scotland locally. Four separate YouthBank applications were successful in this round to carry out promotional roadshows, live grant making events and the distribution certificates to all funded projects. Another YouthBank combined celebration and peer learning when they located their residential in London and exchanged ideas with North Lambeth YouthBank. Workers identified that the BIG Splash! funding was most useful where the money enabled or was complemented by workers’ time to support a developmental process. A striking example of this was where the Broch (Fraserburgh) YouthBank used £2300 to support leadership and teamwork training through young people completing food hygiene certificates. The YouthBank was located in a youth café which young people couldn’t use without the appropriate training, which led to young people being unable to work in the 59

Case Study kitchen on youth café nights. As well as building their team-working skills, this grant funded a very transferable qualification for young people, using the framework of the YouthBank to develop skills applicable to employment and further training. This model could be built on in the future by YBS as local YouthBanks develop their own capacity to the point that they could host other training and leadership opportunities in areas outside the traditional YouthBank grant making themes. Impact on young people taking part Young people who took part in decision making for the BIG Splash! developed their skills and attitudes enormously. SAF members had a chance to test out their decision making skills in a national context, as they made bigger decisions with more impact nationally, with one saying: We do stronger things because obviously it’s for the whole of Scotland and not just the Borders. So I think instead of just assessing applications we’ve got BIG Splash! things and we can have a lot more influence. (SAF member, female, 16) As part of this they refined their judgement skills, since they often had to avoid biased decisions where they personally knew the young people applying. Another important impact on these young people has been learning from what other people in YouthBanks are doing, and evaluating whether this could work in their own context. One Local Co-ordinator saw this as an opportunity to develop young people’s consciousness about applying for money, as they saw other YouthBanks applying to BIG Splash! for things that their own YouthBank had resourced locally. Recommendations Many groups and young people placed a very high value on the opportunities for development that the BIG Splash! resourced, with the pattern of successful grants indicating that time for group activities was more highly valued across the network than the acquisition of physical resources. Some local YouthBanks who were well resourced felt that this development fund was not an important component of the YBS model; others described it as absolutely essential to complement limited local resources. Many local workers and young people would like such a centrally held fund to contain an element of grant pot money that they could bid into to distribute locally, although one co-ordinator talked about the threat to the strength of the network that having such centrally-held money might bring - young people might lose fundraising skills. YBS could investigate sources of development and grant-pot funds as these are both valued across the network and achieve impacts in terms of personal and network developments that have not been achieved through other means. YBS could also ensure that young people who have taken part in BIG Splash! decision making are given the opportunity to decide themselves on the future direction and emphasis of any such fund, on the basis of robust monitoring and evaluation, just as they were instrumental in developing the BIG Splash! 60

Case Study Ian Anderson North Lanarkshire YouthBank Coordinator I first got involved with YouthBank four years ago. I was involved with a project in North Lanarkshire called Generation Youth, which had responsibility for a considerable amount of money and was targeted at the most deprived areas in North Lanarkshire. Youth groups/ organisations could apply for cash to provide activities for young people across North Lanarkshire. Heather McVey from YouthBank Scotland approached me, she had just started to get involved in YouthBank at a national level, she asked about maybe getting one started in North Lanarkshire. So I found out more about YouthBank, what it was about and how it worked. We pulled a group of young people together to see if they would like to get involved in YouthBank. We had a wee bit of an advantage because the young people that we did pull together were young people that I’d previously worked with in another group. They were a perfect group to get involved in YouthBank. Heather came out and did a session with the original group of young people – there was 12 of them – and sold the idea of a YouthBank. From that point it just grew. They made their own DVD, which they’re all very proud of as well. They spoke to the chief exec of North Lanarkshire Council, Gavin Whitefield, sold him the idea, and he became a big supporter. We got some money from the Community Learning and Development and the North Lanarkshire Partnership, and that started us off. North Lanarkshire YouthBank is supported by the council’s Community Learning and Development Department. They give support in terms of my time, some funding, and the facilities where YouthBank meet. Our main link is YouthBank Scotland which is very similar to the parent and the child scenario; they are a rock, a foundation - they do incredibly good work. YouthBank opens amazing doors for young people involved, and you see their impact in the way they work together and how they maintain contact when they’re not together. They’ve created really strong bonds. YouthBank Scotland also give us accredited training, which fits in perfectly with the Curriculum for Excellence; funding through the BIG Splash!, which was very helpful; and the participation opportunities are amazing. There are not very many young people that get the chance to come away to Edinburgh and spend a couple of nights in a hotel with others for residentials, or go down to England and share the stuff with like minded young people in England. Because of all that, there are absolutely fantastic opportunities in YouthBank for young people to get involved in order for their personal growth. The role that I play with the young people is to move them from A to B; to get them to a starting point and then to move them along continuing to build their confidence, self belief and ultimately, their success. That’s all part of the Curriculum for Excellence. I firmly believe there’s a level below the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence and that level is about working on things like social skills, confidence-building and self-belief: that’s where I see the important work needs to be done. If young people get that bit right then they’ll go on to achieve and do other things that the four areas are looking for. So I look to help them build their confidence and self61

Case Study esteem, and take them through that process. At the moment we’ve got six young people involved who turn up every Monday night, they are the people that keep it going. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s easy. They had a real hard year last year because I was off ill for a long period of time. But all credit to them, they kept meeting and they still attended some national events which is absolutely fantastic and testament to how far they have come and their dedication to YouthBank. The down-side coming back from illness is that the motivation was down, the self belief had gone to an extent, so my job now is try and get them back to the level where they were at and beyond. They’re getting older as well because they’ve been involved since day one; some of them are now 18 or 19 years of age, so if things work out the way it works out in youth work then I won’t have them much longer because they will move on. So my plan now is get younger people in with the young people that have been there from the beginning, so they can take them under their wing and take them through the process themselves, so that it’s peer education. It’s testimony to YouthBank Scotland that they’ve been strongly pushing the youth-led model and as a result, everybody seems to be on board. I do youth work because I believe in young people, and I believe that young people should have the appropriate space and time to use their influence and make an impact in making society better. It’s got to be youth-led; but youth-led pitched at the right pace and facilitated through a process. I’ve seen other projects where the young people haven’t gone through the process of learning what ‘youth-led’ is all about. They haven’t gone through the training, the social skills part, that part of the Curriculum for Excellence that people forget. When they’ve not done that and they’ve been thrown in at the deep end, more often than not it creates monsters rather than good model citizens. I’ve had experiences of young people where they get power, they don’t think it through, they’re not clear about it and they end up winding people up and standing on the toes of the very people that can help them, and it doesn’t do any good for young people’s image. So youth-led for me means young people need to go through the process of learning how to be effective before they become effective contributors to our society. The training that young people get through YouthBank Scotland is very important. The training is about YouthBank and about decision making. It gives them a lot of confidence; it gives them a clear view of what they’re doing, what they’re there for. It makes them feel the way they should feel – important – as if people are investing in them and that they can do something worthwhile. It also gives them the chance to work together as a group; to complete tasks and get something at the end of it, rather than just coming in and doing a group work exercise for the sake of a group work exercise. I know YouthBank Scotland have worked really hard to get the accreditation through one of the national colleges, and that’s amazing, it makes a big difference. The young people get that qualification, so if they go onto college or universities they’ve got that in their portfolio. It also ticks boxes for CL&D in North Lanarkshire in terms of the HMIe statistics, of young people getting accredited qualifications; this contributes towards our results going back to the government. Everything we do in terms of youth work is all tied to the golden 62

Case Study thread of the Curriculum for Excellence, and YouthBank fits in perfectly. I don’t think there are many other youth work organisation that fits in as well as YouthBank does, and I’ve been involved in many different groups, national and local. It’s a perfect model for the Curriculum for Excellence. I think the beauty is that YouthBank Scotland would not survive without local YouthBanks, and local YouthBanks would not survive without YouthBank Scotland. I think that’s pretty cool in youth work. In the UK context YouthBank Scotland was a guiding light. When I came on board everything was guided towards YouthBank UK, but I know that in the end YouthBank UK was looking to YouthBank Scotland for guidance and inspiration, and that’s down to the fact that the staff at YouthBank Scotland are dedicated and committed to making it work. They do a lot of work that the young people don’t see, they do a lot of work that the coordinators don’t see. The YouthBank model is a unique way of working with young people. I think if you asked anybody, ‘Would you give young people forty thousand pounds to manage?’ they would probably say, no chance. The fact that YouthBank does that is pretty amazing. There’s a trust of young people and belief that they can do this, that they can manage this, which is fantastic. It also sets them on a good footing going into the big adult world because they’ve had that responsibility. Trust breeds self-confidence and belief. My job on a day-to-day basis has changed dramatically over the past 30 years or so that I have been a youth worker. A lot of my time is now sat behind a desk, rather than faceto face working. I trained to be a person that works with young people and YouthBank is that wee chink of light for me because I can go and do the work that I was trained to do. YouthBank has most definitely had a great impact on the development of both my skills and youth work practice. On a personal level, I believe that I gain new skills and enhance my practice every time I am involved in a YouthBank setting, in particular at national events. This is due to the belief in the YouthBank model, the shared work ethic, networking, observing how other youth workers work with their young people, the ‘feel good’ electric atmosphere and of course, working with the young people themselves.

Policy Impact Mental and emotional wellbeing Outcome: I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them ►► Grantmakers negotiations/ discussions of funding applications ►► Stated improvements in grant makers ability to use evidence to back up opinions As detailed in the introduction, there are a number of key policy frameworks that shape the work of YBS and local YouthBanks who in turn deliver significant impact within these policy frameworks. This evaluation has demonstrated that one of the main benefits for host organisations and funders is the ability to demonstrate compliance with policy and legislative frameworks.

Outcome: I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others Meeting new people from different peer groups Assessing fairly applications from different peer groups including those that do not match the interests of grantmakers

YBS and local YouthBanks play a significant role in supporting young people to be successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens delivering against Outcome 4 of the National Performance Framework. Through their involvement in the YouthBank network in Scotland, Grantmakers and beneficiaries are making a real difference in their communities, helping to challenge the negative stereotypes of young people, contributing effectively in their local areas, developing new skills and increasing their confidence.

Social wellbeing Outcome: I make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to improve and manage my learning and, in turn, I can help to encourage learning and confidence in others. ►► Grantmakers involvement in training provided by YBS and local YouthBanks ►► Peer mentoring of new members ►► Peer support of other YouthBanks Outcome: Representing my class, school and/or wider community encourages my self-worth and confidence and allows me to contribute to and participate in society. ►► Increase in confidence ►► Increase in the number and level of skills a grantmakers possesses ►► Increase in the capacity and skills available to other organisations ►► Grantmakers taking on increased responsibility within their Local YouthBank and SAF

In addition to delivery of the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence, young people involved in this evaluation were able to demonstrate that they are delivering on the outcomes of the Health and Wellbeing Curriculum area. The outcomes relevant to YBS and local YouthBanks and evidence of achievement are detailed in the following summary:

Policy Impact Outcome: Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community. ►► Demonstrable impact on communities ►► Improved capacity of community groups to apply for funding

Valuing Young People YBS and the YouthBank network in Scotland contribute to the delivery of the four principles of valuing young people: 1. Through youth-led grant making, young people and funding organisations are delivering services that reflect the reality of young people’s lives in their community. The YouthBank model also builds the capacity of young people to be effective contributors and further engage in sensitising services 2. As grantmaking is embedded in local communities and the process is accessible, young people and organisations who would not otherwise receive funding are able to secure funds and deliver services locally. This is ensuring that gaps are being met and increased opportunities for young people are being provided 3. YBS and local YouthBanks are vehicles to promote young people’s positive engagement in their communities which is challenging negative stereotypes of young people 4. The youth-led ethos of the YouthBank is enabling young grantmakers and applicant to shape and develop their own services which in turn is building the capacity of those young people to shape services provided by other providers

Outcome: I value the opportunities I am given to make friends and be part of a group in a range of situations. ►► Improved ability to work as a team ►► Confidence to speak to new people ►► Development of new friendships Outcome: As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others. ►► Openness to ideas and perspectives of other young people ►► Through grantmaking, promoting the rights of young people to meet with other young people (Art. 15 UNCRC) and relax, play and join a variety of activities (Art. 31) ►► Full delivery of article 12 of the UNCRC Planning for Choices and Changes Outcome: I am developing the skills and attributes which I will need for learning, life and work. I am gaining understanding of the relevance of my current learning to future opportunities. This is helping me to make informed choices about my life and learning. ►► Developing skills for employment such as time management, organisation, and literacy ►► Accredited training through YBS

16+ Learning Choices There is an opportunity for the YouthBank Network in Scotland to make an impact on 16+ Learning Choices by providing volunteering funding of through grantmaking. There was not evidence of this happening on a systematic or planned way and is an opportunity for development in the future.

YouthBank Scotland I think that the thing they do best is keeping everyone in the loop (Local Co-ordinator) Local Co-ordinators involved in the evaluation reported that in the main they felt well communicated with. There had been some issues in the past where Local Co-ordinators felt that communication with SAF representatives had not included Local Co-ordinator but that it had been raised with YBS and the problem rectified. All Local Coordinators we spoke to felt that YBS listened to the network, that their views were acted upon and that they had an impact on the way in which the organisation was run.

YouthBank Scotland There is a remarkable diversity across the network of YouthBanks in Scotland; diversity of structure and organisation, diversity of approach, diversity of young people involved as grantmakers, and diversity of projects funded. Grantmakers and Local Co-ordinators reported that this flexibility and diversity is a real strength of the network and is valued by local YouthBanks and their host organisations. Many of the co-ordinators we spoke to highlighted the importance of The Golden Rules which provide the basic principles by which each YouthBank must operate.* Co-ordinators felt that the Golden Rules provided a coherent basis for the network but allowed for the development of a YouthBank to meet local needs and circumstances, which they considered critical in a country as geographically diverse as Scotland.

Every time we have a coordinators meeting or a SAF meeting where coordinators are there, and the whole time is spent asking our views on what we think about things… we’re encouraged to be totally honest, upfront and be able to speak our minds, and we do feel that our views are listened to and acted upon which is really good because then you can be honest. (Local Co-ordinator) Peer support from network Workers and grantmakers repeatedly stated how much they appreciated the opportunities provided by YBS to meet others from the Scottish network, finding in these meetings peer support, learning, ideas and motivation. This was particularly emphasised by those young people and adults who had recently started a YouthBank, who got a lot out of the formal and informal learning opportunities facilitated by YBS.

…every YouthBank’s different and that’s what I like about it because you’re allowed to be different. You don’t have to work to a set of rules. We have the golden rules ... but they’ve been put together by young people, they don’t feel like rules, they’re just that kind of thing. (Local Co-ordinator) Communication

* The Golden Rules are the fundamental principles that underlie YouthBank activity (please see Appendix 2 for The Golden Rules).

YouthBank Scotland If … you come to a SAF meeting and yous are struggling to do something, you can say to another YouthBank, ... ‘How do yous do it?’ and improve by taking on other people’s ideas and ... firing them round when you go back to your own local YouthBank (Female, 19)

Scottish Advisory Forum This again was universally praised by every SAF member and co-ordinator, particularly for helping to improve grant making and for providing opportunities to meet peers. The inclusive ethos and youth-led structure was felt by participants and workers alike to be particularly good place to develop themselves – SAF is like a hothouse where particularly vigorous growth is enabled alongside others going through the same process.

SAF was also described as a key mechanism for local YouthBanks to refine their own procedures and keep striving for best practice in youth-led grant making.

It’s seeing them grow and develop in a way that you just can’t describe, because no matter what they’re like, when they come here they just blossom, they just become part of a big family, and there’s that network of all the YouthBanks, ... there’s just that whole feeling of when you get there it’s like everybody getting together and all working for the same reason although we’re working differently. (Local Co-ordinator)

Youth Led Ethos Co-ordinators and young people saw the youth-led ethos of YBS as being key to its success, not only in making impact but as a core value which gave purpose to and sustained their own endeavours. Many workers described how they would end up giving more of their own time to YBS events even when it was not covered by their employer’s arrangements, because they felt so strongly that the value base and benefit that they and young people got out of YBS was so key.

SAF members also described the Forum as a challenging place, which although providing a secure environment also impressed upon them the responsibilities they held and moved them to do things differently.

Basically because it’s youth led. It’s entirely youth led. ... It’s run by young people, they are involved right from the start and they’re given that control over everything that they don’t often get the chance to have.(Local Coordinator)

But also they might be doing things you’ve not even thought of so it opens your mind up a bit to new ideas, and sometimes they can be very successful. (Female, 16)

Additional Opportunities for Young People Several young people and many workers described the positive impact that national opportunities mediated by YBS had provided them. They saw these opportunities as a unique benefit of being part of the YBS network which impacted their personal development and their understanding of the world.

SAF members perceived commonalities between applications from different localities and developed peer-comparison strategies to develop their knowledge.

YouthBank Scotland Support for Local Co-ordinators YouthBank Scotland, the support from them is phenomenal… You know that there’s always support there from both [workers] and anybody involved on that side whether that be resources, whether it be access to equipment, whether it be somebody’s shoulder to cry on. When you go through challenging times [the senior development worker’s] been really, really supportive, particularly, you know, we have difficult situations [here] and ...some of it’s been really, really hard. [They] have both been there to ... see me through in particular, which has meant that I’ve been able to give support to the rest of the staff and the young people. So I don’t think I would have probably got through some of it without that support. And it’s everything, as I say, it’s the emotional support, it’s physical support, it’s you know, it’s been really excellent. (Local Co-ordinator)

Support to map the impact on national policies Another key impact of YBS on the network was their capacity to interpret national policy frameworks for local YouthBank work. This was seen as a critical tool for ensuring support for YouthBank amongst local authority and host organisations.

It was clear from our research that although every grantmaker and worker we interviewed was aware of YBS and its key roles, the Local Co-ordinators experienced most support and valued YBS the most. This was particularly marked in assisting with the set-up of new YouthBanks.

Local Co-ordinators also valued the training that they received from YBS seeing it as important to fulfilling their role but also as important for their continuing professional development. Co-ordinators expressed a desire for a more formal, accredited qualification, that could build on the action learning that they gathered from one another, but that could also be externally validated so as to back up their practical knowledge with theory.

And the way [YBS has] done all these documents, like the Curriculum for Excellence and policies, that’s great... and whenever I’m asked by my boss or my boss’s boss I can just say ‘this is where we fit, this is why we’re doing what we’re doing… that’s what sells it to councillors, and team leaders and managers (Local Co-ordinator) Training Young people often identified training as the key impact they attributed to YBS, that made a very tangible benefit to both the progress of a YouthBank and their own personal development.

YBS have been a godsend because obviously I came into the post, there was very little handover… So it’s been really good, I think within the first month of being there I was already off on my first YBS residential it was really good. There’s also been a couple of YBUK residentials, they’re really helpful, they just give us a lot of information, when we’re here and it’s stuff I kind of wouldn’t have known otherwise. (Local Co-ordinator) 68

Case Study YBS Training A significant part of YBS’s role is to deliver training to young people from local YouthBanks. YBS does this in a number of ways: ►► Formally accredited training ►► Provision of toolkits to be used locally ►► Non-accredited training and support. One of the key roles of YBS once established was to ensure that the accredited training offered by YBUK was relevant and applicable to a Scottish context. YBS worked in partnership with Adam Smith College to ensure that all the accredited training was linked to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). The Framework: ►► helps people of all ages and circumstances to get access to appropriate education and training so they can meet their full potential ►► helps employers, learners and the general public to understand the full range of Scottish qualifications, how qualifications relate to each other and to other forms of learning, and how different types of qualification can contribute to improving the skills of the workforce † There are four SCQF credit rated and levelled training units delivered by YBS: ►► Introduction to Young People’s Grant Making (SCQF level 4) ►► Introduction to Young People’s Grant Making (SCQF level 5) one credit (135 young people have completed this course) ►► Developing Decision Making Skills (SCQF level 5) one credit (49 young people have completed) ►► Developing Leadership Skills (SCQF Level 6) one credit (31 young people have completed) ►► Young People’s Grant Making Skills (SCQF level 5) with three credits, has not yet been delivered in Scotland A total of 215 young people have completed YBS accredited training. Young grantmakers value and use the training they have received: YouthBank’s got the SAF…it’s great for training and helps you work your way and it’s also great on your CV. (Male, 19) Feedback from young people suggested that the accredited training they had participated in had helped them understand ‘what YouthBank is all about’, the role of a grantmaker and the responsibilities that come with that role. It was very evident that the young grantmakers take their role seriously recognising the need for fairness, accountability and †

http://www.scqf.org.uk/AboutUs/The-SCQF-Partnership-Home.aspx viewed march 2011

Case Study value for money in the way they operate and much of this understanding has come from the training they have received. The delivery of training by YBS was praised by young people for being delivered at the right pace and within an environment that supported everyone to achieve. Accredited training has also been supported by the BIG Splash! Development Fund. A total of 12 grants were made to local YouthBanks to support the provision of accredited training with some more informal such as presentation skills. The learning and development needs of local YouthBanks are also supported through the production and distribution of toolkits. There are a total of 3 tool kits available: ►► YouthBank Scotland Toolkit – helps new and emerging YouthBanks to understand the values and ethos of YouthBank and grant making ►► YouthBank Scotland Evaluation Toolkit – supports YouthBanks to evaluate the impact they are making in their communities ►► YouthBank Scotland Funding and Fundraising Toolkit – helps YouthBanks generate the information and develop the skills needed to successfully secure funds The YBS and Evaluation Toolkits have definitely supported local YouthBanks to develop their capacity. There has also been a cascade effect with Local Co-ordinators using some of the activities and information with other youth groups they are working with in the local area. Where workers have used the toolkits the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, but there were some Local Co-ordinators and workers who had either not used them or had used the toolkits when coming into post/establishing a YouthBank but had not used them since. The toolkits offer an excellent resource for local YouthBanks where used and there is an opportunity to highlight the toolkits regularly to ensure a sustained increase in their use. The Funding and Fundraising Toolkit was developed in response to the needs of local YouthBanks to secure and diversity funding, compounded by the current economic climate. This toolkit was launched in March 2011. In addition to accredited training and toolkits, YBS also offers non-accredited training and support to local YouthBanks. All local co-coordinators included in the evaluation clearly identified the training provided by YBS as responsive to local need, relevant to young people, effective and fun. Approximately 1,800 young people have completed YBS-delivered nonaccredited training whilst 5,700 have participated in YouthBank activities run by YBS. Many young grantmakers talked about the interactive nature of the training provided by YBS and felt that it helped them deliver their roles more effectively in their local YouthBanks. One example of this is the training and support provided at a national residential for local YouthBanks to devise and produce their own jingle. This training offered young people the opportunity to develop skills whilst also providing them with marketing materials to use in their local community. The YouthBanks we spoke to in depth had since used the jingle they produced to promote their YouthBank locally. 70

Recommendations a grant has made in a local community. It would help YouthBanks to share information with each other through YBS and raise the profile of groups locally. Celebration Young people and workers across the network saw YBS as having a role to play in celebrating their successes and helping them to recognise one anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strengths. They saw this celebration as a major motivational tool for young people and also as having a part to play to bring the wider YouthBank movement more influence on national policies for young people. As one of the Golden Rules for YouthBanks they saw this as an important element of YouthBank practice:

Recommendations Throughout the course of this evaluation, young people, co-ordinators, host organisations, funders and YBS staff have made recommendations for change or development for YBS: National Funding Pot Local YouthBanks could apply for funding to distribute in their local area. This was felt to be increasingly important and useful in the current economic climate. The national funding pot was not suggested as a replacement for local funding arrangements but additional to local funding and in particular would be useful to sustain local grant giving whilst fundraising from other sources.

Celebrate what we do, celebrate those little achievements, whether it be an award ceremony each year and we all get to nominate somebody or something, just to celebrate what we do, I think is a huge part. (Local Coordinator). National developmental opportunities for grantmakers Our research found a consistently high level of achievement and confidence amongst young people who had taken part in the Scottish Advisory Forum. As a primarily representative body, there would be little opportunity to involve a wider pool of grantmakers in this opportunity although we are aware that national residentials have included other grantmakers. YBS should explore how best to reach a larger number of grantmakers in national development opportunities. Our research suggests the critical factors in enabling development of this type include:

National Development Pot The network valued the developmental funding from the BIG Splash! and it has been an important tool in the development of Scottish Advisory Forum members. This should be continued in the future alongside other development opportunities. National YouthBank Challenge YBS setting local YouthBanks a challenge every quarter. One of the challenges could be light-hearted such as who can get the most photos of the YBS piggy bank whilst others would be more impact focussed such as the best example of the difference 71

Recommendations ►► the opportunity for young people to go outside their area for a sustained period, i.e. residential rather than attending events ►► the chance to exchange ideas and work with other young grantmakers ►► a meaningful role to play in contributing to the movement ►► the YBS ethos which emphasised the importance of work, of having fun, of young people leading activities, and of including a diverse range of young people

that YouthBanks locally can use to evaluate impact. YBS’s traffic light activity is a simple and popular way to take a snapshot of local activity: a similarly colourful, simple activity asking young people to identify impact according to groups of indicators could help young people understand impact and share it with one another. Ambassadors This programme seems to be a way in which the experience and enthusiasm of young people who have spent some time in YouthBanks can be harnessed, giving them a role in the movement alongside adult supporters. The programme would benefit from some structure and clarity about tole and puropse. These young people and adults could also feed back into the development of grantmakers through developing and delivering training.

With the new structure of an independent YBS set up, this may be an opportunity to separate the governance function of SAF from other roles such as BIG Splash! decision making, development of creative resources and materials, and training other young people, so that more young people get to take part in leading the movement.

Training pathway for young people A key feature of the SAF members’ experience has been the training they have received to build on their local experience and help them develop as leaders. We suggest that a wider access training programme for young grantmakers and young applicants could be set up by YBS, to provide structured training opportunities for any young person who has benefited from their involvement in YouthBanks as a beneficiary or decision-maker. There was striking evidence that applicants develop as much leadership experience and project management experience as grantmakers. These young people could build on their practical experience through taking part in a module from a YBS-run training programme, which could bring diverse young people together to exchange their learning and provide accredited training to go along with their practical experience.

Evaluation and impact assessment Many workers felt that they could not use the YBS monitoring system where it conflicted with their own local monitoring systems. YBS should continue to support these differences of practice locally whilst collating data from all YouthBanks for the purpose of demonstrating impact. Much of the evaluation and practice reflection at a national level came out of residentials and was verbal, so that it was not captured or shared with workers and grantmakers outwith the co-ordinators and SAF membership. It would be good to find a way to share the learning that those people contributed with the wider network. As part of this, YBS could develop a coherent monitoring and evaluation system based on the outcomes for grantmakers, beneficiaries, communities, funders and host organisations. YBS could link these outcomes to key national policy frameworks and develop a set of indicators 72

Recommendations Some suggestions for subjects for this training might be organisational and time management skills, as many young people we spoke to talked about the difficulty of learning how to balance their voluntary work with their other commitments; leadership and participative work; and basic community learning and development skills, as many young grantmakers identified this as a possible future career path. If this programme was to really take off, it could be developed as a pathway for young people to gain practical experience as modern apprentices in their local areas, assisting Local Co-ordinators in YouthBanks with accredited training provided by YBS.

wanted YBS to articulate the policy impact of local YouthBanks more strongly perhaps in a centrally-led way, rather than by trying to empower individual YouthBanks to take advantages of policy opportunities in their area. Stronger links to 16+ Learning Choices This initiative is one example where YBS could lead the network into taking part in significant new policy developments. This initiative is particularly positive towards the role of volunteering in achievement and YouthBanks would seem a good fit as an option for local activity agreements, particularly as most local YouthBanks require regular volunteering and include accredited learning opportunities for participants.

Accredited qualification for Co-ordinators Co-ordinators expressed a desire for a more formal, accredited qualification, that could build on the action learning that they gathered from one another, but that could also be externally validated so as to back up their practical knowledge with theory.

Communication Some local workers expressed a desire for more structured bulletin-style communications from YBS, that they could circulate to young grantmakers, their funders and local workers who were not able to be involved in national activities. This could contribute to the celebration function which was universally valued, and could also cascade some of the learning and practice exchange which was always seen as a feature of these events.

Improved publicity and advocacy Young people and workers suggested that YBS should have a focus on leading the network in publicising its achievements nationally and advocating for YouthBanks to government and policy makers. In terms of publicity, young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginations were captured by the creative resources that YBS came up with, such as the piggy bank, and requested more items that they could use locally such as stickers. They valued the work that had been done on creating local web pages on the central YBS website as this was something that often they did not have time for in the course of their local business. In terms of advocacy, workers and young people wanted YBS to broker more opportunities for local YouthBanks to take part in national policy roll-outs, as local workers felt they could not influence on a national level. They also 73

Appendix Appendix 1: YouthBank Network in Scotland The YouthBank network in Scotland is made up of the following groups: ►► YouthBank Scotland is a central umbrella organisation which licenses local YouthBanks; provides capacity building for individuals, host organisations and Local Co-ordinators; co-ordinates monitoring and evaluation and ensures the representation of young people involved in Scotland in leading the Scottish organisation, and representation of Scotland to the national YouthBank UK body ►► Local host organisations who set up and run local YouthBanks ►► Local Co-ordinators, typically staff from host organisations, who facilitate local YouthBank activities ►► Funder organisations who provide money for local YouthBank grant pots. These may include the host organisations contributing money to their own YouthBank grant pot, as well as national or regional organisations who contribute funds for grant making to one or more YouthBanks ►► Young grantmakers, young people who take part in local YouthBanks as grantmakers ►► Scottish Advisory Forum (SAF), a group of young people representing their local YouthBanks at a Scottish national level to govern the overall work of YouthBank Scotland. They also represent Scotland at a UK level ►► Project Leaders who are young people involved in local initiatives that apply for money from local YouthBanks ►► Project participants are those taking part in projects organisation by local initiatives that have received YouthBank funding ►► YouthBank Ambassadors comprising young people and adults who have been involved in YouthBanks, have knowledge of the programme and who act as champions at external events ►► Wider community of ‘people of all ages who surround the young people, who can see and feel the benefits of young people actively engaged in productive activities and the innovative use of funds.’ (YouthBank Magazine)

Appendix Appendix 2: YouthBank Golden Rules Although local YouthBanks develop in a variety of ways to suit local needs, there are some principles of YouthBank that have to be followed by all. These are the ‘YouthBank Golden Rules’. 1. YouthBank activity has to be young people led – at local, regional, national and UK-wide levels. The role of adults in YouthBank is to support and advise young people. 2. YouthBank is open to all young people. We recognise that some young people may have barriers to overcome so that they can get involved – we will do our best to include these young people in YouthBank activity. 3. YouthBank offers young people the opportunity to find out about each other’s lives, cultures and experiences in a supportive environment. YouthBanks therefore must respect the differences and talents of all young people. 4. YouthBank activity must be accountable, monitoring and reporting on how and where money is spent. 5. YouthBanks should communicate clearly, using simple language (not jargon), to make sure young people have the greatest possible knowledge of YouthBank activity at all levels. 6. YouthBank activity must add to the skills, knowledge and experience of young people – using a range of training, new experiences and activity-based learning, gaining accreditation where possible. 7. YouthBanks need to make time to learn from what they do – to reflect on their activity at all levels and not be afraid to make changes to the way they operate. 8. YouthBanks need to celebrate the achievements of young people. YouthBank is a great way for young people to develop what they can do, we need to get this message across and have fun too! 9. YouthBanks must support young people to understand the YouthBank UK network, ensuring they are aware of the local, regional and national progression opportunities available. 10. YouthBank will work in partnership with other young people, groups or organisations where there are benefits for all to learn, develop and advance a positive view of young people.