Improving your community

Transcription

across Scotland
diy guide to
improving your
community
getting children and young people involved
acknowledgements
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CORE PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
Save the Children’s Community Partners Programme would not have taken place without the involvement of our core partners in each locality.
We value the significant contribution made by our partners’ staff and volunteers in shaping the development and delivery of the work:
Barrowfield and Gallowgate, East End of Glasgow
South Camlachie Youth Project, Possibilities for East End Kids (PEEK), with early support from the Bambury Regeneration Centre
(formerly the Camlachie Regeneration Project)
Fort William
Community Learning and Leisure and Social Work (Lochaber Area, Highland Council), Upper Fort William Social Inclusion Programme
and Voluntary Action Lochaber
Ormlie, Thurso
Ormlie Community Association, Community Learning and Leisure (Caithness Area, Highland Council) and Ormlie Social Inclusion Partnership.
South Edinburgh
Community Education (City of Edinburgh Council), bfriends (now part of Children 1st) and the Play Development Project (a tripartite project supported
by Community Education, Education and the South Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership), also with early involvement by Childcare Connections.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
We would also like to recognise the contribution of the children and young people who worked with us on this programme in the four areas.
FUNDERS
The Community Fund (now Big Lottery Fund), the Robertson Trust, and the Wellbeing Alliance in Highland supported the work through grants
made to Save the Children to supplement its funding. Local partners also contributed a valuable range of in-kind support such as co-worker time
and use of resources and premises.
OTHER VALUED SUPPORT
Colin Punler (former Chairperson of Ormlie Community Association), Bob Mackinnon (SIP Area Manager, Highland Wellbeing Alliance),
Rev Irene Bristol (Church of Scotland and formerly of the Camlachie Regeneration Project and PEEK), Gavin Lockhart (Freelance Arts Worker),
Joanne Carr (Freelance Arts Worker), Sarah Madden (independent consultant and trainer), Iain Mulholland (Strathclyde Police and Young
EastEnd Speaking), Carita Thomas (SC volunteer), Myra Appolinari (Headteacher, Burdiehouse Primary School), David Jones (Dialogue Youth)
Communities that Care, Environmental and Consumer Services and Community Services, (City of Edinburgh), Out of the Blue, Plantation Community
Association, Room 13, Scottish Home Zone Network, St Luke’s and St Thomas’ Churches, Young People Speak Out, Give youth a Chance,
Citizen Y Campaign (Edinburgh Youth Soial Inclusion Partnership).
SAVE THE CHILDREN’S CPP TEAM
Development and Assistant Development Workers, present and past, including Karen Atkins, Tanya Sinclair, Louise Sheridan, Roxanne Meehan,
April Zolick, Maddie Harris & Stephen Bermingham.
AUTHORS
Sonja de Rijk, Evelyn Freeman, Anita Mathur, Stephen McGlinchey, Jain McIntyre, Elizabeth Morrison.
EDITORIAL GROUP
Evelyn Freeman, Jain McIntyre, Elizabeth Morrison, with particular thanks to Joyce Sperber for proofreading and coordinating the production process.
bfriends is a service provided by CHILDREN 1ST
SAVE THE CHILDREN
This guide has been written by Save the Children, an international child rights organisation
working in Scotland, the UK and in over 60 countries to achieve a better world for children.
All our work is centred on our commitment to making a reality of children’s human rights,
and is based on the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC, see summary in the Appendix).
introduction
Introduction
WHAT IS THE DIY GUIDE?
The guide is based on practical experience. It provides tried and tested methods of working,
for adults interested in encouraging young people to become actively involved in their local
community and its regeneration. It sets out a process that includes:
•
•
•
•
consulting young people about their views
understanding their rights
supporting them to put their ideas into action
working alongside others to bring about real change.
The term young people is used throughout to mean children and young people.
The activities described here were used with young people aged 9 to 15, an age group
at an important transition stage in terms of ability, interests, motivation and vulnerability.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The guide is aimed at adults. You may be involved in the public sector or in a voluntary
organisation, in a paid or volunteer role. You may be providing services designed for young
people or making decisions that affect them directly or indirectly as a group within the wider
population of the area. You may not at present involve young people in your activities but
want or need to, and are unsure about how to do this. You may live in the local area and
already are active in the community, and you find yourself wanting to do something for the
younger generation but have no experience of working with young people.
jargon buster
You will find this guide useful if you have a belief that young people are key to the
wellbeing of the community. You therefore may want to create opportunities for them
to have a role in local decisions and activities to improve their area. In particular, the guide
is written to support adults with this kind of motivation but less experience in supporting
young people’s participation.
UNCRC - This is a set of rights which ALL people under 18 have. Recognised by countries at an international level. In December 1991
the UK Government agreed to put the Convention into practice
Regeneration - Action which leads to the solving of problems in areas which are experiencing social exclusion. This action aims
to achieve a lasting improvement in the physical, economic, social and environmental nature of an area.
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for themselves, and
being involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community where they live or the
community of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC (see above)).
For full jargon buster and glossary terms see section at the end of this toolkit.
1
WHAT IS THE GUIDE BASED ON?
introduction
The guide is based on the experience and learning from Save the Children’s Community
Partners Programme (2000 to 2005). The programme started from
the idea that:
• young people, as a group in society, were often socially excluded as they were
not seen as full citizens with the right to a voice and a part to play
• some were more disadvantaged by living in areas experiencing poverty
• their situation might be improved if they were offered opportunities and practical
support to learn about their rights and take part in discussion and action to improve
their communities
• change could not occur in isolation, but needed partnership as young people, no
matter how motivated to push for some kind of improvement, needed to work with
others, and others with them if they hoped to achieve what they wanted.
The programme was based in four sites, urban and rural, in the east end of Glasgow,
south Edinburgh, Fort William and Thurso in Highland. All were Social Inclusion Partnership
(see Appendix) areas. It began with a pilot, followed by a three year programme ending
in September 2004. An extra six months was added partly to implement plans in each site
which supported local partners opting to continue the work.
The programme aimed to:
• introduce young people to human rights, using the UNCRC
• explore issues - issues they chose - affecting them and their communities
• take a group work approach to help young people to learn to work together
and develop their communication skills
• draw on community development ideas and methods, building young people’s self
confidence, developing their understanding of decision making, and creating
practical opportunities for them to work with others and contribute to bringing
about change.
The thinking behind the approach derives from the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child. Here are some key articles from the Convention which the guide will help
you develop with young people in the community.
2
jargon buster
Social Exclusion - When individuals or areas experience a range of problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor
housing, crime, poor health and family breakdown resulting in people or areas not benefiting from the opportunities enjoyed by
most people in society
Community Development - Working together to help people living in a community to identify their own needs, rights, options and
responsibilities, and support them in organising and taking action together to increase their quality of life and control over decisions
affecting them. For example, action to improve access to services or physical amenities in the local area
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD - UNCRC *
All adults should always do what is best for you.
Article 4
You have the right to have your rights made a reality by the government.
Article 12
You have the right to an opinion and for it to be listened to and
taken seriously.
Article 13
You have the right to find out things and say what you think, through
making art, speaking and writing, unless it breaks the rights of others.
Article 15
You have the right to be with friends and join or set up clubs
unless this breaks the rights of others.
Article 17
You have the right to collect information from the media - radio,
newspapers, television, etc, - from all around the world. You should
also be protected from information that could harm you.
Article 42
All adults and children should know about this convention. You have a
right to learn about your rights and adults should learn about them too.
introduction
Article 3
* Simplified version of the UNCRC from Partners in Rights - Creative Activities for Exploring Rights
and Citizenship for 7 - 11 Year Olds by Save the Children, 2000.
It is useful from the outset to build into your project ways of gathering information to be
able to assess its progress and impact later on. This will enable you to have, within easy reach,
facts, figures and feedback which will help you reflect on what you have achieved, how you
did it and what you would change if you go on to do similar work with young people.
A report about the learning and impact of the programme is available from Save the Children.
SIGNPOST
SIGNPOST
See Signpost Appendix for details of other publications and resources.
3
In the words of a Save the Children Development Worker with
the Community Partners Programme (CPP) from the start
introduction
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE...
“When I did streetwork, what really struck me was the absence of young people - it
was summer but only a few were outside. They were clearly interested, though less in
a leaflet and more in somebody listening to them. The word spread and a group was
set up. Young people visited the community office regularly, to find out more or talk
about particular issues. What they seemed to want and need was somebody to take
them seriously and help them get their views heard.
The whole project felt vulnerable with different expectations between the partner
organisations. It sometimes felt like a struggle to stop the CPP agenda being
compromised; for example, one representative used to question what children knew
about play and argue only architects or adults with years of training could help plan
play provision. To the young people I was working with, they felt they were being
listened to but also, when it came to real decisions, they were sidelined - they were
‘just children’ not expected to be involved in ‘real adult decision making’.
There also was a feeling of a top down, professional led structure [the wider area
regeneration structure]. It felt hard enough as an adult to participate and I had
little hope of children being heard amongst the adult clashes. A real change
came when the wider partnership recognised it needed resident representation.
I was part of a group reviewing the structure and finding ways to involve residents,
including young people.
In the next three years, the work was built on wider regeneration activities [CPP
was only one part]. Young people participate in all community activities such as
consultations, meetings and open days. Events to celebrate National Play Day and
Christmas tree lights celebrations suggest a growing sense of community, with young
people alongside adults ensuring their success.
Even walking around, there’s a different feel which is hard to describe - people seem
to take greater pride in where they live, folk from outside visit and the negative
stigma of a run down area seems to have shifted. The housing manager said recently
that people are asking to be housed here which, in the past, just didn’t happen.
There’s still some resistance from adult residents to young people being involved in
meetings and activities but even they recognise they can’t dismiss the views of these
informed, confident young people. Younger siblings are keen to join as they’ve seen
what’s been achieved by their older brothers and sisters.
Other areas are hearing about the work [of the wider regeneration initiative including
CPP] and are wanting to achieve similar things. I was stopped by some young people
in a village elsewhere who’d started a petition after hearing about young people’s
part in getting a play park here.
The success of the Programme was dependent on the individuals involved. It took
time to get people on board. This needed to be done slowly, by showing the benefits,
for example, making opportunities for young people to speak for themselves, using
creative technologies such as video to bring the work ‘alive’.
It’s been a roller coaster ride. The partners are committed to continuing the groups.
I hope they also make time to listen and nurture the young people through informal
contact to keep them informed. There is a group of young people involved since the
beginning. I think they will continue to ask questions and not be fobbed off by adults”.
4
Contents
Save the Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What is the DIY guide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Who is it for? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What is it based on? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Development worker, speaking from experience
CONTENTS
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1
1
1
2
4
.........................................................................5
HOW TO USE THE GUIDE
ACTIVITIES LIST
contents
INTRODUCTION
...........................................................6
.....................................................................7
LONG TERM CASE STUDY 1
Barrowfield Tourist Board - Young People and their Community, its History and Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction . . . . .
Methods . . . . . . . .
Case Studies . . . . .
Information sheets
Activity sheets . . . .
Templates . . . . . . .
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17
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26
27
37
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55
57
58
67
90
SECTION TWO PREPARATION
Introduction . . . . .
Case Studies . . . . .
Methods . . . . . . . .
Activity sheets . . . .
Information sheets
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SECTION THREE TAKING ACTION
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Activity sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
contents
SECTION ONE STARTING UP
LONG TERM CASE STUDY 2
Young People’s Participation in their Community Home Zone Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
CONCLUSION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
APPENDICES
Democratic Structures - Information about Decision Making and Initiatives about
Community Regeneration and/or Young People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
JARGON BUSTER GLOSSARY OF TERMS
What do They Mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Simplified Young Person Friendly Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
SIGNPOSTS
Where Else to Get Help? Other Information and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
5
how to use this guide
How to Use this Guide
The guide contains three main sections:
STARTING UP
• making initial contact with young people
• setting up your group
• making connections between young people’s concerns
about where they live and their rights
PREPARATION
• exploring the issue and getting the facts
• understanding other people’s agendas
TAKING ACTION
• planning a project
• taking action
• reviewing progress.
Each contains:
• introduction
• methods, with brief descriptions and signposting to other resources
• hints and tips, based on practical experience
• case studies, based on practice describing young people’s experiences in
different parts of the Community Partners Programme
• activities, with full instructions and insights from workers who have
devised and/or used them.
Some also include:
• information sheets which, like the activities, are designed to stand alone
and be photocopied for work with young people
• templates for young people to use.
You will also find a list of all activities as part of the contents. In the Introduction,
you will be able to read the reflections of a Development Worker. She was involved
in the programme, the basis for this guide, from start to finish.
In the Appendix are:
• guide to decision making, explaining processes and structures, and listing
other sources of information
• jargon buster - jargon has been used sparingly but deliberately in the guide,
as young people are likely to experience it during their project. Jargon busting
boxes appear throughout with a full alphabetical list at the back
• young person friendly version of the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child (UNCRC)
• signposting to other information and resources, including websites and materials.
Other practical materials developed in the course of the programme and useful for
Save the Children and our partners can be found on Save the Children’s website.
They include a sample partnership agreement, joint arrangements between partners
for various policies and procedures where partners share a responsibility and/or
duty of care towards the young people involved.
6
jargon buster
Agenda (I) - A list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting
Agenda (ii) - This can also mean that an individual or group of people have in mind something they want to achieve or a certain way
they would like something to progress
Duty of Care - When an organisation or its representatives employ or provide specific services for individuals, they must show this.
For example, when young people use a council youth service the council automatically have certain responsibilities for their welfare
Activities List
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Taster Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ground Rule-setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
What Helps or Hinders Young People’s Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Team Building - Three Blind Mice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Team Building - ‘Bungy-tastic’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Passport to Your Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Pet Rabbit’s Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Rights Bingo (template included) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Picture Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
I agree/I disagree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Rights in Collage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Where We Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Pictures in Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Creating a Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Prioritising the Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Mapping for Real . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
SECTION 2
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
My Right to Information (template included) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Do your Homework Spider-style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
How to Learn to use the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Jigsaw Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Protest Banners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Mapping other People’s Agendas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Young People Holding onto their Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
The Status Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Making Links Through Collage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Negotiation Role Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Who to Influence and How? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Matching Jigsaws - Sharing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Mapping the Neighbourhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Who is That and What do They do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
The Target Game - Who Makes Decisions in the Lives of Young People . . . . 87
Who are the Council - Are We a Partner Too? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
activities list
SECTION 1
SECTION 3
33
34
35
36
37
38
Large-scale Jigsaw Puzzle - Project Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Progress Thermometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Board Game - Consequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
The Onion Layers...Contacting the Right People for Your Project . . . . . . . . . 122
How to Write a Letter (template included) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Learning to Read Maps and Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
7
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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8
long term case study 1
“Our visit...was very interesting...It had a lot of
unusual sculptures in it and it’s a brilliant place to
get ideas from. I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot
of things on my visit. The sculptures designed were
a waterfall, a texting machine which is meant to
stop people carving things into the trees and there
was a birds feeding place. I was very impressed”.
This long term Case Study tells the story of a project which started with young people
playing with ideas about how to market their housing scheme as a tourist attraction.
It brought out why they liked where they lived but also their tongue in cheek view
of some of the eyesores in the area.
It charts many aspects of a project as outlined in the various Sections here, as well as the
need for flexibility on the part of workers. It also shows how a project designed simply
to be fun can go on to explore deeper issues such as community identity.
Barrowfield, in the east end of Glasgow, has experienced poverty and disadvantage for
many years, particularly since the decline of traditional industries. At the time of the
project, it was going through major change with new houses being built, and changes
made to the layout and street names.
long term
BARROWFIELD TOURIST BOARD
YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR COMMUNITY, ITS HISTORY AND IDENTITY
INTRODUCTION
16 young people, supported by South Camlachie Youth Project, East End Community Arts,
East End Broadcasting Project, Market Gallery, West of Scotland Housing Association
and Save the Children
Where Barrowfield, Glasgow
When August 2002 to December 2003
WHAT HAPPENED
After a change in staff, a summer programme was held to reconnect with young people. Based around
games, drama and art activities, it explored children’s rights and the local community. Young people
wrote pages for an imaginary holiday brochure, exaggerating features of Barrowfield:
Welcome to Costa Dalserf [play on the name of a local street]
• Tourists could have lots of fun with our state of the art graffiti wall.
• If you come in the summer you will find fountains full of pure Scottish water.
Barrowfield Tourist Board
Young people opted to form a group, the Barrowfield Tourist Board. They made posters, promoting
Barrowfield in a fun way, so the local burn became a waterfront attraction offering boat rides by
adding advertising slogans, boats and palm trees.
They began to learn about the area’s history - about old buildings that once stood there, and how new
houses had changed the face of Barrowfield as recently as the 1990s. They researched streets names.
case study 1
Who
“Mountainblue St is named after the Mountblue Pottery factory which was named by the owner who
had visited the Blue Mountains of Jamaica”.
After an exhibition of the young people’s work, the local councillor asked the group to tour the area.
Nine young people greeted her and officials from Land Services (Roads and Cleansing), Town Planning,
and Culture and Leisure Services Departments of Glasgow City Council. They visited backcourts, a
play park and disused sites. The group took photographs and recorded discussions. Visitors commented
on how well the group expressed its ideas and how committed they felt the young people were to
making changes.
“Barrowfield Tourist Board is about meeting with adults and trying to make a difference”.
Councillor - Someone who is elected to represent a specific area - such as part of a town
jargon buster
11
long term
The group lost some of its momentum as young people felt they had aired their views and were
content to leave any future decision making to the council officials. Yet, young people wanted to
continue and decided to make a radio programme describing their project for East End Broadcasting
Project, a community run internet radio station. They devised questions and answers, learned to use
mini disc recorders and set about recording their show. Hearing their own voices, some were too
embarrassed to continue and left. The activity went no further, though the group had the option
to revisit it when they felt more comfortable with the recording process.
Numbers attending were low but, through word of mouth, they increased. The focus was reviewed
and many agreed they disliked aspects of where they lived:
“Its dirty”
“People have no respect”
but they also thought Barrowfield was a good place to live:
case study 1
“Family - there are lots of people”
“Positive young people”
“The Bambury Centre” [community facility].
“Some community spirit”
“It has a future”
The group discussed how to tell people about the good things and thought a Welcome to Barrowfield
sign was a start. Young people made models and sketches, drawing on ideas from the internet.
Having started to learn about the area’s history, they decided a welcome sign should include some
historical facts.
The Big Book of Barrowfield - Past, Present and Future
They recorded their discoveries in what was to become The Big Book of Barrowfield - Past, Present
and Future, including the young people’s hopes for the future. They chose six themes, reflecting past
industries, and did some related activities:
The
The
The
The
The
The
Chocolate Factory - making chocolate cake
Bakery - making salt dough models
Rope Factory - learning skipping games
Pottery - making clay pots
Textile Factory - making fabric banners
Distillery - glass painting.
They used the internet to find facts, figures and photographs, and asked their parents and
grandparents about life in Barrowfield in the past. Armed with a notebook (and accompanied), they
spoke to local residents in the Bambury Centre’s café. A local resident shared stories about changes
in the past 20 years and did a slide show of old photographs. As the focus moved from old Barrowfield
to the present day, young people were encouraged to describe their area as if writing a letter to an
alien in outer space.
“I live in Barrowfield. Barrowfield is a very good place to live. I have hundreds of friends and
I have a photo of them here”.
“There are little dogs in the street and this little dog is called Nico. He is a friendly dog and it
is nice to see him but it is a problem of dog fouling. And it is not nice to see that”.
Young people took photographs which they analysed and wrote about, for inclusion in part two
of the Big Book.
Public Art
Staff proposed linking the Big Book project to the group’s first idea for a signpost. A steering group
involving South Camlachie Youth Project, East End Community Arts Project, Market Gallery and
Save the Children resulted in ideas enabling the group to marry their knowledge of Barrowfield
history with the creation of a public artwork, to be sited in Barrowfield.
12
The information young people gathered about Barrowfield past and present influenced their ideas
about public art. They looked at diverse examples including some in Glasgow and also took part in four
art workshops and several study visits.
Tour of the Gorbals in Glasgow
Young people visited the Gorbals, as it too had undergone major redevelopment, with evidence of
public art based on community participation. They visited the Gorbals Arts Project, involved in the
design of local artwork, and took detailed notes. Touring the area, they saw first hand some of the
sculptures they had seen in photographs.
long term
West of Scotland Housing Association agreed in principle and suggested visits to sites where housing
associations had commissioned artists (as planned in Barrowfield). A formal proposal was agreed with
the Barrowfield Tourist Board group.
“I though the trip to the Gorbals was exciting because we saw sculptures which were different. We
saw some that we could put in Barrowfield but also learned that to make a sculpture takes time”.
“I thought that there was just a pile of fruit boxes in the room but when you went over to it there
were photographs of people on them, who had drowned trying to escape their country”.
Discussion later showed the visit helped young people to think about how stories can be told through
art and how the group might link their stories to the art pieces they proposed.
Visit to Market Gallery in Glasgow
At this community gallery in Dennistoun, young people viewed an exhibition by local artists, including
video footage of yellow lines on a road, an audio tape of an iceberg breaking up, and a miniature
section of a brightly lit bridge.
“There was lot of good ideas but I didn’t understand a lot of it. There were different ideas that
you wouldn’t have thought about”.
Art Workshops at Tollcross Park Courtyard
Supported by an artist from East End Community Arts, young people expanded on their ideas and built
3D models, drawing on their learning, for example, about the materials that could be used.
Loch Lomond Shores Park Rangers Centre and Sculpture Park
This was the group’s last visit:
case study 1
Visit to Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Two participants visited GOMA in Glasgow to see the Sanctuary Project of artwork inspired by asylum
seekers and refugees and stories of how they fled persecution in their home countries. Given a tour,
they were moved by some of the stories attached to the artwork as the sculptures were explained
to them.
Our visit...was very interesting...It had a lot of unusual sculptures in it and it’s a brilliant place to get
ideas from. I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot of things on my visit. The sculptures designed were
a waterfall, a texting machine which is meant to stop people carving things into the trees and there
was a birds feeding place. I was very impressed.
Over the next three months, young people met regularly to complete their Big Book. When produced,
West of Scotland Housing Association agreed to issue it to new tenants and the Bambury Centre
to display a large scale version in its café area. The group’s proposals for a piece of public art were
presented to the Bambury Centre, and are incorporated in plans for a village square as part of the
area’s next phase of regeneration. Another exhibition held as the group came to a natural end allowed
young people to consult other residents about what type of public art they would prefer to see.
13
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14
section one
starting up
• making initial contact with young people
• setting up your group
• making connections between young people’s concerns about
where they live and their rights
This chapter will help you to
• understand the importance of building relationships
with the young people
• understand and ensure safe working practices
• assist young people in taking a critical look at where
they live and highlighting things they like and don’t
like in their community
• help young people make the links between their human
rights and young people’s place in the wider community
section one
• explore different ways of finding out about and
making contact with young people in your community
“We are learning about ‘children’s rights’ and
having fun at the same time”
Male, aged 11
“It’s no good children having rights if they don’t
know they have them”
Female, aged 11
1
Introduction
introduction
Why Work This Way?
Before setting out on your project involving young people, it is important to:
• understand why you want to work in this way - looking at the community from
a child rights perspective
• recognise young people are interested in their neighbourhood, they have a right
to form groups and participate in community activities
• remember young people may have different interests or agendas to your own, and
it is important to consult with them, and to identify and prioritise the issues together
• build up relationships with young people and negotiate ground rules which will
ultimately help you and them to achieve the longer term aims you share
• ensure safe working practices for all participants, because you have a duty of care towards
the young people you are working with - that’s why you should follow certain procedures.
What you need to know
Questions you need to ask yourself include:
hints and tips
The best way to find out what concerns
young people and what they are not
happy with is to ask them!
• Have you mapped your local area?
• Do you have a knowledge of safe working practices when working with young people?
• What is the best method for your project or organisation to engage with young people?
• What are their concerns? Do your interests fit with their priorities? Their ideas may differ
from your own.
• Do young people want to be involved? Are you ready to work out a shared agenda you
can support?
hints and tips
Speak to young people about their ideas and find out what activities
they would like to do as a group before spending money, assuming
you have funds to pay for, say, specialist workers or equipment.
jargon buster
Negotiation - Discussion between people who are trying to reach an agreement
Ground Rules - The basic rules for the smooth running of a group and the health and safety of group members
Safe Working Practices - Ensuring that appropriate health and safety measures have been addressed
17
methods
Methods
You can make initial contact with young people in different ways and, by working through
this section, you should be able to decide which is the best method for you for involving
children in a project.
Once young people have voiced an interest, it is important to think not only about how you
will explore the subject, but also how you will encourage young people to work together
as a group.
The section will concentrate on two methods for making first contact - streetwork and
setting up groups in schools. You will be aiming to proceed in the knowledge that the work
can be carried out in a safe environment, whether outside in what young people may
consider their territory, or in a school or youth club setting.
Mapping - Before deciding on your methods, do some homework on your local area. Check
out where and when young people like to hang out. Think about numbers, age, gender, race
and so on, and build a picture of young people in your area. Get in touch with other local
groups and organisations such as the local school and your local authority youth services to
find out if there already are any local youth clubs or whether you could set up a new group
to take place, say, in the school.
Setting up a group without consulting with young people first stands little chance of success.
It needs to be accessible and fit in with young people’s lives as well as their interests. This is
important for your second stage when you will be planning the development of your group.
One way of doing this could be through a questionnaire that could be distributed through
streetwork (see below).
Streetwork - Engaging with young people on the streets can work well as a way of making
initial contact, as you are meeting somewhere they may see more as their own territory than
a building (even if others sometimes disagree about the ownership and use of public space).
Outside, there is no worry about housekeeping, which means your attention can be given
to the young people, though you still need to pay attention to child protection and health
and safety.
Taster Pack - Put together a small folder of activities to give out to young people on the
streets to inform them of the type of work they could be involved in (see activity in this
Section). You could also prepare a leaflet about the work or a newsletter.
Peer to Peer Consultation - Support young people to consult with their peers to assess
general interest in the project. This could be in the form of questionnaires designed
by young people.
SIGNPOST
18
jargon buster
Mapping - Sometimes called a ‘Mapping Exercise’ - This is usually when you wish to find out how many of a particular item
exists. For example this could be in a geographical area, such as play-parks within your local authority.
Local Authority Youth Services - Youth clubs and associated services provided by a council or local authority for young people
Housekeeping - This is the term used when introducing a group of people to an unfamiliar building. Housekeeping duties
include explaining the procedures if the fire alarm should sound, where the toilets are and if there is a smoking policy
Child Protection - The broad definition from the UNCRC is anything a child has the right to be protected from which individuals
or institutions (see below) do, or fail to do, which directly or indirectly harms children or damages their prospects of safe and
healthy development into adulthood. There is a formal child protection system, based on law, which spells out the different
roles and responsibilities people and organisations have in protecting children. See “It’s Everyone’s Job to Make Sure SIGNPOST
I’m Alright” Report of the Child Protection Audit and Review, 2002 by the Scottish Executive, available on its website.
Health and Safety - Usually a set of guidelines or rules to ensure the well-being of anyone in a public area,
venue or work-place, based in law
Idea Storming - Usually done in a group. Noting down comments which come to mind about a particular subject as quickly
as possible. Discussion of comments takes place afterwards
Post-its - Use as a simple but effective way to quickly note lots of ideas during a discussion,
without disrupting the flow. They can be used to create a focus for deciding what to work
on (see below) or to pinpoint areas of concern on maps or photographs, for example when
exploring with young people what they think about their local area. They are also ideal for
idea storming as some young people may not be confident enough to speak out but prefer
to write down their ideas. Be mindful though of literacy levels in your group.
methods
Team Building - Build cohesion in your group. Once you set up your group, this is a useful
method of improving group dynamics. This could involve an activity-based residential, if funds
are available, or short exercises in your regular group setting (see activities in this Section).
Creating a Focus - Make a collage to sort and prioritise what young people like about where
they live as well as what they dislike, using drawings, photographs, newspaper clippings.
A good way for young people to begin looking at their community is to give them disposable
cameras. They can then use their photographs in the collage. By recording their ideas in this
way, you have an effective tool for ensuring it is their issues that are highlighted as the basis of
discussions about what the group wants to work on. There may be issues that are less important
than others and some potentially may represent long term work. (You also need to consider
how and if you can support the group to take on a long term project to avoid disappointment).
Hold onto the collage as it can be a guide the group can refer back to later. This visual record
can also be displayed to show others the work and views of the group.
CASE STUDY 1
SETTING GROUND RULES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
This Case Study describes activities undertaken by a group of young people during both
group sessions and in between times. It highlights how rules can be agreed in negotiation
with young people which assist in not only the smooth running of their group but also
their personal development.
INTRODUCTION
Who
10 children, 6 male and 4 female, aged 10 to 12, supported by
Community Learning and Leisure, and Save the Children
Where Upper Achintore, Fort William
When 2 sessions during February 2003
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was to address issues of inappropriate language and disruptive behaviour though setting
boundaries by negotiation with young people. The work resulted in ground rules which satisfied
both young people and workers (also see Activity Two in this Section).
Key learning from this activity for young people:
• listening to and taking on board others’ views, and also experiencing the opportunity
to reflect and shape their own opinions
• empathising with other people, and recognising that other people’s rights, whether
of children or adults, should be respected
• understanding about the need to plan, the meaning of risk and steps to reduce it
• appreciating the impact, positive and negative, of their own behaviour, and taking
personal responsibility.
Before progressing further with their chosen project (an improved playground), some time was
spent on revisiting young people’s rights and also their responsibilities towards others. Ground
rules were agreed by young people and workers together, resulting in a signed agreement which
Case Study continued overleaf
19
methods
Making contact through streetwork
One of the best ways to engage young people is to do so on what they see as their own
territory, where they feel comfortable. This could be somewhere in the park or on the streets
of the local neighbourhood. This approach is beneficial in starting to build relationships with
young people, with the contact being focused on the young people and their interests, and
not on your physical surroundings or your need to deliver a specific programme.
Is your aim to involve young people in a project you already have running, or do you want
to support young people in progressing an issue they define?
The following flow diagram will help you to work out what you need to do in either case.
DEFINE
YOUR AIMS
YOU WANT TO WORK
WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
ON AN ISSUE
THEY DEFINE
YOU ALREADY HAVE
A PROJECT AND
WANT TO INVOLVE
YOUNG PEOPLE
MAP YOUR
LOCAL AREA
STREETWORK
PROMOTE YOUR
PROJECT AND
GAUGE INTEREST
DEFINE ISSUES AND
GAUGE INTEREST
START TO BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS
SET UP
YOUR GROUP
hints and tips
Remember! The law in Scotland states that people working with children
need to be vetted, whether volunteers or paid workers. You will need to be
checked by Disclosure Scotland. Articles 32 and 36 of the UNCRC are about
protecting children from harm! See Appendix.
SIGNPOST
SIGNPOST
20
jargon buster
Risk Assessments - Assessment of possible difficulties or problems which may arise during a particular situation, for example an ‘off site’
trip or special event. Assessing what may go wrong/arise helps organisers to be vigilant, prepared and take action to minimise risks
Consensus - An opinion that all members of a group agree with
CASE STUDY 1
continued
Having worked on the UNCRC earlier, the young people stated they had a right to express
themselves in their own language (Article 30 - “...you have the right to...use your own
language”*).
* Simplified version of the UNCRC from Partners in Rights - Creative Activities for Exploring
Rights and Citizenship for 7 - 11 Year Olds by Save the Children, 2000. SIGNPOST
case study 1
was displayed at each session. This gave ownership of the rules to the young people. On the
whole, this meant participants abided by the rules.
“I can use my own ******language whenever I like - that *******chart there says so look
at number 30” (male, aged 11)
Ground rules relating to behaviour and language emerged as follows:
• ‘Swear Words by Negotiation’
This ground rule was devised in a fun way by the young people themselves. Some individuals
regularly used a few words totally unacceptable to the rest of the group. Through negotiation,
these words were replaced by more suitable words. This was done in the course of one session,
discussing their own rights in the context of not infringing the rights of others. Whenever a word
was used that caused offence to someone, the whole group sat down and, by agreement, came
up with an acceptable alternative. Some of the language used later was still not entirely
appropriate but overall the language improved greatly.
• ‘Three Crosses and You are Out for the Night’
This was also devised by the young people. A few participants were very unruly, tending to let off
steam at the group. The room was not large and disruptive behaviour worked against productive
work. The young people came up with their own list of behaviours - no bullying, no jumping on
furniture, stick to negotiated language, no throwing, cleaning up at end of session, having fun some of which would result in a ‘strike’. Three strikes would result in the individual being asked
to leave that session, though being able to return the next week. The chart was filled out each
week, with the unexpected result that participants put a cross against their own name if they felt
they had been disruptive.
• ‘Good Behaviour Will be Rewarded’
The group produced a good behaviour chart resulting in excellent behaviour being rewarded.
Rewards ranged from choosing the refreshments for the following week to being allowed to be
the first to use the laptop. The young people wanted to use this rule as a rationale for choosing
trips. However, they understood this was not feasible when it was explained there were many
considerations involved in organising a trip and it would be a more enjoyable event if everyone
wanted to go.
In recognition of excellent group behaviour and, as a demonstration that everything had to be
planned, negotiated and paid for, the young people planned a fishing trip. They had assumed
it was a case of getting on a bus and going. However, after an exercise when workers repeatedly
asked ‘how’ and ‘why’, they gained a sense of risk assessment and a greater understanding
as to why ‘reward’ in this particular ground rule could not equate to ‘trip’.
• ‘No Bullying’
The group was asked to consider this rule by the workers due to the boy/girl antagonism. The
young people looked at what this bullying might consist of and the reasons for people behaving
in this way. The group also discussed the notion that everyone had a right to attend the group
and be treated with respect. A consensus was reached - participants would try to be aware of
their behaviour, avoiding behaviour which could be classed as bullying, either between group
members of different genders or the same gender.
21
methods
Streetwork as a method does have its drawbacks as young people may be suspicious of an
adult ‘hanging out’ in their space. You also may come across a young person who is at risk
of harm. Ensure in the planning and carrying out of your project that you are safeguarding
any young people you come into contact with by ensuring your project has a child protection
policy and procedures, and that you and those you are working with are familiar with them.
Your presence needs to be visible and clearly understood. For young people’s safety and
yours, and for your work to be effective, it is important you follow strict guidelines. SIGNPOST
• Ensure young people you approach are aware of who you are and why you are there.
Have a project ID card that you can show and perhaps a leaflet to give out. Also do some
preparatory work before you hit the streets to promote your project. This could be
through articles in the local newspaper or posters in the local shop or community notice
board. Other ways could be through a letter drop in the local school, also reaching
parents. Ensure the information on your project states what you are planning to do,
and give contact details.
• Never work alone - to safeguard young people, as well as yourselves, ensure a third
person knows what you are planning to do, where and when.
• Contact significant relevant local agencies such as the police, local authority, youth clubs
and community associations prior to any streetwork to inform them of your aims and
planned action including when and where you’ll be on the streets.
• Think about how to let parents know about the work. Do a leaflet drop to houses in the
local area, organise a meeting or attend one being held by another established body such
as the local Parent Teacher Association or Community Association.
When making contact with young people, aim also to start building relationships and trust.
This can be done on the streets by following a few simple rules.
• Young people’s participation should be voluntary - never pressurise them.
• Be honest about timescales and also set milestones along the way to the ultimate goal.
• Let young people take the lead and develop the relationship at their pace.
• Be clear and concise, using child friendly language when explaining your work,
policies and procedures.
Whenever working with young people in any setting, it is essential that core policies are in
place, understood and followed, including child protection, health and safety and
confidentiality. For more information on good practice and training in streetwork, see
Streetwise - Thinking on Your Feet: Outreach and Detached Work with Vulnerable Young
People by the Prince’s Trust. SIGNPOST
hints and tips
hints and tips
Article 15 of the UNCRC states children have the right
to join organisations and to meet with others, but you
do need to make sure you get consent from their
parents or carers for them to participate in your group.
If you propose to run groups
straight after school, will you
need to provide a snack?
SIGNPOST
22
jargon buster
Confidential - In this context relating to information which is not shared with others unless there is an absolute need. For example if it is
felt that a young person is in danger in some way
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for themselves, being
involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community where they live or the community
of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC)
CASE STUDY 1
• ‘The Red Box Rule’
Group members were very keen. The majority dropped by the worker’s office daily during one,
if not all, of their breaks during the school day (the office was sited in a primary school). They
were naturally curious and particularly fond of rifling through a red container in which the
worker kept materials and refreshments for the sessions. On being challenged, the young
people accepted it was not appropriate to search through this box without prior consent.
The worker proposed that boundaries needed to be set. The office was shared with three other
workers, with some having no involvement in the Community Partners Programme. It was
explained boundaries there needed to differ from the group’s own ground rules as the office
was not the young people’s space.
methods
continued
What became the ‘Red Box Rule’ was referred to during drop-ins to the office whenever young
people tried to stretch the boundaries there. It proved important in building relationships,
enabling the young people to continue to drop by the office and, equally importantly, in their
recognising and accepting responsibility in learning to respect others and their space.
end of Case Study 1
hints and tips
Making first contact in the school setting
To support young people in assessing what
they think about their area, point out that
they have a right to the best possible chance
to develop and this means that others
should support their development. See
Articles 6 and 42 of the UNCRC in Appendix.
Your local school is probably one of the
best places to make contact with young
people from your community. Potentially
you have a ready made audience if your
aim is to let young people know about
your project. If there are no available community facilities within your area, the school is also
a place to hold your group. By adhering to the policies of the school on health and safety,
you also know your group can take place in a safe environment.
The first point of contact within the school is the head teacher. Arrange a meeting and
ensure you have a clear, concise plan of what you would like to achieve and what age range
you would like to attract to your project.
Be prepared to be flexible about when you propose to run your group as school buildings are
used by many different groups outside school hours. You may have to pay to use the building
(school lets) unless you can negotiate the support of, say, your local authority youth services,
something to raise when you first make contact as part of your mapping of the area.
Discuss how best to give young people a real flavour of your project. Is a short presentation
at school assembly helpful? It is important to explain clearly what is on offer and give young
people the chance to ask questions. They may want to know the practical details such as
whether participation is free as well as the bigger picture about what they could do for their
communities. Have a flyer to give out with contact details, time, place and so on.
Also consider if you want to do more than describe your project. Can you negotiate some
classroom time to do a taster activity which will actively involve young people, for example
exploring the meaning of words such as community, participation, planning, partnership.
What about briefly introducing children’s rights - the ‘Pet Rabbit’s Rights’ Activity in this
Section can be used effectively in this way. If your project is not new, and to help your
audience understand what getting involved could mean in reality, can you point to work
by other young people and any practical outcomes they achieved such as the refurbishment
of the local play park?
23
methods
Establishing your group
Once again, before starting your group, make sure you have a child protection policy and
procedures in place. If using school premises, remember to discuss this with the head teacher.
It is essential that all young people wanting to participate return a signed parental consent
form. For general information about setting up work with young people, see Getting Started
by Youth Scotland. SIGNPOST
For the success of the group and the achievement of your overall aim, negotiate ground rules
with the young people. By setting rules at the outset, you are more likely to reach your goal
without risking a mismatch in expectations or too much disruption from behavioural issues.
By participating in the design of the rules, young people also have ownership and are more
likely to follow them.
hints and tips
Face to face contact always wins over leaflets, flyers and posters as ways of
getting young people to start a project. After you are sure you have
appropriate procedures in place, such as child protection and health and safety,
go out and meet young people to encourage them to join your group.
Mapping young people’s views about their local neighbourhood
One main starting point is encouraging young people to think about the area they live in,
about what they like and dislike. They may be concerned about things that are happening,
or not happening. Maybe they’re not happy about something very general such as the look
of the place. You will want to help them tease out what exactly that means and why, and
what specifically they want to try to improve.
Encourage your group also to think more widely about other young people living in the
neighbourhood and the possibility that there could be other things they are concerned
about. Later they might find out how other young people’s views compared with theirs.
Introducing children’s rights
To help young people put their ideas and concerns about where they live into a bigger
picture, introduce them to children’s rights and the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC see Appendix).
Use the issues emerging from the group’s examination of their neighbourhood as practical
illustrations of various rights. Encourage them to reflect on how far their rights are being
met. This also can be an opportunity to start to explore the rights of others in the community.
hints and tips
Ensure the building you propose to use is young people friendly. What is the
caretaker like? Are there other users who may object to young people making
noise? Is there enough space to play games? Will you have storage space?
SIGNPOST
24
jargon buster
Parental/Guardian’s Consent Form - This is a form which a parent/guardian should complete if a child is to take part in a one-off activity
or a regular group. As well as giving consent for the child to take part - the form will also requires the parent/guardian to fill in other
information, for example, medical information or consent to taking photographs of the child
Human Rights - The basic rights that everyone has as human beings, for example, to be treated fairly, especially by their government
CASE STUDY 2
This Case Study describes a one-off summer holiday activity held outwith regular group
sessions, involving a wider group of young people. It provides a practical example how
human rights can be introduced to young people in an accessible, thought-provoking way.
INTRODUCTION
34 young people, male and female, aged 6 to 11, supported by Childcare
Who
Connections and Save the Children
Where Moredun, South Edinburgh
When two one and a half hour sessions, summer 2003.
case study 2
RIGHTS ARTS & CRAFTS PROJECT - CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TREE
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was to introduce young people to the UNCRC and the idea of children having
human rights.
• developing awareness about what is meant by children’s rights and why they have
specific rights
• recognising which Articles were important to them
• listening to others’ views, while reflecting on and developing their own opinions
• valuing other people’s human rights, whether those of children or adults.
Young people attending Childcare Connections Out of School Care holiday provision were
invited to create a ‘children’s rights tree’ as an arts and crafts activity.
The activity started with a discussion about rights, using prepared statements, relating to the
UNCRC and the situation of young people locally as well as globally such as:
•
•
•
•
Children under the age of 16 should be allowed in the army.
Children should not expect to have clean water in a poor country.
Children have the right to play anytime they want.
All children get free medicines.
Ten statements were read out and young people were asked to move to specific points in the
room to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with each one. They were encouraged to
discuss what the statements (and the corresponding Articles from the UNCRC) meant, and why
they agreed or not. After this exchange of ideas, they had the option of changing their minds
and repositioning themselves elsewhere on the Agree-Disagree continuum.
In response, for example, to Children under the age of 16 should be allowed in the army, some
(the boys) at first thought they should as it appeared exciting. After discussion about being
mature enough to make these kind of decisions, being trained to fight and kill and possibly
being killed, the consensus was people should be 18 before entering the army. Only one (male)
thought you should still be allowed to join the army when you are young if you wished.
The discussion informed the young people’s ideas when they set about painting, drawing,
cutting and pasting to illustrate individual Articles they chose from the UNCRC. One illustration
showed a child being sold to another person. Its author was not aware at the outset that this
kind of crime existed and was horrified to learn that children can be taken from their parents or
even sold by their parents. A lot of illustrations were about being kept safe from drugs, alcohol
and cigarettes. Many were also about keeping healthy and the right to nutritious food.
Some young people were unaware of the UNCRC until they took part in the activity. Most were
very concerned that in poor countries the opportunity for medicines was limited and costly and
that even in a rich country, people often had to pay for their medication.
The young people’s artwork was laminated and hung from a ten foot high, wooden ‘rights tree’,
pre-cut and painted. It later was displayed at Gilmerton Library. Library staff noted that people
stopped to look, on occasions, asking about Save the Children and children’s rights. Visitors took
all of the information packs on display.
end of Case Study 2
25
the UNCRC
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD - THE UNCRC
Everyone has human rights as laid down by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in 1948. Over and above this, young people have their own set of rights to protect and support them
through their childhood years - as contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNCRC). The notion of universal human rights applies to young people, but it was recognised
by many that there was a need for an extra measure, as young people often are vulnerable and need
particular care and protection.
The UNCRC dates from 1989 and is based on the world’s first Declaration on the Rights of the Child
written in 1923 by Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children. It is an internationally recognised
agreement that commits governments to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights through their laws
and policies. It sets out internationally agreed minimum standards, applying to all young people under
18 years of age. Once governments sign it, they must provide a progress report to the United Nations
Committee on the Rights of the Child after the first two years, and every five years from then on. The
UK government signed it in 1991.
information
Children’s rights include the right to life, health, education, participation, and protection from all forms
of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. All are equally important and reinforce each other.
The UNCRC, made up of 54 Articles, is often divided into three categories called ‘the three Ps’.
They outline the duties of governments to ensure young people enjoy rights to:
• Protection - to be protected from certain activities including any maltreatment, neglect
and exploitation affecting their welfare
• Provision - to be provided with a range of services, care and supports such as food,
healthcare, education and parental support to enable them to survive, grow and develop
• Participation - to have an opinion, to be listened to and be involved in decision-making.
Key articles are:
• non discrimination (Article 2) - You have the right to protection against discrimination. This means
nobody can treat you badly because of your colour, sex or religion, if you speak another language,
have a disability, or are rich or poor. In short, children’s rights apply to all children
• best interests (Article 3) - All adults should always do what is best for you and, in all decisions
and actions, your best interests should be a primary consideration
• survival and development (Article 6) - You have the right to life but also the right to develop to
your fullest potential in every respect.
• participation (Article 12) - You have the right to an opinion and for it to be listened to and taken
seriously on any matter which concerns you, taking into account your age and maturity.
Taken from a simplified version of the UNCRC in Partners in Rights - Creative Activities for
Exploring Rights and Citizenship for 7 - 11 Year Olds by Save the Children, 2000. SIGNPOST
More information on children’s rights, including the official text of the UNCRC, can be found on the
Save the Children website at www.savethechildren.org.uk. The Appendix at the back of this Guide
shows the child friendly version drawn on here.
SIGNPOST
26
jargon buster
United Nations - An association of many countries which aims to improve economic and social conditions and to solve political
problems in the world in a peaceful way
Non Discrimination - Treating everyone equally
Best Interests - This simply means behaving in a way which is most beneficial for the people involved. For example, an outing may
be cancelled due to unruly behaviour even although those attending may wish to continue, because of the risks to the person
concerned or others in the group
Survival and Development - In the context of the UNCRC (see above) a child should have the right to life and to develop as fully
as is possible
activity sheet 1
Taster Pack
taster pack
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to give young people an introduction to your project in a fun way
• to provide sample taster activities to give young people a sense of what to expect
if they became involved
• to introduce the notion of children’s human rights and the UNCRC
• to give you a practical way of introducing yourself to young people who don’t
know you and give them a means of engaging with you.
What You Need
• Folders
• Information on the project such as a newsletter
• Puzzles, questionnaire, etc (to give flavour of the project and what
young people could get involved in - see below)
Time Needed
Preparing materials - depending on what you wish to put in your pack,
from two to three hours to one day
Contact with young people - this will be determined by the weather, time of year,
number of young people, and how readily they want to engage with you.
DESCRIPTION
Prepare your pack and make copies. The contents can be a mix of information and fun activities.
Include information such as:
• a leaflet introducing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
• details of your project, such as, a leaflet in a child friendly format and language.
Activities to consider include:
• a name card (about a child’s right to have a name, identity, etc, flagging up the UNCRC)
which later can be put up on the wall of the office or community centre to show who is
involved in the project (nb with their agreement)
• a postcard on which the children can describe good and bad things about their area
• a passport with different rights-based activities
• a crossword or word search with different words about rights compiled beforehand
(see UNCRC Appendix)
Once on the streets, hand out the packs to young people and explain what they are and how
to use them. Encourage them to work through information in their own time. Inform them
when and where you are available to hand in, for example, completed exercises for feedback,
their contact details or to go through the pack’s individual activities with them.
activity sheet
Size of Group
n/a (as pack is given out to individuals on the street or in school)
PROMPTS
• Have a passport already completed to show young people an example.
• Make sure packs are in waterproof folders.
• Let young people know where to find you if they want more information.
It is possible you will need to make up a lot more packs than you anticipated as young people may lose
theirs and want another. Also once more young people in the area learn about the free activity packs,
they may all want one!
Remember that these packs will be heavy and you need to think how you are going to transport them
out and about with you (CPP Development Workers have resorted to using wheelbarrows!)
The packs often prove more popular with younger children than with teenagers.
1
27
activity sheet 2
ground rule-setting
Ground Rule-setting
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
• to explore the concept and value of ground rules when working with others
• to agree ground rules with young people which they themselves own
• to provide a practical experience for young people to take and share control and responsibility
• to facilitate the process of learning to respect each other and other individuals’ space and property.
What You Need
• Post-its
• Coloured pens
• Poster material - card would be best in order for the poster to be longer lasting
Size of Group
4 to 16
Time Needed
30 minutes to 1 hour, dependent on the size of the group
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
• Ground rules are essential for the smooth running of a group. This activity is designed to give
young people ownership of their group, through the negotiation of ground rules.
• Explain the necessity of ground rules including the principles of health and safety and rights
and respect.
• Ask the young people to contribute as individuals or in groups of two or three. Hand each
participant two post-it notes and ask them to write an example of bad behaviour on one
and an example of good behaviour on the other.
• Then ask them to group the post-its according to headings they identify such as: no bullying,
no name-calling, be kind to others. With discussion, these groupings can be converted into
a set of rules that the children agree to.
• Write the agreed set of ground rules on a flipchart for all to see.
• Give the young people materials to design posters based on the ground rules, while leaving
enough space for all participants to sign the ‘ground rules contract’. Agree on one design,
which can then be displayed during all sessions as a reminder that all participants signed
the agreement.
PROMPTS
• If a number of the young people would like their poster design
displayed, as a group re-do a poster combining the different ideas.
• Explain the importance of ground rules in relation to health
and safety.
• When the final rules are decided, try to relate each one to an
aspect of health and safety.
• Similarly, try to make links with a right, using the UNCRC.
A small number of young people sometimes felt the rules were aimed at them individually, due to their
behaviour. Asking a young person to participate more fully, by allowing them to write up the rules or
to be the one to group the post-its, can help address this potential self esteem issue.
All groups using this activity felt it was worthwhile, enjoying the notion of the ground rules being
theirs and not someone else’s imposed upon them. The young people often referred their peers to
the ground rules during bouts of what they considered bad behaviour.
2
28
What Helps or Hinders
Young People’s Participation
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in reflecting on what adults can do to help them to participate,
and communicating that to adults
• to help adults consider their own practice and how they help or hinder young people’s participation.
What You Need
Flip chart
Coloured pens
Size of Group
6 to 20
what helps or hinders young
people’s participation
activity sheet 3
Time Needed
20 to 45 minutes, depending on size and age of the group
Divide the group into small groups of three to four. Give each group two pieces of flip chart
paper and pens.
Ask them to consider:
• What helps young people to participate and engage with adults?
• Why?
• What makes it more difficult?
• Why?
Ask them to record their ideas.
With younger children you may wish to use one piece of paper, asking:
• What makes it easier for you to join in?
• Why?
Then, ask participants to discuss the question from their own experiences. Instead of writing
notes, ask them to record their ideas using drawings. This helps young people who find it
difficult or boring to write down their ideas.
When they have finished the task, ask each group to present their ideas to the group. As they do
so, write up a list based on the feedback of what the young people say assists and deters them.
PROMPTS
At the end, ask how participants felt about the activity:
• What did you learn about participation from the activity?
• Is there anything we need to change with our group to make sure that
everyone can join in?
• If another person (an adult, a representative of a particular organisation/
structure known to the participants, say, the school or community centre)
was doing this exercise, do you think they would
come up with the same things? What do you think they would think is
most important? Why?
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
With a younger age group, you may wish to compile the list of what helps
and hinders later, and discuss it at a subsequent session.
Activity 3 continued overleaf...
3
29
what helps or hinders young
people’s participation
activity sheet 3
This is a great activity when starting a new project, particularly when different workers are
becoming involved with the group. It works best if both adults and young people work together
in the small groups as this opens up a dialogue, makes expectations clear, and spells out to the
young people (and new workers) that your project takes a participatory approach.
The activity also can be used as a way of agreeing or renegotiating ground rules, say,
for a one-off project.
The final list can be sent to organisations the group is working with to assist them in facilitating
young people’s participation.
The findings can also be used as the basis for the snakes and ladders game described in Case Study
Participation Snakes and Ladders in Section Two.
It can be adapted for use with adults, when more focus can be given to feeding back, adapting
the questions, for example, is there anything we need to change in our practice as adults to make
sure that young people can join in?
activity sheet
For adults, it can be challenging to draw rather than record their comments in writing, but it helps
adults think about how using an unfamiliar method can make them feel uncomfortable and reflect
on how this may feel for a young person asked to participate in adult structures such as meetings
and forums.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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3
30
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activity sheet 4
team building - three blind mice
Team-building - Three Blind Mice
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in learning to work together as a team
• to enable them to become aware of health and safety principles
• to encourage thought and discussion about helping others less confident in the group.
What You Need
Use of furniture in room (moveable)
Blindfolds
A4 paper
Size of Group
4 to 6
It can work with more but safety dictates, if working in a fairly restricted space,
not to have a larger group.
Time Needed
45 minutes
• Prior to the start of the group, organise an easy - but safe - obstacle course using furniture
such as tables, benches and chairs. Avoid anything with sharp angles. As part of the obstacle
course, place stepping stones on the floor using A4 sheets of paper.
• Ask a young person to volunteer as leader, becoming the lead mouse. Blindfold the
remainder of the group.
• The group then stands in line with the sighted member at the front. Each young person
places a hand on the shoulder of the person in front.
• The role of the leader is to lead the line through the obstacle course following voice
commands only. Encourage participants to talk to each other, giving assistance all the way
through the course.
• This can be repeated with each young person being given the opportunity to take the lead.
PROMPTS
Useful questions to prompt group discussion include:
• How did you feel as a blind mouse?
• How secure did you feel with someone else leading?
• Following someone else’s lead, did you feel in danger? Why?
• Did you trust the leader or did you feel more confident taking
the lead from the blind-folded person in front of you? Why?
• What did the lead mouse do that helped?
• Did you find it a big responsibility being the sighted mouse? Why?
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
As a group this activity can be very useful in facilitating teamwork and also in demonstrating
to the young people in the group that some are not as confident or able as others and may
require more support.
This activity can work with a much larger group (up to 20). However, for safety purposes, the size
of the group is dictated by the space available and the number of workers. It is useful to have
a general discussion at the end about the need to support each other.
It is best to alter the obstacle course slightly for each lead mouse, so that the young people have
to put their trust in each new sighted mouse rather than doing the course by memory.
4
31
team building - ‘bungy-tastic’
activity sheet 5
Team Building - ‘Bungy-tastic’
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to encourage individual young people to work together
• to enable young people to take on specific roles within a team (eg, spokesperson)
• to encourage problem solving as a team effort
• to encourage respect for each other’s abilities.
What You Need
One metre bungy cord (tied in a loop)
Two marker points (using, eg, short pieces of rope, chairs, bags, etc)
Stop watch
Size of Group
4 to 12
Time Needed
45 minutes
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
• Using a clear, open space, place the two marker objects about six metres apart from each
other and the loop of bungy cord in the middle of this area.
• Ask all the young people to stand behind one of the markers - the starting point.
• Explain the stop watch will be started as soon as the first person crosses the marker.
• The task is for the group to get to the other end, to the other marker, with the bungy cord
left in the centre of the space. At this point, do not give the group any ideas of the fastest
way to do this. Just instruct that every person in the group must go through the bungy cord
before going past the second marker, stressing their whole body must pass through the
loop of the cord.
• The group is timed each time the activity is completed. Encourage the group, as a team
at the end of every run, to discuss tactics after every turn and to propose alternative ideas
and plans, which can be implemented in the next timed run. If the group is struggling
to do this, offer suggestions as to how they may improve their time.
PROMPTS
• The fastest way to get through the loop is for four people to hold the loop in the
shape of a square and let the others step into it one by one and lift it up over their
bodies. Each person goes through, taking over from one of the original four who
in turn also go through the hoop.
• The young people will work it out for themselves, but it is helpful to give hints, without
giving away too much, for example, suggesting it may be easier to get through if
another group member holds the loop open. Once they have absorbed this, explain
that another person may also help. They will realise they will succeed faster if four
members are holding the loop.
Follow the game up with some questions to generate a discussion around teambuilding,
for example:
• What made the activity a success?
• Would it have been possible to do it alone?
• If it took a while to realise that others needed to step in, why did it take so long?
Steer the young people away from diving through the loop, risking bumps and strains.
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The group tends to cut the time to complete a tour in half, with young people often becoming very
enthusiastic as they can see the progression due to communication and teamwork.
activity sheet 6
passport to your identity
Passport to your Identity
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• To introduce young people to the UNCRC in a fun way
What You Need
Paper
Access to computer with any word processing package and a printer
Size of Group
6 to 8
Time Needed
Depending on the size of the passport and its contents, this could be between 1 hour and a full day.
DESCRIPTION
Article 13 Opinion
‘You have the right to find out things and say what you think, through making art, speaking and
writing unless it breaks the rights of others.’
• Has anyone ever stopped you from saying what you think?
• Why do you think this was?
Article 16 Privacy - ‘You have the right to a private life. For instance, you can keep a diary that
other people are not allowed to see’.
• Have you ever kept a diary?
• Do you know of any friends or famous people who have?
• How do you think you, or they, would feel if someone tried to read it?
Article 15 Clubs - ‘You have the right to be with friends and join or set up clubs, unless this
breaks the rights of others.’
• Which groups do you belong to?
• If you could start a new club, what sort would it be?
PROMPTS
Make the young people aware that the passport is
for their personal use and they do not have to share
anything they have written in it.
activity sheet
Prepare mock up passports for completion by the young people. The front of the passport could
have a space for the young people to draw a self portrait and put their name. Inside, it could
contain various articles from the Convention, with related questions about themselves for the
young people to complete such as:
To encourage young people to attend subsequent groups, imitation passports could be made
up to hand out at the next session.
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activity sheet 7
pet rabbit’s rights
Pet Rabbit’s Rights
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to draw young people’s attention to the fact that they intrinsically are aware of children’s rights
• to introduce them to the UNCRC
• to support young people to understand what are their rights
• to reinforce that what they already know young people need to have and to be protected
from, is supported by the UNCRC.
Materials
Flip chart
Coloured pens
Size of Group
Small group of 5 to 15 but can also be carried out with larger groups of 20 to 30
Time Scale
20 to 30 minutes
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
STAGE ONE
Ask the group to imagine that they have a rabbit to look after, and that they need to think
about all the things it will need for a happy, safe and healthy life. Divide your flip chart page
into two columns and, at the top left-hand side, write the heading ‘RABBIT’. Ask the group:
• What are all the things the rabbit will need?
List their responses under RABBIT. They may suggest hutch, straw, food, water, care and
attention, love and perhaps another rabbit for company. Using the list, ask the group:
• Who has responsibility to ensure the rabbit gets all the things it needs?
Note the responses. They may say they are responsible, meaning whoever owns the rabbit.
Confirm what the rabbit needs to survive and develop, say food, water and a hutch.
Then, again recording the responses, ask:
• If the rabbit really needs these things to survive, then should the rabbit have a right to them?
• Who is responsible for ensuring the rabbit’s rights to these things are met?
STAGE TWO
On the right-hand side of the flip chart, write a second heading CHILDREN.
Ask the group to idea storm:
• What are all the things children need to develop and have a happy, safe and healthy life?
List them under CHILDREN. You are looking for responses such as home, house, food, water,
family, friends, toys, education, love and attention. Referring to the list, ask:
• Who has responsibility for ensuring children get all the things they need?
Here you will want responses including adults, parents, carers and so on. Again,
using the list, ask:
• What do children need to be protected, to survive and develop, and participate?
• If children really need these things, then should children have a right to them?
• Who is responsible for ensuring children have these rights?
Similarly, the response you are looking for is adults, parents or carers.
STAGE THREE
Ask the group if they have heard of the UNCRC. The response may well be no. Introduce the
Convention. Use the simplified version (see Appendix). If you have copies, hand them out
or use a blown up version.
Compare the list the group came up with (home, house, friends, etc) and relate it to Articles
in the UNCRC such as Article 28 about education or Article 15 on the right to be with friends.
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activity sheet 7
PROMPTS
pet rabbit’s rights
• Now you can tell the group they knew all along what children need to
develop and grow, they didn’t need adults to tell them, and they are
the experts in their lives.
• When comparing the young people’s list with the UNCRC, point out that
they have drawn up a list of children’s rights and they instinctively know
what the UNCRC is.
• Explain the UNCRC is there to support young people.
If you haven’t done so in an earlier session, you may first of all need to explain the meaning
of protection, survival and development, and participation (see the information sheet on the
UNCRC in this Section).
Young people all too often are not aware of the UNCRC. However, they do know what they
need as children. By asking them first about the needs of a rabbit and their responsibility
towards it, they are able make the link between the rabbit’s needs and its carer’s responsibility.
Likewise, they also begin to see how adults have a responsibility to ensure the rights of
children are met.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet
This activity can be done either in a small group or a classroom setting. With larger numbers,
however, the process may need to be less interactive, with participants holding up their hands
before speaking, to ensure everyone can take part and contributions are fully recorded.
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activity sheet 8
rights bingo
Rights Bingo
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to either introduce or reinforce children’s rights and the UNCRC
• to provide a non-threatening way of helping young people absorb new information
• to introduce a starting point for more complex activities relating to children’s rights
What You Need
At least one set of 42 playing card-sized cards each with a number, from 1 to 42, written on one side
and, on the other, a brief explanation of the corresponding article from the UNCRC (use template
at the end of this activity)
Bingo machine or set of 42 numbers either written on small individual squares of paper or on
ping-pong balls.
Group Size
7 young people per set of 42 cards
Time Needed
30 minutes is sufficient time for 2 rounds of bingo
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
• Nominate a bingo caller from the group.
• Each young person is given six cards, placed face down.
• The bingo caller then plays a game of bingo, randomly calling out a number from 1 to 42.
As the numbers are called, the playing cards are turned over revealing the corresponding
right. (The meaning is not discussed at this point, as the aim is to enable young people to
absorb information in a relaxed way).
• The first player to turn over all their cards is the winner.
• The game can be played for a while depending on how well the group is enjoying the activity.
PROMPTS
• As in conventional bingo, the winner calls out their
numbers to the caller. However in addition ask the
person to call out the corresponding right.
• As the game progresses, or in future games, the winner
could call out the right without the corresponding
number. The young people will have become more
comfortable with the rights by this time.
This game is good for introducing children’s rights as, while the group are playing the game, they
will be reading the rights on the back of the cards.
Follow this activity up with another aiming to explore the different aspects of rights such as finding
real life examples of rights from photographs or pictures from magazines, or drawing diagrams to
illustrate the different rights.
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36
37
template
activity 8 rights bingo
The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
You have the right
to an identity
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
You have the
right to be
given guidance
by your parents
and family
ARTICLE 8
ARTICLE 7
You have the right
to have a name
and a nationality
You have the right
to protection against
discrimination
ARTICLE 5
You have the right
to have your rights
made a reality by
the government
ARTICLE 4
ARTICLE 6
You have the
right to life
ARTICLE 3
Adults should
do what’s best
for you
Rights of the Child
In most cases these Articles
are as in Appendix - however
some longer ones have been
summarised.
Everyone under 18
has these rights
ARTICLE 2
Also write the number relating
to the UNCRC Article and child
right on the back of each
playing card. This itself can
also be done as an activity
with young people.
ARTICLE 1
Template for making 42 playing
card sized bingo cards photocopy and cut out.
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
You have the right to
collect information
from the media
ARTICLE 17
Rights of the Child
You have the right
to think what you
like and be whatever
religion you want
to be, with your
parent’s guidance
ARTICLE 14
template
You should not
be kidnapped
ARTICLE 11
You have the right
to a private life. For
instance, you can
keep a diary that
other people are
not allowed to see
ARTICLE 16
ARTICLE 15
You have the right to
find out things and
say what you think
through making art,
speaking and writing
unless it breaks the
rights of others
ARTICLE 13
You have the right
to be with friends
and join or set up
clubs, unless this
breaks the rights
of others
If you and your
parents are living in
separate countries,
you have the right
to get back
together and live
in the same place
ARTICLE 10
You have the right
to an opinion and
for it to be listened
to and taken
seriously
ARTICLE 12
38
ARTICLE 9
You have the right
to live with your
parents unless it
is bad for you
39
template
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
You have the right
to help from the
government if you
are poor or in need
ARTICLE 26
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
If you are disabled,
either mentally or
physically, you have
the right to special
care and education
ARTICLE 23
Rights of the Child
You have the
right to special
protection and
help if you can’t
live with your
parents
ARTICLE 20
ARTICLE 24
You have the right
to have your living
arrangements
checked regularly
if you are living
away from home
ARTICLE 25
ARTICLE 21
You have the right
to the best health
possible and to
medical care and
information
You have the right
to special protection
and help if you are
a refugee
ARTICLE 22
You have the right
to have the best
care for you if you
are adopted or
fostered or living
in care
You have the right
to be protected
from being hurt
or badly treated
ARTICLE 19
ARTICLE 18
You have the right
to be brought up
by your parents,
if possible
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
No-one is allowed
to kidnap you or
sell you
ARTICLE 35
Rights of the Child
template
You have the right
to protection from
work which is bad
for your health or
education
ARTICLE 32
ARTICLE 34
You have the right
to be protected
from sexual abuse
ARTICLE 31
You have the right
to play and relax by
doing things like
sports, music and
drama
You have the right
to education which
develops your
personality, respect
for other’s rights and
the environment
ARTICLE 29
You have the right
to education
ARTICLE 28
40
ARTICLE 33
You have the right
to be protected from
dangerous drugs
ARTICLE 30
If you come from a
minority group you
have the right to
enjoy your own
culture, practice
your own religion
and use your own
language
ARTICLE 27
You have the right
to a good enough
standard of living
41
template
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
Rights of the Child
You have the right
to any rights in laws
in your country or
internationally that
give you better
rights than these
ARTICLE 41
Rights of the Child
You have the right
to protection in
times of war. If
you are under 15
you should never
have to be in the
army or a battle
ARTICLE 38
ARTICLE 40
You have the right
to help in defending
yourself if you are
accused of breaking
the law
ARTICLE 37
You have the right
not to be punished
in a cruel or
hurtful way
ARTICLE 42
All adults and
children should
know about this
convention
ARTICLE 39
You have the
right to help if
you have been
hurt, neglected,
or badly treated
ARTICLE 36
You have the right
to protection from
any other kind of
exploitation
activity sheet 9
picture rights
Picture Rights
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people familiarise themselves with articles from the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
What You Need
Flipchart
Flipchart stand or wall to attach paper
Coloured pens
Prepared cards for each of the 42 articles most often referred to (see Activity 8 Rights Bingo in Section
One for a template summarising the articles). A leaflet version (which unfolds to a poster) can be
obtained from the Scottish Executive.
One minute timer or stop-watch
Size of Group
8 to 10
activity sheet
Time Needed
15 to 30 minutes
DESCRIPTION
• Divide the group into two teams. Give each team a copy of the UNCRC at the beginning
of the session to remind them of the articles. If they have little previous knowledge of the
Convention, allow them to keep these for the activity. If they are more familiar with it,
ask them to return these for the course of the exercise.
• To facilitate the session, you will give out cards, keep time and record the scores.
• Ask members from alternate teams to take turns to select a card, with an article from the
Convention, and to take a few minutes to draw the right that appears on the card. The rest
of the team has one minute to guess the right. If they do so, they get two points. If they are
unable to, the question can be passed to the other team. If the second team guesses correctly,
it gets one point.
PROMPTS
At the end of the session, consolidate learning by
asking participants to shout out as many rights from
the Convention as they can remember. Record their
answers on flipchart. The young people can use the
summary to find which ones are missing.
This is a fun activity young people really seem to like. It is best played for short amounts of time quite
frequently rather than for longer sessions, as it can become repetitive and boring with participants
using the same drawings. This also consolidates learning more effectively.
The activity can be extended, with the group producing a picture mural or posters on rights. Draw
rights on postcards which can be used to play charades, with young people acting out the rights for
the rest of their teams.
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activity sheet 10
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to enable young people to look at what opinions they may already have around an issue
• to ask them to look at reasons to back up their opinions
• to offer an opportunity for young people to change their opinion on things
in a non threatening way.
What You Need
1 A4 card saying I Disagree
1 A4 card saying I Agree
Blu-tac
Prepared statements to ask young people (see below)
i agree/i disagree
I Agree/I Disagree
Size of Group
6 to16
Time Needed
15 minutes
• Place one each of the cards (I agree/I disagree) at either side of the room.
• Ask young people to stand in the middle of the room while you ask a question and explain
that they can move to stand beside whichever statement suits them best - I Agree or
I Disagree. If young people are undecided, they can remain in the middle.
• Start with simple statements such as Saturdays are better than Sundays to prompt
the group to move about.
• When the young people have settled in one of the three areas of the room, ask a few to
explain their position so that the rest of the group can get a sense of each other’s opinions
on a topic.
• Remind the group that, if after listening to comments, anyone wants to change places,
they can.
• Statements could be Young people are the cause of all the vandalism around here or
Young people always have a chance to have their say. You can tailor the statements to
suit your group’s topic.
PROMPTS
When all the statements have been discussed, ask the group:
• How easy, or difficult, was it to form an opinion?
• Did anyone move places after hearing the opinion of others?
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
This is a good activity to play at the start of a session as it gets people moving about as well as having
to start to think about the subject they have chosen.
If people are continually staying in the middle, ask them to consider moving at least towards one
of the two sides so that they remain undecided but take a decision to lean towards either agreeing
or disagreeing with the statement.
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activity sheet 11
rights in collage
Rights in Collage
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to put into a local context issues affecting young people
• to assist young people in developing their ability to recognise real issues, moving from the
abstract to the concrete
• to look more closely at how children’s rights and young people’s issues relate to everyday life.
What You Need
Various magazines, newspapers, leaflets, posters, publicity material
Glue
Safety scissors
A3 card
Coloured pens
Size of Group
6 to 15
activity sheet
Time Needed
40 minutes
DESCRIPTION
Split the larger group into smaller groups of around three to four.
Using the various sources of information, ask each group to pick an issue important to the
participants and other young people.
Encourage them to:
• take newspaper cuttings, pictures and so on to describe their topic
• place them on a sheet of A3 card, covering the entire A3 sheet with pictures and quotes
• decide on a heading for the collage and add it.
They can frame their collages using other card to create a collage picture.
PROMPTS
Discuss:
• How many articles did you find relevant to your issue?
• Were some issues more readily discussed in newspapers and magazines?
• How were these issues portrayed in the media? Positively or negatively?
The collages can be kept and used to refer back to at any point during your project.
Instead of using magazines and newspapers, you can use photographs taken by young people
around their local area, for instance, to highlight graffiti or litter. Collages can also be made
about events young people have been involved in as a record of the work done.
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activity sheet 12
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to support young people to begin looking at their community, expressing their views and
developing their opinions about where they live
• to assist them in examining what they like and do not like about it, and why.
What You Need
Flip chart
Coloured pens
Size of Group
5 to 15
where we live
Where we Live
Time Needed
20 to 30 minutes
Encourage all members of the group to say what they like about where they live and what they
dislike. Write all the good things on one sheet. Write the things they do not like on another.
Place both sheets of paper where everyone has a clear view of what has been written down.
Ask the group:
• Do they all agree with the things written down?
• What do they agree or disagree with? Why?
• Why they do think things are the way they are?
• How does it make you feel?
• How might others (adults, parents, etc) feel about it?
• What issue/concern is an abuse or neglect of child rights?
• What issue(s) might support child rights?
Ask the group:
• what ideas are similar?
• And what are different?
• Can the whole group agree on specific things they do not like and want to try to change?
To help the group come to a consensus, ask them to grade them using the tally or gate system
(marking multiple rows of four vertical slashes with a forward slash across them, making a total
number of five, which looks just like a gate!). It is easy for young people to clearly see the total
score for each issue.
To do this, go through the list, starting with the first issue, and ask each participant:
• How important is the issue for them?
• Does it support or hinder child rights?
Ask the individual to show how important each issue is to them by marking a slash next to the
issue written on the flip chart. Repeat the process until everyone has taken part and the group
can see which issues have the most gates and the highest score.
Ask the group to identify the three highest scoring issues and write them on the flip chart under
the heading group’s list of issues.
PROMPTS
This is a good activity to begin the process of
developing children’s ability to deliberate and think
critically about where they live, encouraging them
to assess pros and cons.
It begins the process of enabling children and young people
make a connection between the UNCRC and their position
within society. Be sure to discuss the positive things.
Don’t just concentrate on negatives.
This activity helps young people
think about a range of issues
relating to where they live and
how things they do not like might
also be a denial of their rights.
Ask questions about the type of
housing, shops, neighbours, level
of traffic, clubs and schools they
go to, where they play and so on...
Ask what they think about them.
This is also a first building block in your and their finding out
what they agree are things that they do and do not like about the area.
You will have teased out enough information to have a range of topics to explore in more detail.
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
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activity sheet 13
pictures in time
Pictures in Time
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to use drama techniques to explore issues
• to demonstrate a non verbal presentation of ideas.
What you Need
No materials are needed although you can use a Polaroid camera to capture freeze frames
for future discussion.
Size of Group
8 to 20
Time Needed
1hour 20 minutes
DESCRIPTION
activity sheet
Describe to the group what a freeze frame is - like taking a picture in time with a camera
and what is left is a photograph made by the young people using their faces and bodies
to make a still picture.
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In small groups of around three or four, ask participants to identify an issue they could
depict in a freeze frame. They must be able to hold their positions for a few seconds,
so nothing too acrobatic!
Each group in turn presents their freeze frame to the other groups who try to guess
what is going on.
PROMPTS
Take a note of all the issues that are being presented in the freeze frames,
and use for discussion later. Note how many times a similar issue appears.
This is a good activity if you are beginning to introduce the group to drama.
You can go on to explore issues further by playing the imaginary freeze frame
and making it into a short drama piece or improvisation.
At this stage do not use any props such as wigs or furniture as this can
hinder the imagination of the young people and cause a distraction.
activity sheet 14
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to provide a focus for young people to gather and make sense of their ideas and views about
their community
• to capture this information in a practical way, giving you a tool to help young people
to highlight issues that concern them
• to support them to identify and agree common themes.
Materials
Disposable cameras
Display board or wall space (where the collage can remain over time)
Lining paper
Scissors
Glue
Felt pens
creating a focus
Creating a Focus
Time Needed
This activity will most probably take place over a number of sessions. You will need to allow time
for practical issues in between such as handing out cameras (for participants to go out and take
photographs) and getting them back (they may well not all be returned at once), getting the films
processed, and allowing time for young people to look through the prints and pick out those they
do not want made public.
DESCRIPTION
This activity can follow on from Activity Where we Live.
Give cameras to each group member and ask them to go out into their neighbourhood and
take photographs of things they like and dislike.
Create a display space where the photographs can be attached to make a collage on a display
board or an area of wall.
Ask the young people to cluster their photographs into themes such as positive and negative,
indoor and outside activities, family and friends. They will come up with their own ideas.
As a group, look at the collage and encourage the young people to explain what issues it
highlights. Ask them:
• what themes are emerging such as the environment or look of the place?
• what child rights issues are being highlighted, for example, lack of play facilities?
• what are common views and points of agreement?
• to write a list of emerging themes.
Add them to the list of themes and issues created earlier in Activity Where we Live.
activity sheet
Size of Group
5 to 15
PROMPTS
• This activity helps young people to clearly
see themes and issues emerging from the
collage and how they impact on their
rights as young people.
• Issues important to the individuals taking
part can be considered by the whole
group. Help them to agree what should
be added to the group’s existing list
of issues.
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activity sheet 14
creating a focus
Taking photographs is usually done outwith the group between sessions. It is important that the young
people themselves identify what it is they want to record. You are aiming to draw out their views, not
those of adults, so it is important that as far as possible the young people are not influenced by adults.
However, you will need to consider supervision issues and, for younger children, you may need to liaise
with parents, asking them to escort their children. If this is the case, speak with parents about what
it is their child is planning to do, explaining the focus is the views and experiences of young people,
not adults. Young people may wish to do this in pairs; remind them not to take lots of photographs
of the same thing, but a range of differing images. The activity can also be done by individuals,
with each young person creating a photographic board; then brought together into one large collage.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet 15
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
• to enable young people to prioritise issues that most interest and concern them from their
collage and working list of issues
• to help them select the topic for their project by consensus.
What You Need
Photographic collage and list developed earlier by the young people, containing the issues about their
area that give them concern
Large bag of dried broad beans (flat beans which do not roll about, though coloured paper dots or
paper clips, etc, can also be used)
Plastic beaker/mug
A4 paper
Coloured pens and pencils
prioritising the issues
Prioritising the Issues
Size of Group
5 to15
DESCRIPTION
This activity can follow on from the Activity Creating a Focus earlier in this Section.
Explain the purpose of the exercise:
• the group is to identify what it will work on next by coming to an agreement about what
is the most important issue for everyone.
Using the collage and list, ask the young people to cluster the issues highlighted into themes,
suggesting some possibilities such as:
• rubbish/litter under the heading environment
• broken fences, potholes, rubble under the theme the look of the place
• broken glass and graffiti as vandalism.
Support the group to identify which ones support or hinder child rights.
Explore how the process they are going through supports young people in expressing their
opinions about how things affect them (Article 12 of the UNCRC).
Ask them to write each theme, and any unallocated issues onto separate sheets of paper,
and spread the sheets of paper on a table.
Give each participant a measured cupful of beans (you can be more specific and specify
a set number).
activity sheet
Time Needed
20 to 30 minutes
Ask the young people to put an amount of dried beans against their chosen theme or
issue, explaining the stronger they feel about a theme or issue the more beans they
should put against it.
Clarify which theme/issue has the most beans, remove those with the lowest amount,
and repeat the whole process again if necessary, until it is clear which is the one with
the most beans.
The group now has its agreed priority and topic for its project!
15
49
activity sheet 15
activity sheet
prioritising the issues
PROMPTS
Explain that young people have the right to be as healthy as possible and
live in a safe, healthy environment (Article 24 of the UNCRC).
Encourage the group to grade all the topics on display. Try to gently
discourage participants from putting all their beans on one theme. If they
think an issue is not so important, suggest they grade it with one or two
beans and increase the number they put down, based on how important
something is to them.
You might not have one clear theme that everyone agrees. It might be
necessary to prioritise, perhaps, the top three themes.
Once you have arrived at a consensus, discuss with the group how to take
this forward as a project.
The above provides a transparent process leading to a clear decision which the whole group can
be confident about, but be aware that the issues affecting young people may well be different
according to gender and other issues of diversity. One approach to resolve this is to prioritise three
themes to work on as small projects. Having worked on the three projects, the group may then
be able to decide what can be their major project.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet 16
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people specify and communicate the physical changes they would like to see
in their community
• to assist them in clarifying their ideas by creating a visual model and mapping them
outside ‘for real’.
What You Need
Photographs of the neighbourhood (if possible, scan and blow up the photographs the young people
took earlier using disposable cameras - see Activity Creating a Focus in this Section)
Selection of model making materials such as balsa wood, cardboard boxes, lollipop sticks, thick card,
paper, wallpaper, wrapping paper, fabric, cocktail sticks, plasticine, modelling clay, blu-tac...
Photographs or drawings of features including telephone boxes, trees, benches, litter bins
Chalk
Maps of the local area
mapping for real
Mapping for Real
Time Needed
Approximately 4 hours. This activity is most effective if worked on as one part of longer sessions over
several weeks.
DESCRIPTION
As a starting point, with the group, look at a map of the local area. Using the map,
photographs, and model making materials, ask the young people to recreate a three
dimensional model of the part of the local area they want to change. Then they can
add things they would like to see such as green areas or traffic calming.
It is important to encourage the young people to think about how they use the area, say,
the route they take to school or where they play, while also considering other people’s interests
such as where older residents live, bus routes and where people park. This will help them
understand the complexities of their neighbourhood.
As part of the process of deciding how their ideas might work in practice, the young people
can also use chalk to draw their proposed improvements outside, for example, to show how
high, dark fences could be cut down in a wavy pattern and painted in a brighter shade,
or where new lamp-posts should be located.
Add the photographs of the chalked proposals to the model to track action taken by the group.
PROMPTS
activity sheet
Size of Group
5 to 10
Follow up the activity with discussion about the local area.
Questions to use include:
• Have you noticed anything about the neighbourhood as
a result of this activity?
• If so, what?
• Have you learnt anything about how different people in the
group use the area depending on where they live?
• What have you learnt about this?
• How can we use your model to influence decision makers?
16
51
activity sheet 16
mapping for real
Young people really enjoyed this activity as they felt it brought their neighbourhood to life and was
more interesting than looking at plans. At the same time, it did help to develop their understanding
of plans and planning.
Photographs of the chalked improvements can be presented to planners or working groups for
discussion. With the model, they are powerful tools for explaining to decision makers how young
people use public space, clearly showing planners that the needs of young people may be distinctive
from those of adults, and for presenting the young people’s case for their ideas to be taken into
account in future plans.
“Looking at boring plans is just confusing, You don’t know which way up they go or what they
are telling you, Our model is a kid’s eye view of here... it helps us to get why we need to plan
so its not just hundreds of bitty ideas.”
Female, aged 13
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section two
preparation
• exploring the issues and getting the facts
• understanding other people’s agendas
“At last they are starting to see we know stuff about
play and stuff. They’re old fogeys who don’t get what
we want... you don’t send an adult to do a child’s job!”
Female, aged 11
This chapter will help you to:
• assist young people in building up a case or request for
assistance, using facts, figures and case studies, and offering
different options, rather than saying “we want it changed now”
• assist your group in learning how to identify those who
have power to make things happen
• help young people to understand decision making
processes and structures
• enable young people to become more capable of making
informed choices and to understand the reasons for
certain decisions
• support your group in working out how to influence
and work alongside others to achieve improvements
in their neighbourhood.
section two
• find out more, getting information on the group’s chosen
issue and helping young people to assess it
“Things take ages and ages to happen but I can
see why now cos there’s lots of stuff you have
to do before”
Male, aged 10
“I was impressed when the children knew who
the area manager was... they were aware
of local democratic processes and the ‘suits’
who are important in this”.
Service manager, statutory organisation
2
Introduction
In community development or regeneration work, it is easier to reach your goal if you
understand the aims and concerns of others in your community, both the decision makers
and ordinary people living there. It is also easier to reach your goal if you are clear about
what it is you want to achieve and the tools available to help you on your way.
introduction
Why Work This Way
• find out more about the issues identified by the young people. Check out new ideas and
solutions, learning from others - look at what has already been successful
• encourage them to become more informed so that they can develop their ideas. Making
a strong case can persuade people to listen and take them seriously. Remember - decision
makers may be more willing to work with groups who have done their homework
• encourage young people to appreciate and empathise with other people’s agendas. Help
them work out how their ideas fit in with other people’s, without losing sight of their
own priorities
• discover who else can help. Enable young people to make informed choices about who
it is best for them to work with in order to achieve shared objectives for change
• help them to explore the concept of power and understand local democratic structures,
identifying where their agenda can be addressed
• practise negotiation and help young people to understand how they state their case
clearly and negotiate support
• recognise the value of working alongside others in the community sympathetic to the
young people’s views. Acting together can make for a stronger case. It can also spread
the load and help with practical things such as helping to organise and undertake a
consultation to support funding applications, getting a constitution, or applying
for funding.
Boring Stuff...Boring but Important! Public Policy Papers
Try and find out what policies, laws and plans relate to your topic. Working through this
information with young people will help them understand what those who make decisions
already think about the issue. Check out the Appendix for more information on decision
makers - this may help point you in the right direction.
jargon buster
For local information, look at the website of your local council. Also get in touch with your
councillor for Local Area Plans. Sometimes these are broken down into neighbourhoods, and
strategies may be available from your local Regeneration Office or Housing Association.
Community Development - Working together to help people living in a community to identify their own needs, rights, options and
responsibilities, and support them in organising and taking action together to increase their quality of life and control over decisions
affecting them. For example, action to improve access to services or physical amenities in the local area
Regeneration - Action which leads to the solving of problems in areas which are experiencing social exclusion. This action aims to
achieve a lasting improvement in the physical, economic, social and environmental nature of an area.
Democratic Structures - where decisions affecting everyone are made, controlled by people who have been fairly elected
(or voted in), for example, the government
Constitution - This document states what the overall aims and objectives of an organisation are and outlines the roles of
the organisation’s key members
Public Policy - Ideas about how to address an issue which are put into practice, usually in the form of laws or guidance
by the government, at national or local level
Councillors - Someone who is elected to represent a specific area - such as part of a town
55
introduction
Almost every local authority department, Scottish Executive Department and local area
regeneration initiative will have some sort of policy document that you can refer to.
Look up your local council’s website.
The papers you want are sometimes called strategy initiatives, statements or reports.
The Scottish Executive (Scotland’s devolved government) or the Scottish Parliament
websites are a good place to start, as is the UK government website. SIGNPOST
Some policies you may want to find out more about include:
• Community Planning Partnership documents including your local Community Plan
• Community Safety Partnership documents
• Community Learning and Development Plan
• Child Care Strategy
• Play Policy
hints and tips
• Criminal Justice Strategy
Young people develop their ability
• Environmental Services Plan.
to analyse and think critically at
different rates. Try to encourage
Once you have done some homework,
small group or pair work to increase
you may want to ask advice of your local
confidence, skills and knowledge.
Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP)
or your Member of Parliament (MP),
your representative at Westminster,
the UK Parliament.
For contact details, see the information
section later in this section.
hints and tips
Some people learn better when they write
things down or keep a journal or notebook ask some of the group to fill out a
questionnaire or take notes whilst taking
part in a walkabout round their area.
Once you have the information - help the group to decode it
jargon buster
As young people learn more about their chosen issue, they may begin to form new opinions
and attitudes. It is important to let them know they can do this without being ridiculed or
questioned by their peers. Encourage the group to discuss their ideas. Find appropriate ways
for the group to share their knowledge and comfortably explore their and their peers’ views.
This can be done in a variety of ways such as collages or drama performances.
Local Authority - Another name which can be used for a council
Scottish Executive - The Scottish Executive is the devolved (see below) government for Scotland. It is responsible for most of
the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport
Council - A group of people who are elected to govern a city or part of a country, for example, City of Edinburgh Council
and Highland Council
Devolved - Power or authority no longer comes from one central point - it is passed on to smaller or more localised groups.
In this case, the UK Government in Westminster, London, passed some of the power or control to Scotland and the Scottish
Executive (see above) was created
Parliament - The group of people who are elected to make and change the laws of a country
MSP - Member of the Scottish Parliament
MP - A member of the UK Parliament
Stakeholders - Individuals, groups or organisations with an interest (stake) in what happens within a project, programme,
development or community
Official - A person in authority who has specific responsibilities to carry out, for example, who works for the council
SIGNPOST
56
People who declare an interest in an issue and have a view about it are sometimes called
stakeholders. Some people might be more influential than others. Young people need to
identify the people and structures which have power locally - see Appendix. These might
be people who live in the community like adult residents, already active in other ways, for
example, on the local community council. Others could be people involved in organisations
such as housing or community associations. They could also be people in local government
like councillors or officials working for council departments.
It is important to help young people you work with to find out about different people’s views
and, sometimes, who they are representing so they understand where their own agenda fits
into the bigger picture. Once young people have thought about where power lies and who
in their local area can influence local decision-making, they need to work out how to influence
these people or organisations. A good starting point is to encourage young people to think
about what makes people powerful and where they get their power. By understanding this,
young people can begin to work out who are the key people they need to try to influence
in order to progress their project.
introduction
Stakeholders
hints and tips
CASE STUDY 1
Explain to your group that often the best way to find
out information is to ask, speaking, say, to friends,
relatives or youth workers.
YOUNG PEOPLE VISITING EDINBURGH CITY CHAMBERS AND MEETING THEIR LOCAL COUNCILLOR
(ALSO LEADER OF THE COUNCIL)
This Case Study describes work undertaken by a group of young people. It shows activities
undertaken to help them understand democratic processes, including preparatory and follow
up work in group sessions, as well as a meeting with a local politician.
INTRODUCTION
Who
9 young people, aged 9 to 11 years, supported by Childcare Connections and
Save the Children
Where City of Edinburgh Council City Chambers
When November 2000
WHAT HAPPENED
To assist young people in developing their awareness of decision making, a visit was arranged
to meet the young people’s local councillor and Leader of the Council, at his invitation.
The aim was for young people to understand the role of the council, its leader, councillors and
committees, and the role of the local authority in the regeneration process.
Key learning from this activity for young people included:
• insight into the City Chambers on the inside, the Leader’s office and committee rooms
where meetings took place
• understanding of how the council is run, including the type of discussions and issues
that might be addressed in committee meetings
• experiencing direct contact with their local councillor
• sense of the role of the local authority in providing services to the public.
Preparatory Activity
‘The Council and its Partners’ - young people explored who influences community development
and how a local authority works, learning what were councillors and how they were elected,
what were council committees, and a council’s different departments such as transport, recreation
and finance. The young people also learned about the different roles of central government and
local councils.
57
Methods
methods
GETTING AND MAKING SENSE OF INFORMATION
The following methods are examples of different forms of research. Using one research
method may lead you on to another, for example, the internet may signpost you to other
toolkits or guides.
Make internet searches - Use internet search engines to find relevant web pages. See the
Information Section in this Section for advice and addresses.
Visit the library - Most libraries have minutes of local council and community meetings which
will tell you what is on the agenda. They may also have access to a community directory.
Watch information videos - Especially those made by other young people. This will show
how others have tackled local issues and may give your group some ideas. Ask around local
youth clubs or voluntary organisations. It is also worth contacting larger organisations such
as the Princes Trust, who may be able to give you videos or DVDs.
Use photographs, brochures, videos and interactive CD ROMs - Use them to show the views
or general approach of a range of specific organisations such as environmental
organisations. Some larger umbrella organisations or campaigning groups produce
information booklets containing CD ROMs with interactive games. Ask organisations if
they have a schools’ pack or children’s pack.
Put up posters - Use to reinforce information the group has already learned. They can be
obtained from campaigning organisations, for example on litter issues, see Keep Scotland
Beautiful. Your local council may also have posters you can use.
Speak to council departments - A list of local council departments may be found at your
local library or on the council’s website.
Make collage boards - This will enable the group to keep a useful record of information
they have gathered that can be used in letter writing or when they have a discussion with
local decision makers.
Have a quiz - Quick quizzes are a good way of finding out how much young people have
learned and also reinforces information they have gathered.
Understand a policy document - This method may take some time but it is helpful for a
group to know what organisations or councils are saying they will do. Young people then
can back up any request for assistance or change.
One way of doing this is to firstly go through a document yourself, pulling out crucial
pieces and rewriting them in a ‘child-friendly’ way. It is also useful to choose a fairly
accessible section, give each young person a highlighter pen and ask them to highlight
what they feel to be the main points.
Community Directory - A directory of organisations and business for a local area (like a mini Yellow Pages)
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for
themselves, being involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community
where they live or the community of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC)
(Councillor’s) Surgery - A time when people can meet their councillor or member of Parliament to ask questions and get
help or advice
58
jargon buster
Some organisations sometimes produce versions of documents for young people.
If they don’t, ask them why not.
CASE STUDY 1
Earlier, the group had looked at where they lived and had identified what concerned them
as young people. On that basis, they prepared a list of questions ranging from the role of
the council leader and councillors, to the local environment and children’s participation.
The Visit
The group and its workers were met by the Leader of the Council’s assistant. In a large public
room, the young people were offered (young people friendly) refreshments. They met the Leader
and a council officer, who worked directly with the council to help it run on a day to day basis.
After introductions, they took the group on tour. It was quite extensive, taking in the history of
the building, the function of the committee rooms and what happened in them. Members of the
group even got to wear the Lord and Lady Provosts’ Chains of Office.
case study 1
continued
In the Leader’s office, the young people once again were made to feel comfortable. There they
asked him questions, written on cards to help them remember and, as planned, they also took
notes. As the meeting went on, they became more relaxed, thought about the answers they
received, and responded with more questions including:
Why did you want to be a councillor?
They heard that this is where he was brought up and went to school. He knew the problems of
the area and wanted to work to make the area a better place to live.
What do councillors do?
They noted that he had more responsibility than an ordinary councillor and had given up his other
job to work full time with the council and that some councillors also have another job. As Leader
of the Council, he had an overview of the council’s overall responsibilities and made sure the
various committees worked properly. He also carried out a local surgery which did not have to be
attended solely by adults; children had a right to meet him at his surgery if they had something
to bring to his attention.
The group also asked the councillor specific questions about south Edinburgh where they lived:
• I don’t think the area is safe enough to play in.
• What help or advice can you give me?
• Can the burn be cleaned more than once a year?
• Why do some areas get looked after more than others?
• Is it possible to have more litter bins in our area?
• How many people are fined for littering and letting their dogs do their business
on the pavement?
Follow Up
Young people decided to follow up the visit with a letter. They made a point of thanking the
councillor for the refreshments being suitable for young people and of telling him the visit was
fun and entertaining, wearing the Provosts’ chains of office. They also asked for more information
on the issues they had brought up:
• “Are we right that you said there will be more CCTV cameras being put into Burdiehouse,
Southhouse and Mortonhall?”
• “When we asked about how many people get fined for letting their dogs foul the pavement
and not clearing it up, you did not know how many. Can you let us know if there is a record
of how many?”
• “Can you give us more information about parks that are going to be built for older children
and how we can be involved in the planning and design of them?”
They also asked the councillor to visit their group. By inviting him and following up with a
request for more information, the group was able to ensure the visit was something it could
build on to help them to gain more information and support for addressing the issues they
were concerned about.
end of Case Study 1
hints and tips
Developing critical thinking takes time - helping young
people to expand their analytical skills is a process.
59
EXPLORING AGENDAS
methods
There are lots of methods you can use with young people to explore and record other
people’s agendas, and try to influence change with those who hold the power. You could:
Use drama/role play - use props with young people dressing up and acting out what they
think may be the views of different people in the community (see Case Study in this Section).
Prepare for meetings by acting them out beforehand. Use drama or puppets to make up
plays to explore issues.
Play games - adapt card games to explore power and status (see Case Study in this Section).
Discuss! - as part of groupwork, talk about what other people might think about a given
issue - this can help young people clarify their agenda.
Interview people - such as different stakeholders to find out what they think about an
issue. Try to set up meetings with people from different organisations or holding different
viewpoints. Work with the young people to prepare questions and try to identify ways
to record the main points of what is said, by taking notes, using a tape recorder or making
a video.
Go on study visits - find out more about the local area and the key stakeholders relevant
to the issue your group is working on. If there is a nursery in your area, go and see what
their priorities are, or try to visit a local community or housing association.
Attend meetings - These really help to understand who are the key stakeholders.
Looking back at past agendas and minutes can help young people to understand
different viewpoints.
Map people and places - If there are plans for new buildings, roads or other developments
which impact on young people in your community, find out who makes the decisions about
them going ahead. For example the council might be interested in building new houses but
this might destroy an environmental area or bring in more traffic to where young people
play. Try to encourage the young people to think about what other local people and
organisations (stakeholders) might say about these issues - draw or write them on a map
of the area to illustrate what different people think and why. For example, the main concern
of those living locally may be the immediate area but the council will have broader interests.
Research sources of information - use the internet, community websites, local newspapers
and library to find out more about local decision-making structures and processes.
hints and tips
hints and tips
Prepare - get hold of minutes and agendas of
local meetings as they will help young people
see what other people think about an issue.
You can ask for the minutes of council
meetings or find them at your local library.
Structure activities to
enable participants to
gradually increase their
understanding. Think
about your project as a
series of building blocks.
jargon buster
Minutes - The notes which are taken at a formal meeting
Acrostic Poem - A form of poem in which the first letter of each line forms a word relating to the theme of the poem
60
GETTING LITTER BINS ON OUR STREETS
This is a snapshot illustrating how a group of young people has worked on an issue of their
choice, giving a flavour of the activities and action taken to influence local decision making.
Together with the other case studies in this Section, they show that different approaches can
be taken to achieve targets set by young people and that variety is more likely to hold young
people’s interest.
INTRODUCTION
Who
Young people, aged 9 to 13 years, with South Camlachie Youth Project
Where Barrowfield, Glasgow
When June 2002 to June 2003
case study 2
CASE STUDY 2
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was for young people to explore the issue of litter as it was affecting their local area
and work on solutions to benefit the community.
• Understanding about the impact of litter on the local community
• Practice in letter writing skills
• Knowledge of the benefits of recycling
• Opportunity to negotiate with local projects and city council departments
• Experience of working as a team.
The young people were interested in making a difference to their community. They voted for
litter as their chosen project as the result of taking part in various activities exploring their rights
and mapping their local area, working together with lots of games throughout.
The young people made giant collages of photographs showing litter locally and photocopied
them to send to decision-makers which prompted a reply by letter and follow on meetings.
The group emptied a Youth Project litter bin (wearing gloves!) to work out what could be
recycled. The group went to a local supermarket to buy bins to start recycling paper and cans in
the local community centre, bringing on board other groups who used the building to assist in
collecting paper and cans. Several offices collected their own cans and these were then collected
by the young people and sent to the local recycling depot.
Using the internet to find facts and figures about litter and recycling, the young people made
recycled paper (art activity), painted acrostic poem posters to enable them to think about words
and feelings associated with litter, and did a quiz to remind them of what they had learned and
reaffirm the aims of the project.
Young people wrote a letter to the manager of local community centre to ask for aluminium can
recycling and paper recycling facilities to be set up. Their idea was written into the centre’s plans,
with the reassurance it will be put into practice as the centre develops. They also sent a survey
around to other organisations based in the centre to find out if others wanted to participate in
a recycling scheme. The group received three positive replies from the six projects using the
building at that time.
Participants also wrote a letter to Environmental Services at Glasgow City Council to highlight the
lack of litter bins in the area and asked for a meeting. They met with the Environmental Services
Manager from Glasgow City Council to discuss the group’s request for litter bins and agree a
mutually beneficial outcome.
Due to the group’s efforts, litter bins were installed in the streets around the centre by the council
in June 2003! The litter group ceased in May 2003 when the young people wanted to move on to
work on new topics.
end of Case Study 2
hints and tips
Remember you’re looking for information to help the young
people put across their case - so no need to write a book on
the issue - help them come up with the main points.
61
STAYING FOCUSED AND INVOLVED
methods
Young people may become frustrated by the time it takes to achieve significant change and
become bored with the issue. Try to balance the shorter term interest span of the young
people and find ways to keep them motivated and involved. There are several fun methods
that can help you to do this:
Adapt games - playing card games - like pairs, snap or happy families - can help young people
understand winning and losing, and working as a team. Board games such as ludo or cluedo
can also be used and young people can make their own versions around a particular issue
such as Community Cluedo, making playing pieces to represent different stakeholders in the
community and, instead of rooms, having areas within your local area like the park, football
pitch or shop. Instead of a crime, there can be some sort of problem, say ‘the swing is broken
- so whose responsibility is it to get it fixed? ‘ - or a mystery such as ‘why does a certain street
have a particular name?’ Incentive Plus also make a range of motivational and team building
games. SIGNPOST
Be creative with arts and crafts - using painting and drawing to explore issues can also keep
young people interested. This might mean making posters or pictures about the issues they
are concerned about.
hints and tips
hints and tips
Don’t overload young people with
information; instead let them find
out things for themselves.
Some people like to read, others like to listen to
speakers - suggest the group holds a public meeting.
Many people like to watch things such as a video or
a play, or look at photographs or exhibits - make a
video of the local area and invite people to watch it.
Use video and photographs - young people can use a video as a way of highlighting their
concerns. They are also a useful means for recording progress on their project, including
physical changes in their environment and progress within the group, for example by filming
presentations or plays. Photographs can be stuck on card and young people can ‘explode’ the
photo outside what is depicted in the frame to imagine how in an ideal world they’d like a
certain area to look. They can draw this on the photo or mount the photo on card and draw
in their ideas in the surrounding area. This can be useful when they looking at any physical
changes in their environment - how any actual changes match young people’s own ideas.
Ensure small wins - Setting small, achievable, regular goals in the process of change such as
designing and painting a mural or planting some flowers to improve the local environment.
Represent the group - groups may like to choose representatives to go to different meetings
and report back to spread the responsibilities. It also means everybody gets a chance to
participate but no one is overwhelmed by having to attend every meeting.
jargon buster
hints and tips
Collaboratively - Working together with another person or group of people
Idea Storming - Usually done in a group. Noting down comments which come
to mind about a particular subject as quickly as possible. Discussion of
comments takes place afterwards
SIGNPOST
62
Remember you may have to go
back to basics such as helping the
group to learn how to use a phone
book, how to speak to people on
the phone or how to write a letter.
UNDERSTANDING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS’ AGENDAS
This Case Study describes work undertaken by a group of young people. It shows activities
undertaken during group sessions and highlights how young people can understand and
influence local decision making.
INTRODUCTION
Who
13 young people, 9 female and 4 male, aged 9 to 11, supported by
Ormlie Social Inclusion Partnership and Save the Children
Where Ormlie, Thurso
When three one and a half hour group sessions, February to March 2003.
case study 3
CASE STUDY 3
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was for young people to understand other stakeholders’ agendas and to improve
their negotiation skills.
Key learning from this activity for young people was:
• increased understanding of different stakeholders’ agendas
• opportunity to debate, negotiate and prioritise issues and justify the reasons for their decisions
• development of their own thinking about the role of young people in society and their
own communities
• experience gained in role play put to real use when presenting their case in meetings
with other people
• experience working collaboratively and listening to different views while arguing their own.
Young people idea-stormed to identify the different stakeholders in their community. (We did
not include young people within the CPP age range, as the purpose of the activity was exploring
other people’s perspectives).
Participants selected a character from the list they had developed and spent time developing
the character and dressing up in role. Their characters were:
• female teenager
• male teenager
• recently retired female pensioner with grandchildren in the area
• male pensioner with no family in the area
• young female parent
• male single parent with a young child
• female with no family but also the community police officer
• male councillor
• young female parent who had just moved to the area
• young unemployed male.
They took turns being questioned by the rest of the group about their characters’ life, views
and priorities, enabling them to find out about the different character’s views on the local area.
• “How old are you?’
• “Who is in your family?”
• “Do you work?”
• “Where do you live in Ormlie and how long have you lived there?”
• “Have you seen any changes in your time living there?”
• “What do you think about play in Ormlie?”
• “What do you like about living around here?”
• “What don’t you like about living around here?”
• “Is there anything you’d change?”
• “Have you ever tried to change things around here? How?”
• ‘What do you think other people who don’t live in Ormlie think about it?”
• “Do you have a car or how do you get around?”
They continued to develop their characters by playing out various scenarios, meeting another
character at the local shop, at the bench (the one public seat in the scheme), or on the street.
Preparing their scenes in twos and threes, they presented them to the rest of the group.
The next session began with everybody getting into character, finding out something each had
in common with another character in order to identify similarities and briefly re-interviewing
each other to further develop their characters.
63
CASE STUDY 3
case study 3
continued
Each character then was given a list of potential new developments, broadly based on facilities
they had identified earlier. The list was of the following community amenities:
• lunch club for pensioners
hints and tips
• family centre
Attending
meetings
without
adequate
preparation
• new park
can cause boredom and confusion and, ultimately,
• school
be demotivating for young people.
• health centre
• youth club.
As a group, they tried to agree their top three priorities, organising the discussion themselves.
This started well, and they decided each person should propose three priorities, but were unable
to come to an agreement.
At this point, the group became fractured with subgroups arguing amongst themselves and some
individuals doing tasks outside the group. Eventually two took control and drew the group back
together. One, acting as a ‘female pensioner’, assumed the position of chairperson while the
‘councillor’ refused to agree to the procedures introduced by the group.
The chairperson asked each person to give a case for particular priorities before the group voted.
The group quickly agreed that a family centre and a park should be included in the top three and
were able to argue the benefits from different perspectives:
“I wouldn’t use a family centre myself but can see it would be a good thing
for those with little ones.”
“A new park would be best cos it’d stop teenagers hanging around my house
making a noise...long as it wasn’t near my house.”
“Even though I’m a pensioner I think a family centre is more important
for everybody than a lunch place for me.”
Although unable to agree a third or prioritise the remaining issues, the young people appreciated
other people’s agendas while not losing sight of their own. They demonstrated a complex,
albeit rather stereotyped, knowledge of different perspectives and why particular stakeholders
may hold different views. In character, they also expressed their views about young people
in their community:
“The bairns should be listened to cos they know more about play than we do”. Pensioner 1
“No. They shouldn’t make so much noise and kick the ball against my wall”. Pensioner 2
“If they had proper places to play they wouldn’t need to play near your house...that’s why I think
a park which children have designed is most important”. Pensioner 1
Female, aged 11 and male, aged 10, in character as ‘pensioners’
“Even though I’m the councillor and I think schools are most important as everybody needs good
education I think everybody in the community needs to decide what we need”.
Male, aged 10, in character as a ‘councillor’
The activity ended with a discussion on the young people’s feelings about the exercise. They felt
it had been positive, enabling them to think about other people’s interests. They concluded:
“It was good because everybody got the chance to speak”. Female, aged 11
“It helps you to think about what other people need and want”. Male, aged 10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Adapted from activity in Partners in Rights - Creative Activities Exploring Rights
and Citizenship for 7-11 Year Olds, Save the Children, 2000
SIGNPOST
hints and tips
Work with others in the community such as adult residents or schools
so they also are aware of children’s rights and your group’s aspirations.
They may help to get things changed.
SIGNPOST
64
end of Case Study 3
CASE STUDY 4
INTRODUCTION
Who
10 young people, 6 female and 4 male, aged 9 to 13, supported by
Ormlie Social Inclusion Partnership and Save the Children
When four one and a half hour sessions, January 2002
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was to add to wider understanding of the factors which help and discourage young
people from becoming involved in their community.
case study 4
PARTICIPATION SNAKES AND LADDERS
This Case Study describes work undertaken by a group of young people. It shows what helps
and hinders young people’s participation.
The group had explored what encouraged or hindered their participation in meetings. They wrote
their thoughts on postcards and placed them on a large scale game of snakes and ladders, with
barriers to participation being placed on snakes and examples of helpful participation on ladders.
The group initially used the Barnardo’s (Paisley) Threads Snakes and Ladders, and made their own
giant snakes and ladders board by joining cardboard squares, each with a number of up to 100,
and painting on the snakes and ladders. The cards were then laminated. SIGNPOST
Young people attended an Ormlie Community Association (OCA) meeting and invited a range
of stakeholders to play the game. They felt others playing it would raise awareness about how
young people can feel excluded from and at meetings. Parents, other adult members of the
community, the local councillor, younger children, Directors from the OCA Board and
representatives of partner agencies took part.
The meeting also looked at the barriers and solutions the young people had identified in their
own discussions. Starting with the statements they had used for the Snakes and Ladders game,
the young people explained the action they had taken to try to address some of the barriers
to participation:
Language - “People talking in lots of initials.” male, aged 11
“Adults talking down to children.” female, aged 10 “Adults speaking in another language,
not one that helps everybody understand” male, aged 13.
They worked on jargon busting, breaking down terminology, and idea storming each part until
it meant something to everybody. This learning was reinforced with quizzes and games.
The groups also did role play; they practised being at a meeting and rehearsed what they could
say if they felt others were using language which excluded them. They also looked at what an
agenda and minutes were, and made up some to practise with, also rehearsing the questions
and arguments they wanted to use.
Meeting times - “Meetings going on and on and on. Especially when they’re really boring”
“We go to some meetings and then they arrange another one so we can’t go cos its
during school”. male, aged 13.
The groups made posters to give out at meetings with captions including “We go to school from
9 to 3.30... if you want our opinion and think we have something to say... please meet at a time
we can be there”. And “After 4, PLEASE!!!!” male 11. They also made up a sheet, with a box for
the start time and a finish time, to put up at local meetings so the length of the meeting could
be arranged at the beginning.
Lack of papers and time to prepare - “Six of you have to share a paper and you can’t see what
everyone is talking about.” “Sometimes adults put you on the spot and ask what you think when
you haven’t had time to think about it!!!” female, aged 10.
The young people agreed that, before meetings, a worker would contact the organisation taking
the lead to ask for all relevant papers, and copy them for the young people. If necessary, the
worker would also write summaries or highlight key points to help young people take part in the
meeting instead of reading a lot during it. The worker also checked pages were numbered to help
find information during a meeting. When possible, the worker also spoke to other organisations
to discuss the small details which assisted young people.
65
CASE STUDY 4
continued
case study 4
Child friendly snacks - “You go to a meeting and it’s just tea and coffee.” “At a meeting they
don’t even ask kids if they want a drink or a biscuit.” female, aged 10.
At first, workers took along juice and biscuits for the young people or wrote to the organisers
before a meeting asking if they needed to bring refreshments. This sometimes did the trick in
itself and increasingly organisations provided more child-friendly snacks.
Overall, these activities seemed to work. Other organisations started to take on board some of
the young people’s concerns about barriers to participation.
“At first you just thought of it as some kids coming along...now you can see what they
have to say is so valuable and that it is important to make them [children and young
people] feel welcome”. Adult Member, OCA
“At first I was against Ormlie but it’s the children’s involvement that has made
me change my mind”. Local Councillor
“It is good that the young people have reminded us about using language that
everybody can understand as some adults don’t get it either!” Director, OCA Board
end of Case Study 4
hints and tips
Be aware of and try to challenge pre-conceptions or
prejudices - yours or others. It can help young people
to work with older people, teenagers or other groups
in the community. By working together groups will
find things they have in common.
hints and tips
Most people remember more if they say
something as they do it, taking part in a play,
presentation, field visit or a real event - talk
to people or ask them to take part in a fun
quiz to get your message across.
66
hints and tips
Be sensitive if literacy is an
issue in your group. Try to
work round this by having
the young people work in
pairs or groups and having
the stronger writer take
notes. Or you can take
notes yourself using post-its.
activity sheet 17
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to encourage young people to work together
• to highlight the frustration felt when people don’t have access to the information they need.
What You Need
16 plastic cups
2 rolls of tape
10 sheets of A4 paper
paperclips
20 straws
sellotape or masking tape
Information and Instruction Sheet for bridge-building (to be given to one group only)
my right to information
My Right to Information
Size of Group
6 to 10 (more materials needed if group size is larger)
DESCRIPTION
Divide into two groups. Each group is given the task of building a bridge using paper cups,
straws, sellotape, etc. They must also find five words that can be linked to the word
information and stick them onto their bridge.
One group has instructions and guidance about the word information and other related words.
The other does not.
Each group has ten minutes to complete their task. If possible, position the groups in such
a way that they cannot copy each other’s design.
After ten minutes, ask the groups to show their bridge to one another and give their five
words to describe information.
PROMPTS
Use the following questions to help the group make sense of the
activity and relate it to their attempts so far to find out more about
their chosen topic.
Also remind the group of your earlier sessions on children’s rights and
especially of Article 13 of the UNCRC. ‘You have the right to find out
things and say what you think, through making art, speaking and
writing, unless it breaks the rights of others’.
activity sheet
Time Needed
30 minutes
• How did it feel to have no information?
Find words to describe how it felt? Are these negative words? What
words does the group with information offer to describe the activity?
Are their words different from those of the other group?
• How easy was it for you to make choices?
What choices did the groups have? Did the group with more
information choose to follow the instructions or did they build
their bridge their own way?
• Did both groups manage to complete the task? If not, why not?
Were there any other factors such as teams not working together
or not being able to understand instructions?
Activity 17 Prompts continued overleaf...
17
67
activity sheet 17
PROMPTS
• What types of information do young people find hard to access?
What type of information do the young people need for the project?
• Where would you look for information?
Write up a list of places where young people can access information.
Note - this list will be used later in this Section.
• What would make information guides more child friendly?
Can you think of ways that information could be more appealing
to young people. What information points and booklets do they
use and like?
activity sheet
Try to keep the groups apart by siting them on either side of the room or by placing a partition
between them.
The group with the information sheet should be discreet and not alert the other group that they
have additional help.
Young people understanding they have the right to information is one starting block in their finding
out more about their chosen topic. Next, it is important to make research fun and interesting.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet 17
READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN - IT COULD PROVE USEFUL!
YOUR TASK
You have been asked to build a bridge using the materials given.
You then have to write five words on the bridge relating to the word, information.
To help your team, you have the following:
eight plastic cups
one roll of tape
five sheets of A4 paper
paperclips
ten straws
scissors.
Information and Instructions
• Overlap the paper so that there are no gaps.
• Stick the straws to the edges of your bridge span to strengthen it.
• Use the eight cups as pillars to hold your bridge up, two each at either end and four in the middle.
• Attach the cups to the paper using sticky tape.
• You don’t need the paperclips!!
• Now, using the sheet of paper you have kept back, write out the words:
Knowledge,
Awareness,
Understanding,
Access,
Decision making.
• Cut the words out and glue onto your bridge.
activity sheet
• The easiest way to build the bridge is to stick the sheets of paper together to form
the bridge span. Keep one sheet of paper to use for writing the five words on the bridge.
TASK COMPLETED!
17
69
do your homework spider-style
activity sheet 18
Do Your Homework Spider-style
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in learning how to find out more about the issue they have chosen to work on
• to illustrate research can be fun and interesting
• to look at all sources of information and then work out which ones are beneficial to their project.
What You Need
Flipchart
Coloured pens
Post-its (optional)
Wall space where the chart can be displayed for some time
Size of Group
6 to 12
Time Needed
25 minutes
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
Ideas storm spider-style - a place to start when young people want to find out more about an
issue. The best thing to do is to make a list of everyone possible who could help the group.
Ask the group to think of the main issue. Write it in the middle of the flipchart page.
Encourage the group to think of different people to talk to or ask for information. Add them,
as the spider’s legs, to the chart. Suggest they try to think of:
•
•
•
•
All and any organisations or persons working on the issue?
Who else might be interested - local people, other groups or organisations?
Who has a duty to do something about it?
Who else might be campaigning on the same issue?
Remember - you and the group may not know all of these groups when you first start off.
You can make the spider’s legs longer by writing down ways of contacting these people.
Leave the diagram on the wall where the group meets so that it can be added to over time.
Post-it notes can be used for this part of the activity as long as young people are comfortable
with writing. Otherwise a volunteer or group leader can write up the information.
Keep Britain Tidy Campaign
Internet research
or library files
Contact press office for
posters and information
News stories
Visit local
councillor
Housing Associations
City Council
Write to head
of departments
Local campaigns
Site visit
18
70
LITTER
Contact local
housing officer
Find out if the
local recycling
plant offers visits
PROMPTS
Make sure you have some resources to hand to do preparation
beforehand, for example, collect relevant articles, and magazines.
Have available a directory of MSPs or councillors.
Use the following questions to help the group make sense of the
exercise and relate it to their ideas so far for their project:
• What sources of information are most important for your project?
• Who do you want to contact first?
• What methods will you use to contact them? Letter? E-mail?
Telephone call?
do your homework spider-style
activity sheet 18
For future use, have a system for marking off which sources of information you do go on to look at,
noting how easy or not they were to access. It may be necessary to revisit these time and time again.
Research can be extremely time consuming and it helps to have accessible sources.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet
Try to encourage the group to keep the ideas flowing, either their own or other people’s suggestions,
without stopping to think them through at this point. Rule nothing out at this first stage.
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how to learn to use the internet
activity sheet 19
How to Learn to Use the Internet
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in learning how to use the internet for research purposes
• to learn to phrase search requests appropriately
What You Need
Access to a computer and internet
Quiz sheet (made up prior to the activity using notes below as a guide)
Size of Group
Maximum of three per computer. Ideally more than one computer would be available. If there is only
one, other group members can take part in a related activity, for example, see Activity Large Scale
Jigsaw Planning Agenda in Section Three.
When the group on the computer has finished, the others have their turn.
Time Needed
30 mins to 1 hour
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
See www.gridclub.com - it has a very good tutorial on how to use the internet.
You can also set your own task by creating a list of questions to which answers can be found
on the web.
Divide into small groups. Each group is given a task sheet with five questions. Include a list
of suitable search engines. Sample questions based on the theme of litter could be:
•
•
•
•
•
What is the website address of Friends of the Earth?
How many bags of rubbish does a household fill in a year?
What is the address of your local council’s cleansing department?
Name an item that can be recycled?
Where is your nearest landfill site?
Depending on the ability of participants, gauge when they have finished answering.
Ask each group to read out answers. Compare answers.
Emphasise that there may be no right or wrong answer. Different searches are likely
to bring up different types of information.
PROMPTS
Refer to Information Sheet Getting Information at the end of this Section.
To begin with, for someone not used to using the internet, the amount
of information coming up in a search engine may be a bit overwhelming.
Assure the group that, after a bit of practice, they
will be able to sift useful information more quickly.
If the young people are finding difficulties obtaining the right kind
of web-sites ask them to type different words in the search engine.
Ask the group:
• If they had to go into more than one web-site.
• Were some sites more child-friendly than others? Why?
Hints can be given to help find the information; suggest the home page of a relevant website.
19
72
This exercise should assist young people to find the correct words to use in search engines and
to phrase questions differently to get the information they are searching for.
activity sheet 20
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to recap and consolidate what the young people have learned so far from their research,
using quizzes and games.
What you Need
A4-sized photos, based on the theme the group is working
on A4 card with photos, cut into jigsaw-shaped pieces
Sellotape
jigsaw quiz
Jigsaw Quiz
Size of Group
6 to 12
Time Needed
20 minutes
Preparation
Before meeting with the group, find several pictures relating to your topic. Photocopy each
of them onto a sheet of A4 card. On the reverse, write a list of quiz questions or anagrams
with answers based on what the group will have learned about in the past few weeks.
Cut the A4 sheets up into jigsaw pieces and mix all the jigsaw pieces together.
This game needs a quizmaster and minimum of two teams to play.
The challenge is to find the matching jigsaw pieces, join them together (using tape)
and answer the questions on the back - writing the answers on the back also.
When all teams have completed the task, check the answers with the whole group.
PROMPTS
Re-affirm with young people how much they have learned over the
past few weeks and how they have been able to use this information
so far.
As the young people learn more about their chosen issue, they may
begin to form new opinions and attitudes. It is important to let the
group know they can do this without feeling foolish or pressured
by their peers. Encourage the group to discuss their ideas and find
appropriate ways for the group to share their knowledge:
• Is there anything that the group was unsure of?
• Were they surprised at how much they had learnt?
• Did the group work well together?
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
Emphasise to the whole group that the exercise is not about individual knowledge, and it is more
productive to share knowledge.
Depending on the nature of the group, this activity can be quite competitive. The actual learning
may be lost in a rush to get the task finished first. Slow the activity down by emphasising the need
to think about the answers and give considered responses.
20
73
activity sheet 21
protest banners
Protest Banners
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to enable young people to reassess or reaffirm what they have learned
• to assist them in making clear their stance on a particular issue
What You Need
Large A3 card
Felt pens or paints
Poles to attach cards to (Note - be mindful of health and safety)
Sellotape
Size of Group
5 to 15
Time Needed
One hour
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
Each participant is given a sheet of A3 card. Explain they have to imagine they are going
on a protest march and that they will be taking banners with them to let people know
how they feel about the issue they have been working on.
Ask them to each design a banner - it should be eye catching and contain at least one
slogan - or reason - to support their cause.
PROMPTS
Ask participants to consider:
• What were you trying to say?
• Does your banner explain this clearly?
• Did you find it difficult to communicate your issue in a few words?
Suggest they also think about presentation skills:
• Is it eye-catching enough to attract people to read it?
• Does your passion for the issue come across?
A tatty, messy banner doesn’t send out the right message.
It is a good idea to use several activities to enable young people to reinforce or reassess their views,
giving them time and opportunity to form and develop their opinions. Allow time for reflection and
discussion. Let them know they can develop their thinking, sometimes changing their viewpoint.
Consider carefully any literacy issues in the group, possibly dividing it into pairs for this activity
and/or proposing they create a visual message.
Is there somewhere the banners could be displayed? The banners also can be used at a later stage
as part of an exhibition, event, or as a backdrop to a community meeting or discussion with local
decision makers.
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74
Mapping Other People’s Agendas
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to create a People Profile, building up a background of information about key stakeholders.
What You Need
Flipchart
Coloured pens
Coloured card
Local newspapers
Internet print outs of information about different stakeholders
Leaflets, magazines, pamphlets from different organisations
(Note - check resources for appropriateness to the age of the children and young people
you are working with, and to issue/s you are working on).
Size of Group
5 to 15
mapping other people’s agendas
activity sheet 22
DESCRIPTION
Using flipchart paper, ask the young people to:
• write down all the different groups of people who live in their community
• think about those who have a view about the issue they are working on
• suggest different ways they can find out more about the views of different groups.
These may include the internet, newspapers and leaflets.
It is helpful for you to have gathered a selection of appropriate resources to start the groups
off with this activity but, depending upon the young people’s responses to the first section, you
may have to find additional information between groups. You can also bring along suggestions
of local organisations and groups in the community and names of any local activists.
The young people can also be encouraged to gather information by:
• cutting out articles from local newspapers which reflect different views (it is worth
reminding them to look at the letters page to see responses from different stakeholders)
• going to the library or school or local organisations for newsletters, agendas and minutes
for different groups
• looking up local organisations on the internet or do a computer search to find out the
priorities of your local councillor or MSP
• trying to find leaflets, newsletters or web sites to collect more information about the
activities of different organisations.
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Time Needed
Information is compiled over a period of time as young people’s knowledge develops. The activity
can be added to over several months and be revisited at different times as the work progresses.
PROMPTS
Remind the young people, whenever they find
out information, to make others in the group
aware of it and add it to the people profile.
This activity can be revisited at different times
with the group, eg, when there is a local or
general election or when a new organisation
starts up. Young people in effect are creating
a visual map of local democratic structures.
This aspect can form part of the discussion
and reflection over time.
It can be useful to draw a picture, find
a photograph or logo for each group or
organisation and mount this on a large
piece of paper. As the young people gather
more information, they can add it to the
people profile and build up the data they
have about different stakeholders’ views.
It may also be useful to try to explore the
roles and importance of ordinary people
in the community, who do not immediately
spring to mind, but may play a vital part
in gelling the community together.
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activity sheet 23
young people holding
onto their agenda
Young People Holding onto their Agenda
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to illustrate the difficulties and frustrations of not being, from the beginning, party to all of the
information about a topic
• to demonstrate it pays to ask lots of questions as early as possible, in order not to waste time later.
What You Need
Coloured balloons
Size of Group
6 to 12
Time Needed
Approximately 20 minutes for activity and 30 minutes for discussion.
DESCRIPTION
Split group into groups of three or four young people. Each group chooses at random
a handful of coloured balloons.
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Each team is then given ten minutes to blow up as many balloons as possible.
After ten minutes, stop each group and ask the groups to keep as many balloons as
possible in the air.
After one minute, ask the groups to count the number of balloons they have managed to
keep off the ground. When they have done this, tell them that it is only the red balloons
that count. The other colours do not count towards the total.
Suggest the red balloons represent the young people’s planning agenda. Emphasise
the importance of not losing sight of this when being challenged by other people with
different interests, as represented by the other coloured balloons.
PROMPTS
It is helpful to follow this activity up with a discussion. Questions to use include:
• How did you feel about this activity? Why?
• How has this exercise affected your feelings about being able to join in
or take part in the activity?
• What sort of things have stopped you taking part in groups or activities
in other parts of your life? At school? With your friends or family?
• Are there other examples of times you have felt you don’t have all the
information you need at the start?
It is also useful for the group to discuss how their focus might shift over time and the
need for emotional flexibility. Questions you could ask to prompt this reflection are:
• Have you ever been involved in a discussion when you’ve changed your opinion?
• What or who changed your view?
• Are there simply opposite opinions or is there some middle ground?
Participants may be angry that they hadn’t been told about the red balloon condition at the
beginning. Use this to help them reflect on the fact that:
• we don’t always know the important things straight away and we are not always told what they are
• it’s important to spend time finding out at the beginning, otherwise we waste time and energy
(like keeping the other coloured balloons in the air).
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This activity is based upon an original idea by Jan Burnell, Director of the Centre for Strategy and Communication, London.
activity sheet 24
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• To draw out who young people think have power in their lives
• To explore with young people different types of power and how people become powerful
and stay powerful.
• To introduce the concept of status and to relate it to their own setting
What You Need
Pack of playing cards
Size of Group
5 to 15
the status game
The Status Game
Time Needed
One and a half hours for all activities. It is important to spend sufficient time on the discussion
at the beginning.
Explain the values of different cards (the group can decide if the ace is high or low).
Familiarise the group by turning a row of a few cards face down on the ground and
turning over one card at a time and asking the group to guess if the next card will be
higher or lower numerically.
Tell the group that each card, and its status, reflects a different role in society so the
king might be the First Minister, the queen could be an MSP, and the jack the leader
of the local council.
Ask the group to think about where they would put young people and other marginalised
groups like people who are unemployed or homeless. This generates a lot of discussion, so
leave enough time to talk. Also set clear ground rules beforehand so the activity does not
become personalised or offensive.
Participants can then take it in turns to select a card from the pack without showing it to the
others. They mime the position it might represent in society so, if a two, the actions might be
quite downtrodden with the person slumped, close to the ground, not showing many feelings
of power. The rest of the group then try and guess the number of the card by the mime.
PROMPTS
Follow-up with discussion about how it felt to feel powerful and powerless, and how
this may relate to society.
Prompt questions could include:
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DESCRIPTION
• How did you feel when you were one of the ‘lower value cards’? Have you ever
felt like this in other situations in your lives?
• How did you feel when you were one of the ‘higher value cards’? Have you ever
felt like this in other situations in your lives?
• What about the people in the middle - how did you feel?
• How do you think the others in the game viewed you when you were a ‘higher’
or a ‘lower value’ card? What do you think this means for people in real life?
• Have you changed your views about who has status? Why?
Beware of reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices. Stress that situations are not always
clear cut, and power and status may vary in different settings depending on the value
placed on them by a range of people. For example, explain that the local councillor is
very important in the local community but will not have the same recognition in the
Houses of Parliament in London.
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the status game
activity sheet 24
After playing this game for a while, the group can then work in threes. Ask participants again to
mime their numbers and stand in the position, which indicates where they think their card is in their
threesome. So the person miming the seven would recognise their mime as ‘higher’ than a three and
‘lower’ than a queen, and the seven would be in the middle.
Eventually, try this with the whole group, with each participant selecting a card and, without talking,
see if they can get into a ‘bus queue’ based on the ranking of their cards.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This is based on an activity by Lorna Sutherland, Outreach Worker, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.
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activity sheet 25
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people become more informed about an issue so they are better able to
represent their views and influence change
• to assist young people in starting to identify things in common with other stakeholders
and find allies.
What You Need
Magazines or newspapers
Safety scissors
Flipchart
Coloured pens
Glue or blu-tac
Size of Group
5 to 15
making links through collage
Making Links Through Collage
DESCRIPTION
Explain that you would like the young people to spend some time looking through the
magazines and newspapers to identify pictures of different people or groups of people such as
older people, people with a disability, younger children, various adults (men, women, some in
different jobs or wearing certain clothes or uniforms). Ask them to choose and cut out pictures.
When they have done this, divide them into small groups. Give the group about half an hour
to discuss their pictures. The following questions can be used as a starting point:
• Who could the people be?
• What sort of jobs might they have?
• What could be important issues in their lives?
Encourage the young people also to think outside or beyond the pictures, imagining what
is not shown about the people’s lives:
• Where do these people live?
• Do they have children?
• Do they hold any decision making power? What sort?
Then, still in their small groups, ask the young people to write at the top of a sheet of flipchart
some of the issues the group has already identified as a concern, such as play, speeding cars,
litter. Ask them to take a second sheet of paper and divide it into three columns, adding at the
top of the columns a smiley face, a frowning face and, in the middle section, an unsure face
(you can have a sample to show them).
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Time Needed
Approx 1 hour 30 minutes.
In their small groups, ask the young people to talk about what they think about the issues and
who, from the pictures they’ve cut out earlier, they feel may be sympathetic to their views.
They can stick the picture/s of this person or people in the smiley face column. Encourage
them also to note why they feel this person or group may be an ally.
The young people can repeat the process with those they think do not sympathise with their
views or those they are unsure about, for example, they may feel play might not be important
to older people.
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activity sheet 25
making links through collage
PROMPTS
Aim to draw the young people’s awareness to the following points:
• recognising the importance of involving others - adults and organisations - if they
are to be able to get an issue addressed
• by identifying key people, groups or agencies, young people will be in a better
position to make sure their views are taken seriously and adults aren’t making
decisions on behalf of young people, based on what they think children and
young people want, and local council funding or services may be used to meet
what young people see as their real needs
• by working with others, young people can access funding to implement or support
change. This might mean the group becoming constituted in order to apply for
external funding.
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The small groups can go on to talk about ways they might influence these people by explaining
children’s right to play, or working with them to organise an event.
The small groups can feed back, and the whole group can then start to identify people they agree
may be allies such as parents, older siblings, neighbours or local community or housing associations.
This process will help the young people to start prioritising who they should work with.
It is helpful to keep the collages on a wall so that young people can refer to them as they work
out their plan of action and tick off what they’ve done, such as who they’ve contacted or received
support from.
Before meeting with any kind of council officials or representatives of other organisations to
request their assistance or to present information, it is important to do some work, or research.
The more informed young people are about an issue, the greater the likelihood of a better
response and support for their cause.
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activity sheet 26
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people to understand the importance of being able to support opinion
with fact- based evidence
• to demonstrate the value of evidence in strengthening any debate that follows with
decision-makers.
What You Need
Flip chart
Role play cards
Camcorder
Size of Group
8 to 10
negotiation role play
Negotiation Role Play
Time Needed
45 to 60 minutes
The group divides into two and each has a role. One role is as a powerful agency. This should
be a real example such as an official from a council department, a member of a forum or
board local to your area. The second group’s role is to represent the group of young people
who are going to argue for an idea they have to improve their community. Explain that the
groups will play out a scenario to mirror what might happen when they present their ideas
for real to others.
Each group has to think about how it will approach the other, what arguments will work
and how the group will present its case.
Ask the group playing the powerful agency to think about the barriers it will put up to
the other group’s ideas. The group, acting as young people, needs to think about how
to overcome likely barriers. Both groups need to work out:
• Do they have a bottom line?
• Where is their room for negotiation?
• What arguments will work with this agency or group of local people?
After about 10 to 15 minutes’ preparation, bring the two groups together to do a role play.
If possible, aim to arrange to record the exercise on camcorder. Played back, the young people
will have a much better idea of the way their tone of voice, language and behaviour help,
or get in the way, of their case.
After the role play, watch the tape and explore the group’s feelings about it and what
they have learned.
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DESCRIPTION
PROMPTS
After reflecting on the role play, the group
can repeat the exercise to explore different
tactics or arguments.
If possible, take the group to observe a real
meeting about, for example, regeneration or
community development. Make sure this is
arranged beforehand with the people running
the meeting (unless it is an open meeting).
Young people may not stay focused for
more than one or two agenda items.
The two groups’ position on the issue may
well be very different from each other, and
for different reasons. Ask the young people
to reflect on how they each experienced
the role play:
• What did they think worked well and
helped convince the other group?
• What would they do the same or
differently if they were doing this for real?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This activity is based upon an original idea by Jan Burnell, Director of the Centre for Strategy and Communication, in London.
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activity sheet 27
who to influence and how?
Who to Influence and How?
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in trying to match the aims of adult planners to their own aims
• to help them understand how to make links with other people’s agendas to help their own case.
What You Need
Handouts showing key points from any local plans relating to regeneration or community development
Handouts giving the main remit/objectives of relevant local organisations
Coloured pens
Paper
Size of Group
6 to 12
Time Needed
45 to 60 minutes
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DESCRIPTION
This activity is best carried out when your group already has done some work on identifying
what change or improvement they would like to focus on achieving, and on what other
initiatives for change exist in the local area. Most, if not all, of the information used in the
exercise, will not be new.
At this stage therefore, the young people should know something about what they want, any
costs involved, and who can help them get it. The purpose of this session is to put some of this
information together to make convincing lobbying arguments.
Divide into small groups of three or four. Make sure each small group has access to some basic
information about local groups and initiatives (summary points from the local Community Plan,
the local council Play Strategy, their Community Association strategic plan, remit of a local
voluntary organisation). Their task is to discuss:
• Which bodies they need to influence to achieve their aims?
• How the plans of these other organisations might fit in with their own aims?
• What connections can they draw? How?
Suggest they use the papers to remind themselves of the aims and objectives of each
organisation. As this is quite a short activity, divide the information up between the
groups so that each individual needs only to work with a limited amount of information.
After about 15 minutes, bring the groups together to share each other’s ideas.
PROMPTS
As a next step, it is useful to consider
how to approach the agency/organisation
which seems to have similar aims.
At this point, things may seem a bit
daunting, especially if the young people’s
ultimate aim seems a mammoth task such as
getting a play park built from scratch. Speak
with the group about the importance of
breaking the task up into bite size chunks,
for example, visiting other playparks
outwith the area to get ideas or planning
visits to relevant council departments.
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Use these questions to help facilitate the
final stage of the exercise:
• Which bodies did you come up with?
• Give at least one example of how a
particular agency’s aims might help
with achieving your own.
• Explain how it would help. A local
community association might have an
objective about preventing drug use,
and this could be used to advance
the case for a local youth facility.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
activity sheet 28
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• for children and young people to understand they need all the information possible
to understand what is happening locally.
What You Need
Paper, and something for each participant to lean on such as a clipboard
Coloured pens
Chairs for all the group, as it is easier when sitting back to back.
Size of Group
4 to 16. As participants need to listen to each other carefully, if possible, try to make sure
that there is enough space for them to spread out during this activity,
matching jigsaws sharing information
Matching Jigsaws - Sharing Information
Time Needed
15 to 30 minutes
Divide the group into pairs. Each pair sits back to back. Each person has a piece of paper,
different coloured pens and something to lean on. One of the pair then draws a picture
on their paper; as they do so they give instructions to the other person as to what they
are doing such as:
“Start in the middle of the paper with a straight line in green. It needs to be about as long
as your thumb and go from the bottom of the paper to the top (vertically). On top, draw
a yellow circle. Make it about the size of a two pence piece. Draw five circles round the
edge of the yellow circle and make them the size of one pence pieces. Colour these in.”
When they have finished, ask the pair to compare pictures. Then swap roles so the other
is giving instructions.
When the activity is finished, display the drawings side by side.
PROMPTS
Ask the group to think about the activity.
Prompt them with questions such as:
• What did you find about the two pictures?
• What did you learn from giving and
receiving instructions?
• What would you do differently if you did
the activity again?
• Does this tell you anything about finding
out information? If so, what?
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DESCRIPTION
Young people enjoy this activity. They find they need to be very specific in giving information.
They also learn how people interpret information. It is interesting to ask the group to repeat the
activity after the discussion. Generally, they recognise the need to keep their picture simple and
give clear instructions, usually resulting in drawings which more closely resemble each other.
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activity sheet 29
mapping the neighbourhood
Mapping the Neighbourhood
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people understand and appreciate the perspective of other people
in their neighbourhood
• to enable them to explore where their own agenda sits within this bigger picture.
What You Need
Large paper or card
Coloured pens
Magazine pictures or photos (optional)
Prepared people cards containing a thumbnail sketch of different members of the community such as
police constable, older resident, teenager, child, transport planner, roads engineer, local shop owner
(these can be adapted depending on the issue being explored). One set is needed for each group.
Size of Group
As feedback and reflection is quite complex, it is best to limit activity to 10 young people, split into
smaller groups of 3 to 5.
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Time Needed
One to one and half hours
DESCRIPTION
Divide the group into smaller groups of 3 or 5. Explain the task is to draw a large map
of the area, concentrating on one of the issues they have prioritised or wish to explore
more, say community safety or the environment.
Each participant selects a people card, giving everyone a character for the course of the
activity. It can help if the characters give themselves a name and write or narrate a short
piece about themselves to the rest of the group such as:
• ‘My name is Michaela, I am 18 and I have a baby. I live on my own in the new flats.’
Give each person a different coloured pen which they will use to draw and write with
so their character’s input can be mapped throughout the course of the activity.
Each small group then needs to work together to draw a map for their issue based on
their local neighbourhood, for example focusing on play or where best to locate litter
bins or benches.
Each individual must draw using their own coloured pen so there is a visual map showing
the views and priorities of different people, and highlighting differences and tensions
between these groups so, for example:
• an older resident may want play facilities located well away from their house and the
shops, whereas an adult with a young family may see play facilities for toddlers near
to their house as important.
This activity benefits from some direction and, if possible, a worker should be allocated to
each small group to prompt and encourage participants to discuss what they are learning
about other people’s interests from the plans as they emerge.
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activity sheet 29
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do all the maps look the same?
What are the differences?
What are the main priorities for all groups?
What are the main differences between different people in the community?
Do all the same characters in each group have the same priorities?
What does this tell us about your local neighbourhood?
How did it feel working with other people?
What were the difficulties?
What were the benefits?
Have you learnt anything from this activity that could help you with the
group’s action plan for taking forward the project? If so, what is this?
This activity is more appropriate to use with the age group 12 to 15 years, as it is quite complex
and requires participants to have developed their ability to deliberate and think critically.
It can be adapted to use with a younger age group by splitting the group into pairs with each
partner drawing from their own perspective. This highlights that even amongst a similar age
group people may have different priorities. This can be continued by one pair joining with
another pair and discussing their maps to show the diversity of ideas and views even within
a homogeneous group.
It can be useful to revisit this activity at different times in the project so that participants can reflect
on their increased awareness and learning about other people’s agendas.
This activity can also be adapted for use with adults to help them to consider the views and priorities
of young people. An ice-breaker may be needed to help establish a rapport between participants,
especially if they are unused to working together, to assist adults in entering into the role play
aspect of the activity.
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At the end of the activity, ask each group to present their plan to the other
groups and draw out learning through questioning.
mapping the neighbourhood
PROMPTS
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who is that and what do they do?
activity sheet 30
Who is That and What do They do?
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help children and young people in a fun way to retain and consolidate information names and roles - about key people in their community and the wider area.
What You Need
One chair per participant
Post-its
Size of Group
6 to 10
Time Needed
30 to 40 minutes.
DESCRIPTION
This activity needs to follow after work on local decision-makers and stakeholders.
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Make a circle of chairs, with one chair set in the middle. Ask one young person to
volunteer to sit in the centre, with the remainder of the group sitting in the circle.
Ask another participant to write on a post-it the name or title of a local stakeholder,
for example, the chairperson of the community association, the local councillor or even
somebody like the Prime Minister.
Ask the young person sitting in the centre to stick the post-it on his/her forehead without
reading what is written. S/he then asks people in the group questions in order to guess
his/her identity such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
do I work for a voluntary organisation?
do I work for the council?
do I live on the estate?
am I a parent?
do I work on my own?
am I member of a board?
Those in the circle answer yes or no, until the stakeholder’s identify is discovered.
PROMPTS
Discuss with the group:
• which individuals were the most difficult to guess?
• why they think this was, for example, did they understand
enough about people’s jobs or roles/remits to play the game?
The young people may discover where they have gaps in their
knowledge. Explore with them what they are unsure about and
who they need to find out more about.
It may be more fun, and keep the group’s attention longer, if the group also can introduce
the odd pop or soap star...though this can be confusing for the person in the middle!
It helps to have a list of key stakeholders and people from the council, ideally using their
own list or map, developed in an earlier session.
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The Target Game - Who Makes Decisions
in the Lives of Young People
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people understand how they relate to a range of other people,
from friends and family to other more distant stakeholders
• to explore with them different kinds and levels of connection by imagining people
within ever widening circles and, in particular, who makes decisions about their lives
What You Need
Flipchart paper (or coloured paper)
Coloured pens
Post-its (various colours)
Size of Group
6 to 12
the target game - who makes
decisions in the lives of young people
activity sheet 31
DESCRIPTION
Draw several large scale, archery-type targets with decreasing circles on flipchart paper,
one per sheet.
Ask the young people to idea storm all the people they think of who might make decisions about
their lives and write them on post-its (use one colour). They can also write down what some of
those decisions might be (using a differently coloured post-it). This can either be done as a group,
in pairs or individually. (Be sensitive to participants’ literacy abilities).
In small groups of three or four, ask the young people to decide where or how these stakeholders
relate to them. Give each group a sheet of flipchart paper. A member of the group should stand
on the bullseye or circle at the centre of the target to represent young people’s lives.
Through discussion, ask each group to decide where to place the post-its representing other
stakeholders on the various circles, for example, parents and friends may be on one of the inner
circles, their head teacher may be slightly further out, local council officials still further and MSPs
or MPs further out still.
Ask the young people to consider the sort of decisions made about young people’s lives such as:
• Who decides what you eat for dinner?
• Who is involved in deciding how many people are in their class at school?
• How much money is spent on play parks in their area?
Ask the groups to try to link all the decision makers involved in specific decisions, joining them
with different coloured pens.
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Time Needed
40 to 60 minutes
PROMPTS
At the end of the activity, it may be useful to discuss how the young people
feel about so many people making these different decisions about their lives,
for example, about when they go to bed at night, about where they should
go to school, exploring potentially both positive and negative aspects.
On a positive note, finish off by discussing what decisions they feel they
can make and what influence or control they feel they do have.
Instead of using flipchart paper and pens, it is also possible to use different colours of paper
to make up the targets.
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activity sheet 32
who are the council are we a partner too?
Who are the Council - Are We a Partner Too?
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• To assist young people in understanding how a local authority works and the
different agencies and organisations it works with
• To stimulate young people thinking about the importance of working in partnership.
What You Need
An information sheet (see below) showing some basic information about your local council,
specifically the different departments and what they are called in your area
Size of Group
8 to 10
Time Needed
30 minutes
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
Preparation
Using the Appendix (see Democratic Structures - Information about Decision-making),
prepare an information sheet beforehand to explain:
• how councillors are elected, make the big decisions but don’t work for the council
• how a council is divided into departments
• departments and basic services provided by your local council.
Give out the information sheet, and idea storm with the group to identify other
departments or public services that might be part of the council in your city or
area and own community.
Point out that, although the council will be one of the main players in a larger community
development or regeneration scheme, it often works in partnership with other agencies.
Explain also the importance of those who work in different council departments
communicating together, for example, about housing officers and social workers
sharing information about particular family’s housing needs.
Discuss with the group:
• why the local community should always be included as a potential partner
by the council?
• why a community should be involved in decisions which affect their community?
• do they see themselves are part of the local community?
• do they feel like partners?
• are other members or groups in their community treated like partners?
If so, who? If not, why not?
Assist the group in deciding:
• what one change in the local community would the group like to
see and work on as a specific project for the group?
Using the information sheet, discuss:
• which of the council departments would be most likely to help them
achieve their aims?
• what would be possible ways of enlisting the help of a local councillor?
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activity sheet 32
This may be the first time the young people have even considered
themselves to be a potential partner of the council. It is important
for them to realise that, even although they do not pay taxes or
vote, they can still play an active part in their community.
Although it is crucial that young people begin to think about the issues the exercise explores,
there is a risk the group will find the activity a bit dry and it is best to keep it it short. If the children
are aware of anyone who works with their council or if any of the group has met/knows of their
local councillor this will help to make the activity real, ‘the council is no longer an abstract concept’
but made up of real people.
who are the council are we a partner too?
PROMPTS
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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getting information
GETTING INFORMATION
SIGNPOST
INTERNET - If the group has access to the internet, there are lots of websites that may
be of use to you. The internet can be accessed at lots of community centres, libraries,
schools and training centres. The internet is a key way to obtain information.
In a number of areas in Scotland the Scottish Executive has provided a number of free
IT resources in a range of community settings; over 30 areas have been chosen for this
special initiative. To find out if your area has been chosen contact the Scottish Executive
Digital Inclusion Team by email on digitalinclusion@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to the
Digital Inclusion Team, Scottish Executive, Area 3 -G80, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6.
The following website will also help you find access points throughout Scotland
www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/webaccess/. Communities Scotland can also
help you find your nearest community internet access point.
information
If you don’t know where to look for information, try using a search engine. These sites
trawl the web to find you information on the topic you have chosen. Here are some
search engines:
www.google.co.uk
www.yahooligans.co.uk
www.ajkids.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc.
You will find details of national policies on the Scottish Executive website at
www.scotland.gov.uk. See the young people’s section at www.juniorexec.gov.uk.
Find out about the work of the Scottish Parliament at www.scotland.parliament.uk.
Visit the section on Education.
Check out the UK government website, including the Parliamentary Education Unit
section at www.parliament.uk, as well as the site for 11 to 16 year olds and written
by young people at www.younggov.ukonline.gov.uk.
See the Appendix for other specific websites and sources of information such as
Young Scot, the national information service for young people. You will find also
an explanation of the differences between the Scottish and UK governments.
NETSAFE - It is advisable to supervise children and young people’s use of the internet
and to make them aware of dangers when surfing the net. Community internet access
points should be firewall protected which should filter out inappropriate websites.
For more information, see:
www.nch.org.uk/itok for their netsmart rules.
Or for children and young people to learn about using the internet, try:
www.fkbko.co.uk or www.thinkuknow.co.uk or www.gridclub.com.
Some simple rules to propose to young people - when on the internet, don’t give out
your name, email address or phone number, especially when using sites you’re unsure
of, and definitely not when in a chat room.
jargon buster
Scottish Executive - The Scottish Executive is the devolved government for Scotland. It is responsible for most of the issues
of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport
SIGNPOST
90
Formal meetings usually have:
The chair of the meeting - this person makes sure everything goes smoothly,
the meeting doesn’t last too long and everything important gets talked about.
The minute taker - this person takes notes of the main points in the discussion.
This ensures nothing important gets forgotten about and records who has been
asked to do something, what it is they have been asked to do, and usually by when.
An agenda - this is a list of things to talk about at the meeting.
Previous minutes - these are the notes of the last meeting. These are always referred
to at the beginning, partly to make sure everything has been done that was agreed.
They should also record who attended the last meeting.
understanding meetings
UNDERSTANDING MEETINGS
If minutes have action points on them, this means that people have agreed to do
a specific task.
It is important that everyone has the chance to have their say at a meeting and
it is not the same people speaking all the time - it is up to the chair to give everyone
a chance to speak.
If young people are attending a meeting, there are certain things to take into
account. It can help to talk to whoever is organising the meeting. Matters to bear
in mind are:
Venue - young people feel more comfortable and able to participate if they are
used to going to a building. If not, try to arrange to take the young people along
beforehand or take photographs so they understand what to expect. This is
particularly important if it is an imposing building, say, a council chamber. If there
are microphones or other particular ways of communicating, make sure the young
people are aware of how to use them.
Timings - if children and young people want to attend, meetings should not be during
school hours when they won’t be in a position to attend. They also should not last too
long. Ask for an agreed start and finish time.
information
If something is going to be tabled, it usually means that instead of sending
a document or paper out beforehand for people to read, they will be looked
at for the first time at the meeting instead.
Refreshments - if there are refreshments, there should include things that young
people like to eat and drink, not just tea and coffee for adults.
Understanding Meetings continued overleaf...
jargon buster
Council - A group of people who are elected to govern a city or part of
a country, for example, City of Edinburgh Council and Highland Council
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understanding meetings
Papers - so that young people can participate fully, try to make sure young people
can see papers before the meeting, and the group can go through the minutes and
agenda and prepare key points. Contact the person organising the meeting to get
copies in time to allow you to properly prepare with the young people. If paper
work is very ‘heavy’, in terms of language or length, it is useful to extract the most
important parts or write a summary (your group itself may be able to do this as
an activity).
Language - the language used at the meeting should be easy to understand. If there
are specific terms, abbreviations or acronyms, again it is a good idea to include this in
your preparation and to produce a sheet explaining them for young people to use for
reference at the meeting.
You are likely to find varying levels of commitment from organisations and groups
towards young people’s participation in their work or the issue in question. Responses
will range from decoration or tokenism towards participation; even then, decisions
may well be made by adults without discussion or feedback to the young people.
It is essential to work also with adults attending and organising meetings to ensure,
where possible, they consider young people’s role in their meetings and encourage
them to recognise their contributions as legitimate and valuable. (See Ladder
of Participation, R.Hart 1992 in resource list in Appendix. See the Bored Meetings
information pack by Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership). SIGNPOST
jargon buster
information
It is important to reinforce in your preparation that meetings are only scary and
confusing if you do not know the procedure.
Agenda (I) - A list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting
Acronyms - A kind of abbreviation formed by taking the first letters from words that are too long to use comfortably, often the name
of an organisation. For example RSPCA stands for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for themselves, being
involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community where they live
or the community of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC)
Tokenism - Doing something to satisfy others - but not in a way which is sincere or meaningful
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section three
taking action
• project planning
• implementing the project
• reviewing progress and learning
This chapter will help you to:
• assist them in understanding the value of planning what
they want to do
• support young people in putting their plans into action
• realise and negotiate the problems and pitfalls of turning
an idea into a reality
• review what progress they have made and what lessons
they have learned
section three
• help young people to prepare for practical action
“ Are we really going to send out these letters?”
Female, aged 11 years
“The input from children and young people
has been crucial to all the projects...
they ask relevant questions at meetings
in a polite and confident way”
Manager, local community association
3
Introduction
This Section will show that:
• to stand any chance of achieving the improvement or change they want, young people
have to take practical action on the issue they identified
• change is more likely if people are prepared to work for it
• the process young people take part in, in itself, can be highly beneficial and many
valuable skills can be learned along the way, including communication, team working,
compromise, negotiation and decision making
• small milestones work better than trying to achieve a large goal that may take years
to come to fruition, risking the impression that nothing much is being achieved and
young people losing heart.
introduction
Why Work This Way?
After deciding on an issue, researching it and finding out about other people’s take on it,
explain to your group that it is now time to do something about it. In this Section, there
are activities to help you plan practical action and methods to get young people’s voices
heard in the local community.
For the young people to feel they are making a difference they have to feel that they
have achieved something. Gradual achievements should be written into any action plan
you make, for example, attending a meeting, writing to an influential person, or producing
a piece of artwork. All are small steps that move the group closer toward the bigger goal
they want to reach.
Taking Action
Young people have a right to participate, as stated in Article 12 of the UNCRC
(see Appendix). This can mean being involved in public decision-making about their
local area because many decisions about public policy affect young people.
It is vital that the original idea for the project comes from the young people taking part.
If they don’t feel it is theirs, they may be much less motivated to get and stay involved.
Aim to agree a clear target that can be achieved. More importantly, flag up that, to
attempt to bring about change in the community, you do have to take action. You can’t
change a problem in your area by sitting back and moaning about it!
hints and tips
jargon buster
You may have an idea of what you want as a
result of your project but does this match with
young people’s expectations?
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for themselves and
being involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community where they live
or the community of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC - see below)
Public Policy - Ideas about how to address an issue which are put into practice, usually in the form of laws or guidance by the
government, at national or local level
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introduction
At the same time, the young people do not have to start from scratch. There may be an
initiative already started, say, by your local council or community association, which young
people are keen to join in, especially if it relates to what they want to work on (see the long
term Home Zone Case Study at the end of the Guide). Young people can also inherit
a longer term project already partly achieved such as phase two of a play park new
build or refurbishment.
Looking for ideas in the media can stimulate the interest of young people. Watch for
coverage of political decisions or public consultations about what is happening in the
bigger world of decision-makers, for example, on anti-social behaviour, child protection
or banning smoking in public places. Activity can be national or local, as young people
may want to examine how a national policy decision affects them in their community.
hints and tips
Remember you may have to go over the basics and help young people
to learn how to use a phone book, speak on the phone or write a letter.
Types of projects young people may wish to initiate or get involved
with in order to make their neighbourhood a better place to live
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
jargon buster
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
community or wild-life gardens
improving the local park or other nearby open spaces
ensuring paths or ‘Rights of Way’ are maintained
improving school grounds
building, or improving, a playpark
safer places to play (see Home Zone Case Study at the end of the Guide)
reducing air pollution
community transport schemes
improving road safety, eg, trying to get a pedestrian crossing installed
or becoming involved with Safer Routes to School scheme
traffic calming schemes
neighbourhood nuisance such as graffiti, litter, noise
community cafés/shops
community food co-operatives
neighbourhood watch schemes
establishing youth councils or forums
recycling
combating racism
public art including murals, statues or street mosaics
Council - A group of people who are elected to govern a city or part of a country, for example, City of Edinburgh Council
and Highland Council
Child Protection - The broad definition from the UNCRC is anything a child has the right to be protected from which individuals
or institutions do, or fail to do, which directly or indirectly harms children or damages their prospects of safe and healthy
development into adulthood. There is a formal child protection system, based on law, which spells out the different roles and
responsibilities people and organisations have in protecting children. See “It’s Everyone’s Job to Make Sure I’m Alright”
Report of the Child Protection Audit and Review, 2002 by the Scottish Executive, available on its website. SIGNPOST
Rights of Way - Legal permission to go onto or through another person’s land
Safer Routes to School - Guidance has been set by the Scottish Executive (1996) on how to run a ‘Safer Routes to School Scheme’.
‘It is intended as a tool kit of measures for everyone involved in the journey to school...provides practical advice to children, parents,
teachers, local authorities, the police and transport operators about the role they can play’. (Scottish Executive website)
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If the young people’s chosen objective is ambitious and clearly looks as if it can only be fully
achieved in the longer term, set milestones to record the group’s progress. To encourage
motivation and staying power, it makes sense to see these as short term goals and achievements
in themselves. The longer term initiative then becomes a number of short pieces of work which
make up a distinctive larger project.
Importantly, you also need to be confident that it is realistic that you too can stick with
a longer term project. Be clear with the young people what you can or cannot offer them.
introduction
Going for the Short or the Long Haul
Sometimes, something that starts off as a small, issue-based project can snowball into
something much bigger. So be warned! For example, campaigning to get street litter bins
for your neighbourhood could evolve into a recycling project, or a poster campaign against
dropping rubbish might lead to the creation of a video to show how work to create
the posters was carried out.
It is also important not to forget the journey can be as important as the end product, for
the young people as individuals and as a group, and their wider community, and can lead to:
• new knowledge and transferable skills
• increased self-confidence
• better understanding of decisionmaking processes
• new found ability to think critically
and analyse an issue or situation
• positive status within the community
• improved relationships with others
in the broader community.
hints and tips
If you intend to run a short term
project, make sure you let young
people know this and understand
the group will come to an end at
a specific point.
CASE STUDY 1
CAR CRIME SCULPTURE - EDINBURGH
This is a snapshot illustrating how a group of young people have worked on an issue of their
Together with the other case studies in this Section, it shows that different approaches can
INTRODUCTION
Who
6 young people, male, aged 11 to 15 years old, supported by bfriends
(Children 1st Project) and Save the Children
Where Gracemount, South Edinburgh
When 16 two hour sessions, November 2003 to March 2004
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim was for young people to:
• experience a safe, informal environment
• develop their personal and group-working skills
• identify issues of interest to them and choose a topic for a group project
• reflect on their own behaviour and its impact on others in the community.
97
Making Plans
introduction
Creating a plan or strategy will give you and the group a path to follow, guiding you as you go
along. It helps to start off by thinking of lots of ideas. Rather than looking at your project as a
whole, suggest it is far easier to break it up into manageable chunks. Try this with your group.
Problems you could
come up against?
Do you have specific
results you want to see?
Will you need money?
Potential solutions?
Possible sources of money?
People or organisations
that can help?
Any legal
requirements?
Are there existing plans that
relate to your issue?
Which organisations
need to be aware of
your project?
Remember - this should not turn into a monumental task without any fun or light relief.
Be creative! Encourage the group to think about what you can do to make your project
come to life and attract the attention of other people in your community.
After this initial ideas-storm, try to put all these brilliant ideas into some sort of order.
This could look like a road-map or a time-line. Put your plan, or pool of ideas, somewhere
accessible, and refer to it every so often. It doesn’t matter if the path your group eventually
takes differs wildly from this starting off point, or if you don’t manage to do everything written
there. This is a guide, nothing more. See re:action Consultation Tool-kit in Resource Appendix.
SIGNPOST
hints and tips
hints and tips
jargon buster
Sometimes the plan of activities you have
goes out the window. Try to have a back
up plan for activities and be flexible to
the changing needs of the group.
If you envisage a long term project, ensure
there are frequent milestones to show
short term results and keep young people
interested. Review the work at regular
intervals so they can see just what they
have achieved so far.
Strategy - A plan which needs to consider issues which are relatively complicated and which
will also state the aims and usually how to achieve the aims
Idea Storming - Usually done in a group. Noting down comments which come to mind about
a particular subject as quickly as possible. Discussion of comments takes place afterwards
Road Map - A strategy or plan - often done in a graphic ‘easy to grasp’ format with simple
illustrations, usually showing the tasks or results over time
Time Line - A planning tool split into specific sections (for example months or years) showing
significant events or milestones over time
Health and Safety - Usually a set of guidelines or rules to ensure the well-being of anyone
in a public area, venue or work-place, based in law
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CASE STUDY 1
continued
Key learning from this activity for young people was:
• working with others as a team on a topic of common interest
• identifying behaviour adversely affecting others
• developing social skills and building positive relationships with adults and other young people.
case study 1
All participants had had traumatic experiences, had difficulty in adapting to the formalities of
school, and were excluded from school and youth services, at times behaving in a confrontational
and dishonest manner. The group was small with a necessarily high staff to child ratio.
Early groupwork activities involved drawing maps of their neighbourhood and making film
posters of where they live which raised issues such as behaving territorially, feeling unsafe in
areas outside their own, and having preconceived ideas about people living in areas they disliked.
The posters mostly showed crimes involving cars, for example, drug dealers being chased by
police, joy riding, car accidents and young people throwing stones at cars.
The group identified car crime as a common theme and, using drawing and discussion,
they went on to explore issues relating to car crime:
• Stealing from cars
• Taking and driving cars away
• Vandalism to cars
• Setting cars on fire.
They considered the effect on different people such as a member of their family, an older
member of the community, even the Development Worker present.
“If it [car is vandalised] happens to an old person who does not have much money they will not be able to do it up” Male, aged 11, bfriends Evaluation Report, 2004.
They made a collage about cars, with young people starting to see common themes emerging
such as masculinity, speed and envy, then made a large model car from cardboard. With an Arts
Worker to support them, they went on to create a metal sculpture symbolising their project.
Young people cleaned out an adjoining outhouse for use as a workshop. They were fitted out
each with a boiler suit, which they put their names on, plus safety equipment. The Arts Worker
explained health & safety, showing (through hands on experience) how the tools worked, what
they did, and the dangers if misused.
“The young people enjoyed the opportunity to use tools such as the welder, they reported
learning new skills” bfriends Evaluation Report, 2004
Using scrap metal, participants learned to spot weld and, in small groups, began working on
their sculpture over a number of weeks.
When completed, the sculpture was exhibited in the Tron Church on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile,
and a permanent home was agreed in the new Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park in south Edinburgh.
At the time of writing, discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council’s Community Services were
ongoing about the design of the plinth and siting of the sculpture.
Over the course of the project, workers observed increased social skills and self worth, with
participants developing an awareness of behaviour of their own which they understood could
be concerning for others, and building positive relationships with both adults and other young
people involved.
“The boys stated that their attitude to car crime had changed since the project started”
bfriends Evaluation Report 2004
end of Case Study 1
99
Reviewing Progress, Learning and Results
introduction
Remember - don’t be afraid to review or reassess your strategy to fit with opportunities or
setbacks. Use this as an opportunity for young people to reflect on what they have learned,
how effective they felt their action to be and what they would do differently.
As the group progresses with its project, build in time not only to plan and to do, but also
to review where it has got to and whether any changes are needed.
RE
P LA N
EW
VI
DO
hints and tips
Keep records of the group’s
activities. This information will
help when preparing funding bids,
writing evaluation reports or
showcasing the work to others.
hints and tips
jargon buster
To map young people’s views and feelings about the
project and the process, note comments from young
people, for example, through regular evaluations.
Use post-it notes, comments boards, mini disk
recordings or diary room videos. Also be alert to
capturing those often throwaway remarks young
people may make outwith specific evaluation
activities. Keep your own diary.
Parental/Guardian’s Consent Form - This is a form which a parent/guardian should complete if a child is to take part in a
one-off activity or a regular group. As well as giving consent for the child to take part - the form will also require the
parent/guardian to fill in other information, for example, medical information or consent to taking photographs of the child
Risk Assessment - Assessment of possible difficulties or problems which may arise during a particular situation, for example
an ‘off site’ trip or special event. Assessing what may go wrong/arise helps organisers to be vigilant, prepared and take
action to minimise risks
Confidential - In this context relating to information which is not shared with others unless there is an absolute need.
For example if it is felt that a young person is in danger in some way
Equal Opportunities - Everyone must be treated equally regardless of their individual circumstances. For example,
everyone involved must be given the same chance to take part in something
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Making sure that everyone who takes part in a piece of work is safe and aware of possible
hazards, and risks of different kinds are minimised, is key to good and happy working.
This is easy when you know how, but it does take a bit of preparation. Clear communication
also is important.
Some issues you should be thinking about include:
•
•
•
•
•
insurance
parental consent
child protection
health and safety including risk assessment
first aiders.
introduction
Practicalities
It is likely that you will find you are working with other organisations, so it is important to
create clear communication and develop a shared understanding of what the project is, how
it is to be carried out, who is responsible for what and so on. If you agree you have a joint
duty of care towards the young people involved in the project, you will need to spend time
agreeing joint arrangements for many, if not all, of these areas, as well as other issues where
misunderstanding might arise such as:
•
•
•
•
confidentiality
complaints
equal opportunities
use of images (of young people), especially digital images (photographs, videos, etc).
A written agreement with a partner can go a long way to reducing the risk of confusion
or worse, and the process to agree it can help in strengthening commitment to the young
people’s project.
Information on many of these issues can be found on the internet. Also try your local Council for
Voluntary Service. Other useful contacts include Youthlink Scotland , UK Youth, Youth Scotland,
Scottish Council for Voluntary Services (SCVO) or Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS). SIGNPOST
You also will find some sample documents on Save the Children’s website at
www.savethechildren.org.uk/scotland.
hints and tips
For obvious reasons... there is no point in organising
a showcase at the beginning of the project. Wait till
the young people have generated some ideas, carried
out a bit of ground work, consulted key people,
drawn up building plans, gathered together some
‘before’ pictures, drawn or modelled how they imagine
the project will eventually look... got the idea...?
In other words, you must have something to show.
101
methods
Methods
There is a multitude of methods and activities you can use and adapt when planning
and taking action. Make use of technology but, more importantly, use the imagination,
collective skills and talents of everyone involved to make the group’s voices heard.
Make a video or DVD - highlight your issues. It may be a good idea to ask a local arts
organisation or video project to help you out. Speak to the Arts Development Section
of your local authority to find out if someone can help directly or let you know of any
local projects.
Write to newspapers/write letters - see Activity How to Write a Letter in this Section.
Set up a steering group - if the issues the young people are working on affect the wider
community, then why not propose you gather together interested residents or local
workers to set up a steering group to work with your group. This could mean that tasks
can be shared and there is a stronger voice asking for action.
Go to meetings - see Section Two for ideas on how to support young people taking
part in meetings.
Write a newsletter - a short newsletter can bring attention to the group’s project and,
if repeated, keep people up to date with activities. Formats can range from a simple
handwritten, A4 sheet that can be photocopied or, if young people are interested, create
an opportunity for them to learn the skills of desk top publishing to enable them to produce
it themselves. Contact local training providers or your local college outreach department.
Make posters - posters can also highlight the issue the group is concerned with to others.
Posters can be simple, painted or drawn. If your project is able to, try to involve an artist
or designer to work with the young people in making their posters look polished.
Again, contact the Arts Development Section of your local authority for possible help.
Hold an exhibition - if the group wants to reach as wide an audience as possible to open
up to the whole community what they have achieved so far, then consider putting what
they have done on display. Holding an exhibition may help to get others on board to help.
It may even generate a bit of media interest.
hints and tips
jargon buster
Remember! Hold onto the group’s artwork, etc, to let
others see how hard the young people have worked and
to demonstrate important milestones. You never know
when it will come in useful and who may wish to see it.
102
Councillors - Someone who is elected to represent a specific area - such as part of a town
Official - A person in authority who has specific responsibilities to carry out, for example, who works for the council
Agenda (ii) - This can also mean that an individual or group of people have in mind something they want to achieve
or a certain way they would like something to progress
Make a presentation - make contact with a councillor or an official from a specific council
department or a local organisation such as your community association to arrange a
meeting. Discuss with the young people how best to present their project or proposal
in as clear and attractive a way as possible. They may wish to show the work they have
done already, outline what they propose to do or persuade others to improve an existing
situation, doing this in a variety of ways:
•
•
•
•
methods
Make contacts within the media - it is a good idea to try to build up a contact at your local
newspaper, community website or your local radio station. Phone and explain what your
group is trying to do. Invite a reporter and photographer to events you are running as press
coverage will help you with publicity for your group’s cause. At the same time, ensure you
have the consent of the young people and their parents if you plan to involve the media.
Also do preparatory work with the group so spokespersons are clear about the messages
the group wants to put across, and are comfortable with the process.
PowerPoint presentation
slide show/overhead projector
drama performance
artwork display.
When planning the content of the presentation with the young people, encourage them
to concentrate on getting the most important parts across - and not to try to cram it all in.
Think of the audience’s agenda and what might particularly interest others.
CASE STUDY 2
HI REMEMBER US? - FOLLOW UP TO PLAY PARK REPORT
Review of the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) Play Strategy and Interview with City of Edinburgh
Play Development Officer (Culture & Leisure) and Technical Manager (Culture & Leisure)
This Case Study describes work undertaken by a group. It shows activities undertaken during
group sessions and highlights how young people can understand and influence local decision
making.
INTRODUCTION
Who
5 children, aged 11 to12 years, supported by ‘The Play Development Project’
(South Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership, Community Learning and Education
Departments of City of Edinburgh Council) and Save the Children
Where Gilmerton Community Education Centre, Edinburgh
When March 2003
WHAT HAPPENED
After the launch of Hi Remember Us?, the young people’s report about their survey of young
people on play parks in their area, the group remained keen to highlight the views
of young people about the condition of play parks in south Edinburgh, and to be involved
in a forum of young people the council could consult on play and other issues.
The group had written to those invited to the launch, asking them what impact the report had
had, but had received a limited response. The Play Development Officer and Technical Manager
responsible for playgrounds in Edinburgh did respond, asking to meet the group.
103
methods
Create a report - after the young people have done some research on something in their
community they would like to change, propose they write it up as a report; simply a method
of presenting information in as clear and informative a way as possible.
Again, when writing a report, explain it is often best to boil down what you are trying
to say to the bare essentials. Encourage the young people not to be afraid to make it look
colourful and attractive, using photographs or other artwork. People will be likely to find
this more interesting than words alone. If young people are worried they can’t write in
official speak, it doesn’t matter; reassure them about using their own voice. In that way,
their message will ring true.
Lobby others and keep the dialogue going - over the period of the project, expect to have,
and to actively create, ongoing review and negotiation with the key people your group
is in touch with. Sometimes, to make progress, compromise will have to be reached.
Be sure to explore this with the young people to minimise the risk of misunderstanding
or disappointment, emphasising too that negotiation is a key part of working with others
and making something happen (see Section Two).
Before meeting with people, showing presentations and so on, remember to prepare
with the group, rehearsing their arguments and making sure the young people know
their audience.
Take part in your local council consultation processes - this may mean taking part in a public
meeting, completing a questionnaire, taking part in a focus group, attending a surgery held
by an MSP or councillor or, if appropriate for young people, voting on an issue.
Do a questionnaire - young people may wish to find out about other people’s views on a
particular issue, for example, where others living locally think a play park should be sited.
Work with the young people to draw up their own questions and agree them as a group.
The questions should be simple. Explain it is easier to compile findings if there are set
options for answers:
Do you think a new play park should be sited:
• next to the shop?
• on the playing field?
• on the waste ground?
• somewhere else?
Where?: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
hints and tips
jargon buster
Make sure you always come prepared. Have a box
of essential items such as pens, paper, glue and
safety scissors available at every group meeting.
104
Focus Group - A small group of people specifically chosen to give their views about a particular subject
(Councillor’s) Surgery - A time when people can meet their councillor or member of Parliament to ask questions and get help or advice
SPICE - Social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional play
CASE STUDY 2
continued
• awareness of what a play policy was and the Edinburgh Play Strategy in particular
• understanding more about their own and others play needs
• clarity about the responsibility of local authorities in providing good play opportunities.
Preparation
The young people drew a timeline, reminding them of their expectations and how the play park
project came about. Asked what they thought a play policy was, the response was “something
that has to be done by people who are involved in providing play”, and listed what they thought
should be in a policy:
•
•
•
•
•
case study 2
The aim was for the young people to pursue with the officials the issues about south Edinburgh
they raised in their report.
‘staffing’ - the type of staff, training, professional
‘safe materials’ - things that children play with should be safe, safe staff
‘to be used by everybody’ - equal opportunities
‘SPICE’ - should provide for children’s play needs
‘where play should be’ - locally sited, with open access.
Whilst the young people were aware of their own and others’ play needs, and of the responsibility
of the local authority, they did not see themselves as key players in any play policy. To this point,
they had had no input into the design of play areas in south Edinburgh.
The group was then introduced to Play in Partnership - A Play Strategy for the City of Edinburgh
(Culture & Leisure). They saw their list reflected many aspects of the strategy and also wanted
to know:
• how play parks were managed?
• what was the difference between Burdiehouse and Carnbee when it comes to
providing play parks?
• what powers did the council have?
• what dog owners had to do (somewhere to bin their dogs’ faeces, fines, etc)?
• whether the officials knew about SPICE (social, physical, intellectual, creative
and emotional play)?
• how they decided where to put parks?
• what about consultation with young people and the development of a forum?
They made up questions covering issues related to the Edinburgh Play Strategy, their
report and personal experiences:
• How many people work for the Play Development Unit and what do they do?
• How is the Play Development Unit promoting awareness of the importance of play
and positive perceptions about it?
• Objective 3 says every child and young person in Edinburgh will have access to good
quality playgrounds and play areas which meet their needs for variety, accessibility,
open space and adventure. This is not our experience.
• How is objective 4 about providing safe outdoor play areas in city parks, open spaces,
woodlands, shorelines, etc, being implemented?
• The council is trying to improve open spaces in Edinburgh used for play and create more
opportunities for young people across the city. Places like Mortonhall and Carnbee do
not have play areas - why?
• In our report we recommended that Culture and Leisure look at the condition of the
play parks in south Edinburgh and make their own report
• The council said they want to consult with teenagers to see what we want and develop
an action plan. Would the council be interested in our idea?
105
methods
You will then have quantitative data which is information you can measure - in this example,
by the number of responses against each option. You can also leave a blank space for extra
comments for people to fill in if they wish to.
If young people want to find out more about people’s views, they can carry out
qualitative research. This means asking open questions where people state an opinion.
This can be done by:
• sending out a written questionnaire (it is a good idea to include details of what the survey
responses will be used for and a stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning the form,
or use Freepost). The group also could negotiate leaving copies of the questionnaire and
a box for collecting completed responses in the local shop or takeaway
• asking individual people in person - be clear with the young people this only should be
people known to children and young people such as family members or friends. For safety
reasons, it is a not a good idea for them to approach strangers (remember your duty
to protect the young people)
• speaking to groups - this could be done at an event already planned by others, like
a community meeting, if you are able to arrange it with the organisers. Or you and the
group could organise your own meeting to discuss a certain issue - one word for this
is a focus group
• Carrying out peer to peer surveys - young people asking their peers at school, the local
youth club or in the play park. Again this can be done individually or with a group.
If speaking to individuals or groups, encourage the young people to take notes - at the
group, they could practise using something which records people’s comments, possibly using
a dictaphone. A pen and paper will do just as well - but be mindful of any literacy problems
experienced by the young people carrying out the exercise.
Remember to build in a way for people taking part to give their informed consent to take
part. Agree how the group will ensure each person taking part in their research agrees to
participate, and knows what the questions are for and how they will be used, for example,
drafting a written statement explaining the purpose of the research and asking for consent.
If those being interviewed are under 16 years of age, you need to consider a way of also
obtaining parental consent.
If the local school agrees to let the group carry out research with other young people
within the school, they may also have parental consent procedures.
hints and tips
jargon buster
Keep a library of activities, games, drama improvisations,
etc, to use and adapt to various projects.
Quantitative Data - Information about a specific topic which is numerical or can be converted into numbers, percentages etc.
For example, the number of children attending a group
Qualitative Research - Information about a specific topic which is descriptive and tends to have more depth of meaning than
quantitative data
Planning Process (ii) - The process which takes place with a council’s planning department, relating to creating new or changing
buildings in the area
Constituted - A group of people or an organisation that have a constitution
Community Development - Working together to help people living in a community to identify their own needs, rights, options
and responsibilities, and support them in organising and taking action together to increase their quality of life and control over
decisions affecting them. For example, action to improve access to services or physical amenities in the local area
106
CASE STUDY 2
The Meeting
Generally very supportive of the group, the Council’s Play Development Officer and Technical
Manager were responsive to the young people’s questions, confirming their interest in a young
consultants group. The group learned that play development officers may have a small budget
to implement play initiatives and only have an advisory and support role to others wanting to
develop play for young people. They also got an idea of average costs to build or upgrade
a play area.
Next Steps
The group considered how it might lobby the council to have play provision included as part of
planning permission for private developers. Other ideas they had were to monitor one or two play
grounds and to keep a record (diary) of its condition including the level of vandalism, how often
it was cleaned and repaired and, more generally, to visit new play areas discussed with the officials
to see what ‘you got for your money’.
methods
continued
The group was aware that, to have any authority and to be seen as a credible group the council
would be interested in consulting with to inform play area design, they needed to increase the
size of the group. To this end, they went on to produce information sheets to publicise the
Community Partners Programme, giving them to young people at their schools. They managed
to recruit a number of young people from their school, thus increasing the capacity of the group
for further projects.
end of Case Study 2
Apply for Funding - You will not need to apply for funds for every project; it depends on
its individual nature. For example, if you are looking to have something such as a play park
built and your council has given you permission to build it, but is unable to fund it, then
you will have to look for the finance.
However the majority of funders will not give to groups unless they are formally constituted
groups (see Appendix). If you are not already part of an organisation, there are two ways
of doing this, either:
• get together some adults willing to work with you on the project to firstly
form a constituted group and then submit an application for the project
• identify a voluntary organisation in your area, again willing to work with the group, that
agrees to submit an application for you and hold the funds for you in their bank account.
There are directories available which list all of the major grant making trusts. There are lots
of websites which will give you information about grant making trusts, Scottish Executive
funding, local authority grants and European funding. It can be time-consuming trying to
find a category of funding that your project will fit.
Websites and directories tend to list trusts and grants available by category, for example,
‘children and young people’ and ‘community development’ would be two of the main
headings you would look under. At the same time, depending on the topic your group
is working on, you could look under say ‘environment’ or ‘arts’. Most directories will also
say which geographical area the funding applies to, for example, it may only be Glasgow
or Highland.
Councils for Voluntary Services, or a Community Learning and Development Officer at your
local council, may be able to assist in the identifying of appropriate funders and perhaps
even help with the writing of an application (see Appendix).
107
case study 3
CASE STUDY 3
MURAL WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL THEME - THURSO
INTRODUCTION
Who
40 young people aged 9 to 14, approx 28 female and 12 male, supported by
Community Learning and Leisure, Ormlie Community Association, Ormlie Social
Inclusion Partnership and Save the Children
When May to July 2002 - ten sessions - one and one half hours each
WHAT HAPPENED
The aim of work was to improve local environment.
Key learning for young people:
• How to plan and design a mural.
• How to use paint outside.
• How to link projects, in this case, recycling projects.
Young people expressed their view that the high, black fences on the housing estate were ugly
and oppressive, making them feel ‘boxed in’. The aim of the work was to show how changing
the colour of the fences could dramatically improve the environment.
During a group session, they used paint, pens and lollipop sticks on photographs to illustrate how
the appearance of the area could be improved by repainting the fences. They presented their work
at an Ormlie Community Association meeting and gathered support from others in the community.
As a result, young people worked with volunteers and the Ormlie Community Association to have
the fence of the community office painted to show how changing the colour of the fences
dramatically improved the environment.
The group was keen to make additional improvements to the fencing. The young people decided
on a method which also promoted their recycling project (collecting aluminium cans and card)
and their community composting project (supported by Thurso Community Council).
After researching different options, the young people agreed with the Ormlie Community
Association to design and produce mural panels based on an environmental theme. They worked
with a local artist to draw their designs on paper - rainbow, flower, bird, kite, bugs and cloud (with
instructions for composting). Scaled up, they were transferred onto MDF and cut out by the artist.
The young people primed, painted and varnished the panels which were then nailed to the fence.
Following the project, several residents painted their fences and the Ormlie Community
Association incorporated fence improvements into plans for redesigning the estate as part
of the area’s home zone project (see the long term Case Study at the end of the Guide).
end of Case Study 3
hints and tips
Literacy may be an issue in your group. Try to work around
this sensitively by having the young people work in pairs
or small groups, with a more fluent writer taking any notes.
Or you can take notes yourself, perhaps using post-its.
108
NEW PLAY PARK FOLLOW UP ON BULLYING - THURSO
INTRODUCTION
Who
12 young people - female, 9 to 13, supported by Community Learning and Leisure,
Ormlie Community Association, Ormlie Social Inclusion Partnership and Save the Children
When eight sessions of one and a half hours, September 2003 to May 2004
case study 4
CASE STUDY 4
The aim was for young people to explore the issue of bullying and identify strategies
for dealing with it that were safe and comfortable for them and other young people.
Key learning from this process for young people:
• Increased understanding through researching bullying
• Developed strategies to address bullying in their local communities.
WHAT HAPPENED
Through their involvement in the Community Partners Programme, young people in Ormlie
had been instrumental in working towards having a new play park built in their area (see the
play Case Study in this Section). Following the opening of the new park, they highlighted
the issue of bullying.
In their group they discussed their concerns. They identified the park was used by a range of
different age groups including younger children, older aged skateboarders and young people
with physical difficulties such as wheel chair users.
They decided to try to explore conflict resolution, and used the internet and wrote to
organisations to find out about strategies for overcoming bullying in a community setting
(rather than in a school situation). They also played anti-bullying games, going on to make up
their own. Drawing on their earlier research, they used drama and role play to develop strategies
for dealing with the situation if they found themselves being bullied or saw others being bullied.
The group also made booklets for younger children, with stories about bullying giving
suggestions about what they could do, such as telling an adult, and also made anti-bullying
slogans and badges. Local workers then used them in streetwork as a basis for talking
to other users of the park.
Finally, they wrote an article for their local newsletter on bullying, and made a video of their
role plays to show other groups, asking for comments and trying to generate discussion.
They asked for the issue to be put on the agenda of the next Play Area Working Group meeting
which enabled them to discuss concerns more widely and seek help with solutions. However this
was not addressed due to unrelated issues - but the intention is that it will be picked up.
end of Case Study 4
109
case study 5
CASE STUDY 5
FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY! - INTRODUCTION
Any group of young people will tackle its own issues in its own individual way. This Case Study
shows how four different groups worked on the same issue of play. Two groups were involved
in building or refurbishing a play park while the other two looked at play more generally.
WHAT HAPPENED
1 HOW TO BUILD A PLAY PARK ORMLIE STYLE - THURSO
Summer 2000
• Young people identified play as an issue they wanted to do something about.
• Photographed play areas locally and identified what they didn’t like about them such as
broken equipment, not challenging, only stuff for younger children, swings wrapped, boring!
• Visited different play parks in Inverness to experience different sorts of play equipment
unavailable in their own locality.
• Looked at catalogues and brochures and grouped equipment by type, eg, climbing, swinging,
spinning and by age group, eg, older or younger.
• Designed and made models of their ideal play parks.
• Prepared a survey to find out where other residents would like a play park to be sited, how
many play parks people wanted, perhaps one big one for everybody to use or different ones
for different ages, and the priorities other people had for play as in play for teenagers, young
children and special needs.
• Asked other people in their community to answer their questionnaire and received 56 responses.
• Made their findings into a report and presented it along with their models to the Ormlie
Community Association (OCA).
• Separate to CPP activity, some teenagers made a petition for a skate park and collected over
100 signatures and presented it to the OCA.
• OCA took young people’s findings to its architect, and their recommendations were used
as the basis of its application to the Community Fund for a skate park, multi-sport and
other equipment.
• Met with the architect, officials from Highland Council Protective Services, adult community
representatives, OCA, the local Social Inclusion Partnership and local enterprise company,
CASE, as part of Play Area Working Group.
• Successful funding application!
• Made additional proposals to Play Area Working Group. Further funding sought for lighting
and turf at the young people’s suggestions.
• Play Area Working Group continues to meet to oversee progress on play area development.
December 2002
• State of the art £240,000 play park opens in Ormlie!
110
CASE STUDY 5
continued
May 2000
• Young people agreed that their local play park was run down and wanted to work towards
having it refurbished. Unsafe equipment had been removed and not replaced.
• Worked to raise funds and campaign to improve their park using the following methods.
• Made a photographic collage and displayed it in the local supermarket to help profile the issue.
case study 5
2 HOW TO RE-FURBISH A PLAY PARK UPPER ACHINTORE STYLE - FORT WILLIAM
• Initiated a petition, signed by 225 local residents and presented it to the local councillor.
• Followed this by writing letters to Highland Council Technical Services Department with
the result that two new swings were ordered for the park.
• Made a video entitled ‘A Park in Need’ (later shown at a Scottish Film Festival event and then
submitted to an Australian film festival). The video production process gave young people the
opportunity to learn new improvisation skills, also giving them a vehicle for attracting funding
for their project.
• A public meeting was held in November 2001 with 25 people present. Young people made a
presentation and facilitated discussion. Six professionals, 12 young people and six local
residents expressed interest in joining a steering group. (Due to a change in workers with
a gap inbetween, this was not taken forward at the time and an opportunity was lost).
• Worked closely with a play design company with the assistance of Highland Council Technical
Services Department and Voluntary Action Lochaber (the local Council of Voluntary Service) to
plan the potential refurbishment of their park. Young people’s original plans were for a park
valued at £171,000. In May 2002, they made the decision this was too ambitious as it would
take too long to raise the funds. Scaled down their plan and fundraising target to £88,500.
• Fund raising amounted to £42,000, with grant from several sources. Young people also raised
funds by carol singing.
• Oh no!... Due to the above changeover, activity on the play park project ceased until November
2002. By this time, enthusiasm had waned... (lesson about the importance of keeping up
momentum!). Original group members were contacted and, with those who responded,
options based on available funds were considered. In January 2003, Highland Council ordered
the agreed equipment - multi-purpose climbing frame, two sets of swings, wobble log, youth
shelter and coloured safety surfacing. The Council also suggested the children paint the
surrounding wall of the Play Park. This was carried out with the help of a local artist.
• Installation work began early March 2003.
March 2003
• Young people who had originally started the project officially opened the refurbished
park on 22 March.
• Attempts were made to encourage a second phase of the park at young people’s request.
Two public meetings held, attended by two adult residents so it was concluded there was
insufficient support to take the project forward.
111
CASE STUDY 5
continued
case study 5
3 HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THEIR LOCAL PLAY PARKS
SOUTH EDINBURGH STYLE - EDINBURGH
June 2001
• Young people raise the condition of the play parks and play areas where they live as concerning.
• Prioritised play parks to work on. Wanted to get involved in the project “to make parks a better
place” (male, aged 11). “It was chosen from a selection of projects, we went around the parks
and most were in a bad condition. Some had hardly anything in them, one park had a rude
picture” (female, aged 11). They were “crap” (male, aged 11).
• Wondered if other young people thought the same way. Decided they didn’t know so needed
to ask other young people. Decided to do a questionnaire and decided on the questions,
“by going around the parks and seeing what was wrong” (female, aged 11).
• Agreed “using schools would get the best response” and they “wanted everybody to complete
the questionnaire from primaries 4 - 7”. The group sent out 480 questionnaires, calculating on
average thirty young people in classes in years four to seven, in four primary schools.
• Received 205 responses, though not all the questions were answered. Start work on
collating answers.
• Decided to write a report to “make parks a better places for children to play in... for the council
to build better parks”. Also visited play parks in south Edinburgh, Craigmillar and Dalkeith, took
photographs and collected information to compare the different parks.
• Wrote report on the condition of play parks in the group’s area called Hi Remember Us, and
held a launch event to present it to City of Edinburgh Council representatives and other
stakeholders. Due to their research, including the findings from their survey, the group was
able to speak with confidence about what young people thought about their local play parks.
• Wrote follow up letter with disappointing response - only three replies.
November 2002
• Asked to meet with City of Edinburgh’s Play Development Officer and Technical Manager
responsible for play parks in Edinburgh to discuss report and the council’s Play Strategy
(see Case Study in Section Three).
hints and tips
Sometimes young people may receive negative feedback for their ideas,
for example, that you can’t build swimming pools on every street
corner! Decision makers may turn down an idea and it is important to
ensure young people understand the reasons why, that they realise
setbacks often can be part of the process of lobbying for change and
have the opportunity to look for alternative solutions.
112
CASE STUDY 5
continued
October 2003
• Young people identified the lack of play space for young people aged over eight years of age
as an issue, particularly the lack of safe play areas.
• Prioritised the need for a play park for ‘older’ young people aged 8 to 16 years.
• Used art activities to design play park equipment and play spaces. Made a mini model of
their ideal play park.
case study 5
4 HOW TO BUILD A PLAYPARK BARROWFIELD STYLE - GLASGOW
• Researched other local play parks, visiting them to photograph good and bad points. Also
looked at photographs of play parks they liked which the group didn’t have the opportunity
to visit due to distance and time. (Staff took photographs of these parks and also downloaded
information from the internet).
• Looked at play brochures to find out what play equipment cost.
• Wrote a report on the group’s findings to date.
• Presented the report to the Play Development Section of Glasgow City Council and distributed
it to local community organisations. Received feedback and support. In response, the Council
carried out a survey of the local area, and gave ongoing support to the group, contacting
them at regular intervals.
• As part of a wider CPP showcase event, consulted with local people on the group’s ideas for
a park, and made a presentation to local decision makers.
• Wrote letters to keep local decision makers up to date with activities. Made a video
documenting their work so far. Assisted in writing funding applications by the local
community organisation.
February 2005
• Got agreement to fund play area for younger children. Negotiating equipment to be bought.
In principle agreement by the Bambury (local community centre) for larger play park,
reflecting young people’s ideas, to be included in area phase two development plans.
At time of writing, details to be finalised.
end of Case Study 5
hints and tips
Young people may want to keep a diary
of activities using a notebook or scrapbook
to reflect their own involvement with the
project and their personal development.
113
case study 6
CASE STUDY 6
SUMMER GRAFFITI PROJECT - EDINBURGH
Together with the other case studies in this Section, they show that different approaches can
INTRODUCTION
Who
Over 45 young people of mixed gender, aged 9 to 15 years, supported by Give Youth
A Chance (GYAC), Citizen Y Campaign (Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership),
Environmental & Consumer Services and Community Services (City of Edinburgh Council)
Where Gracemount, Southhouse & Burdiehouse and Moredun, south Edinburgh
When 19 July to 6 August 2004
WHAT HAPPENED
Young people expressed concern about how their communities were viewed by people living
outwith their neighbourhoods. They discussed graffiti and tagging (graffiti artist’s signature)
both as vandalism and as an art form, and saw both as unsightly and damaging to property,
as well as a medium for positive expression, sparking discussions about what is good graffiti
(art) and what is bad graffiti (vandalism).
An approach was made on the group’s behalf to the above organisations about the possibility
of organising a summer graffiti arts project.
The aim was for young people to:
• examine and compare graffiti within each community, using art to identify themes, meanings,
underlying issues and ideas about change
• investigate public opinion on graffiti in each community through video interviews
• take part in a ‘clean up’ of graffiti in each community at sites identified by young people.
• Practical experience that they can take an active role within their local neighbourhoods,
if support is offered to them.
• Reinforcement that the project would not have taken place without young people’s interest
in it and, when given the opportunity, their views and opinions matter and can inform
decision-makers.
The first week of the project saw young people meeting at various community-based locations.
From there, they went out and took photographs of their communities to record how young
people express their thoughts and feelings through graffiti.
They then examined the photographs, made collages and discussed graffiti; what was art,
and why people did graffiti. “Because they want people to know their name”, “want people
to know what team they are in when you walk past with your pals, you can say there’s my
mention [signature]”. In turn, they devised questions to use in interviewing local residents.
jargon buster
114
CASE STUDY 6
During the second week, the young people went about their local neighbourhoods
investigating public opinion on graffiti, making video interviews with shopkeepers, police,
other adults and young people. Many adults thought that young people drew graffiti as
there is not enough for them to do, “because they are bored” (adult, Southhouse).
Armed with graffiti busting kits, and supported by Environmental Services and Community
Services, young people did a ‘clean up’ of graffiti in areas young people identified such as the
local shops, play parks, leisure centre and library.
The final week’s programme consisted of graffiti art workshops, with young people from
each community developing portable graffiti boards that highlighted young people’s opinions
and feelings.
case study 6
continued
The results of the project were presented at a showcase event held in the City of Edinburgh
Council’s City Chambers in October 2004, and given endorsement by a local councillor, and
Leader of the Council who issued a press release. Ten young people were able to discuss their
work with those present, including councillors, police, and officials from various council
departments. A local radio station also interviewed them. One MSP attending was keen
to have one of the mounted illustrations for his office in the Scottish Parliament.
Youth Justice Services expressed interest in using the young people’s materials to inform
their work with young people.
At the time of writing, the local partners intend to continue the work on a regular twelve-week
cycle, resuming in January 2005 with new funding and in kind support from Save the Children.
end of Case Study 6
hints and tips
Disposable cameras are ideal for giving to young
people to document their work or to help them
put their point across. When having them
developed, ask for a CD ROM of the photos that
you can keep for publicity or evaluation purposes
whilst the young people can keep or use the prints
for their work. Remember to seek consent if they
contain images of the young people.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet 33
large scale jigsaw puzzle project planning
Large Scale Jigsaw Puzzle - Project Planning
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to review the group’s priorities and agree a plan of action that the group can refer to during
the project
• to enable the group to have a clear and physical focus they can add to as the project develops
What You Need
List of issues as prioritised by the group (as a result of taking photographs, etc - see Section One)
Flipchart
Coloured pens
Paint
Paper
Material for making jigsaw (card, foam, wood)
Varnish or sticky back plastic
Glue
Safety scissors
activity sheet
Group Size
8 to 12
Time Needed
Depends on size of jigsaw. May take up to four sessions of one and half hours.
DESCRIPTION
Ask the group to decide on the shape of the jigsaw and the number of pieces.
Review the list identified by the young people earlier as issues they wanted to change.
Ask the group to prioritise their top issues for inclusion in the jigsaw. Suggest it is best to
stick to the top four to five so the group can maintain a reasonably clear focus. This may
need some negotiation. If so, ask members of the group to put forward the case for
including a particular issue over another, reminding them of arguments they might have
explored previously. Agree whether or not a vote is needed.
Write the agreed list of issues on a flipchart for all to see.
Decide on the type of material the group wants to use to make the jigsaw. You could use
card, foam or wood. Discuss where you are going to store the jigsaw and how you might
want to display it. Think also about the size it should be. Once you have decided on the
medium for the jigsaw, between sessions have it cut out and ready for decorating. (If you
are using wood, you may have to ask someone to use a jigsaw tool to cut out the pieces).
From the list of priority issues, ask the group to draw on paper, and pictures to illustrate
each individual issue.
Split the group into small groups according to the topic individuals are particularly
interested in, giving them one piece of the jigsaw each to decorate, transferring the
images they drew earlier.
When the jigsaw is finished and all artwork done, either protect it by varnishing
(in a well ventilated area), or coating it with clear, sticky back plastic.
One of the jigsaw pieces can be reserved so that the group can write their names, make
handprints, or stick on photographs so that people viewing the jigsaw in the future know
who worked on the issues it illustrates.
In later sessions, the group can also add photos of the group members, or drawings
and photos to further illustrate their views about the issues that now make up their
planning agenda.
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activity sheet 33
As the group works on the jigsaw, use questions to help the process:
• Show somebody else your plan - can they easily understand what the issue is?
• Do you think people, say, from a different age group would be able to easily
interpret your designs?
• Is it too specific to this area or your own age group?
• How could you make it easier for other people to understand? Could you
use street sign symbols? Add writing or newspaper-type headlines?
Include photographs?
Also suggest that the young people leave a clear border around the images so
more information can be added as the group progresses the work. If this is not
possible, the jigsaw piece can be traced onto a sheet of card, and updates on
progress can be recorded on this and can be displayed alongside the jigsaw.
large scale jigsaw puzzle project planning
PROMPTS
It is useful to hold onto the jigsaw as it is a very visual and accessible way for revisiting the group’s
planning agenda if the young people need to refocus or remind themselves what they set out to do.
If you can, make sure it is displayed in a prominent place and the group is able to add to it easily.
Use post-its to note how the group has progressed issues, adding them to record achievements
along the way.
This activity can take up a lot of space and the pieces may need to dry in between times, so make
sure you have enough space for this before you start.
If painting onto board, you may want to paint background colours first. Then use felt pen drawings,
or paintings on paper, cut out and stuck onto the wooden pieces. Both make it easier to provide more
detail, especially when writing words or phrases as a way of emphasising an important point.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet
As this activity is spread over several weeks, try to keep the group focused on
the activity until it is finished, by reviewing progress using a range of materials
and interspersing work on the jigsaw with other, short activities such as making
posters on the same theme. These design ideas can also be incorporated into
the overall design.
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activity sheet 34
progress thermometer
Progress Thermometer
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to set out a plan of action that the group can follow
• to create a visual aid to chart the group’s progress
What You Need
List of issues as prioritised by the group (as a result of taking photographs, etc - see Section One)
Flipchart
Coloured pens
Paint
Glue
Safety scissors
Group Size
8 to 12
Time Needed
30 to 45 minutes.
activity sheet
DESCRIPTION
Decide on a shape that represents the issue the group is working on such as a recycling
symbol if you are working on litter, or a chute if you are working on play issues.
On a large piece of paper, draw out the image the group has chosen.
Ask the group what actions it wants to take over the next few months to try to achieve
their goal. This could be : writing letters, making a video, meeting decision-makers,
setting up a new scheme on, say, recycling.
Also discuss and agree what would be the ideal result for the group.
Try to list the activities in the order they should happen as this will help show the group
the steps they have to take to achieve their goal, and reinforce the idea of their plan
being a series of building blocks fitting together.
Next, divide the picture up in relation to the number of actions or activities the group has
identified. Draw markers on the diagram - as if you were setting out marks on a
thermometer or measuring jug.
Beside each marker, write an action the group plans to take.
The group can decorate the drawing in a colourful way.
PROMPTS
Ensure that the milestones set are achievable and that there are enough
markers to keep the group motivated whilst trying reach the final goal.
If your group started before you make the thermometer, then ensure
that you add any earlier achievements.
Display the thermometer in an accessible space so the group can update
it on a regular basis.
If the project looks like being longer term, then make sure you also include short term markers, or
milestones, along the way to encourage the group by clearly seeing progress towards their bigger goal.
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Think about how the group will mark off each marker point as they put their plan into action.
This can be through gradually painting the sections of the drawing until it is complete, or by sticking
photographs or letters on the individual sections until you have a collage of achievements.
activity sheet 35
What You Need
For making the game
Paper
Coloured pens
100 prepared square boards (wood or strong cardboard). Individual squares should be large enough
for children and young people to stand on (approx 50cm x 50cm each), or a large sheet of canvas
material divided equally into 100 squares
Paint
Pencils
Safety scissors
For playing the game
Sweets and wrapping paper for counters (or a substitute the group chooses, linked to their topic)
Large inflatable dice (that can be bought from toy shops)
Size of Group
6 to 12
Time Needed
Three to four sessions lasting one to two hours, depending on how well the group works together
and numbers present.
DESCRIPTION
Preparation
Before you begin to make the squares for the board game you have to work out how the
game will work. Spend time working with the group to make a list of positive and negative
behaviours relating to the issue the young people are working on. Write up ideas on a
flipchart. Aim to have about 20 to 25 ideas.
Include both things people do and the consequences of those actions, so if the group were
looking at litter and the environment, a scenario could be:
• Due to local people flytipping at a local park (action or behaviour), there has been an
outbreak of rats in the area and the playpark has been closed for health and safety
reasons (consequences).
activity sheet
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to make a board game that can be used as a focus for discussion around issues
important to young people
• to enable reflection on attitudes and the impact of individual action, positive and negative,
on others in the community
• to make a tool that can be used to share information with decision makers or other young people,
and suggest what needs to happen to achieve improvement.
board game - consequences
Board Game - Consequences
Next, encourage the group to reflect on the impact of an action or behaviour in the scenarios,
especially on others in the community. Then, identify rewards and penalties such as:
• You throw an empty drink can on the ground - move back four squares
• You were playing in the electricity sub-station - move back seven squares
• You put a box in your kitchen at home to collect all aluminium cans for re-cycling and
took them to the re-cycling bin - move forward eight squares
• You go to a meeting about the state of the local play park - move forward two squares.
Decide on how many scenarios you need, these make up the reward and penalty squares.
If your board has 100 squares, ask the group to agree on the number of reward and penalty
squares that are needed. As a guide, around 20 to 25 in total allows movement around
the board.
Activity 35 Description continued overleaf...
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activity sheet 35
DESCRIPTION
continued
When you have completed your reward and penalty squares, you can move on to decorating
the designated squares. The decorating of squares can be done giving tasks to group
members, for example, so many of the group make up the reward squares, so many prepare
the penalties squares.
Encourage the young people to come up with ideas to illustrate the meaning of each
scenario. Note - the penalty or reward is contained in the scenario square.
When these have been completed the group must then decorate the remaining playing
squares. You can suggest they design a pattern or series of patterns to show which squares
are the playing squares.
If you are working on a sheet of canvas rather than individual boards, you may have to work
out a rota of who is painting which square when, to avoid too many people working on the
canvas at the same time.
activity sheet
Once the squares are finished, allow time and space for the boards or canvas to dry.
If you are using wood or card sections, join them together to make a large scale board game.
Remember to have a space large enough for your board to be played properly. Think of the
size the game will be when it is put together, and the space needed for throwing the dice.
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You may want to buy a large toy dice from a toy shop, or propose the group makes a dice
from a large square cardboard box which can be painted, and dots stuck on to represent the
different sides of the dice.
Now play the game!
The game is played individually, with each person taking it in turn to throw the dice.
Each participant is given sweets in wrapping paper as a marker, or whatever the group
decides to use as markers.
The game is large enough for all participants to see and physically move their counters
at the same time.
The winner is the person who first reaches the final square.
PROMPTS
After a set time, or if more than a quarter of the group has reached the
end of the board, stop the game and ask the participants to divide into
groups. Give them flipchart paper and pens and ask them to reflect on the
game in their small groups:
• What was it like to be rewarded and penalised when playing the game?
• How realistic were the scenarios?
• In real life, how can the negative scenarios (those with penalties) be
remedied in the local community? if you had to do something to sort
these situations in reality, what options would you have?
• How representative was the game of what it is like to be a young
person living in the local community? Explain why.
activity sheet 35
You can introduce rules to the game such as you must throw a six to start.
Make sure you explain the rules clearly and have a laminated copy displayed near the game board.
You can adapt other board games such as snakes and ladders, or cluedo where instead of rooms
and murders you have places and incidents such as vandalism.
Playing the game with adults
Over-sized board games also work well with adults, especially when organising a joint meeting where
young people want to communicate their experience or perspective about an issue. Remember to give
thought to how to process the game experience - to encourage reflection and connections.
The rules and playing technique are the same as above; however, you can add one additional rule:
Young people act as observers and ask people to move off the board if they feel that they
are winning or cheating.
They need not give an explanation for their decisions which will emphasise to the players
the negative feedback or lack of communication sometimes experienced by young people.
If you are using card squares, laminate them so that they can be re-used.
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the onion layers... contacting
the right people for your project
activity sheet 36
The Onion Layers...
Contacting the Right People for Your Project
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to help young people to understand that some people will be more important to their cause
than others
• to assist them in narrowing down who they need to target as most important to progressing
their project
• to enable them to plan making contact with others in the most effective order
What You Need
List of potential contacts and stakeholders already identified by the group
Flipchart paper
Coloured pens
Group Size
5 to 15
activity sheet
Time Needed
20 minutes.
DESCRIPTION
Start by reminding the young people why it is important to work together with others in
your community to bring about real and lasting change. Also point out that some people
and organisations will be more important to their project than others.
Suggest it is helpful to think of possible stakeholders as being rather like layers of an
onion, with the outer ring being the most obvious people to contact first to get the
project started. Obvious people can be those that are directly linked to your project
so if you are looking at the issue of litter then a first contact could be the council
cleansing department.
Explain they need to:
• work out who and what is most influential for the group and the project
• narrow down the long list of contacts
• Who do you really need to work alongside the group?
• Who do you absolutely need to inform about your plans?
Depending on numbers, this can be done in smaller groups with the whole group
coming together to find a consensus. When all the potential contacts have been listed,
ask the group to:
• draw three concentric circles on a sheet of flipchart as below (depending on the
group, you may want to have a flipchart already prepared to show them)
Then, ask the young people to:
• refer to the group’s list of contacts
• grade them into the three categories, from the most important or urgent to the least
• write in each of the circles the people who fit into each category.
First Layer Other young people, Local
community association, Other community
groups, Specific council departments
Second Layer Councillors, MSPs, MPs,
Heads of council departments,
Community representatives
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Third Layer Funders, Newspapers
Activity 36 Description continued overleaf...
DESCRIPTION
continued
If there are queries about who should be included in each section, then you may want to
ask the group to vote or seek the advice of some of the people you have already identified
and prioritised.
Next, discuss how to begin telling others about the project and attracting support:
• How will you contact the organisations or individuals listed on your flipchart?
• Who first - would it make sense to contact them in a particular order, eg, to contact
local community representatives before contacting the councillor?
Finish the exercise off by agreeing with the group some action points, for example, about
who will they contact first and how will they contact them.
PROMPTS
Ask the young people to consider if they have included local, city/town
or area wide representatives and national bodies?
the onion layers... contacting
the right people for your project
activity sheet 36
Draw the group’s attention to the fact that it may be best to contact
some people before others, not because they are any more important
to the group’s project, but because it makes sense to get them on board
early on. For example, don’t contact your local newspaper until you
have the makings of a story that will have an impact.
The distance between where you are starting from and the group’s ultimate goal can seem daunting.
Stress it is important from an early stage to identify possible problems and barriers, and to imagine
ways of getting round them. For example, you may be working towards having a teenage shelter built
but, in the young people’s opinion, the ideal spot is near houses and the people who live there may
raise objections. Build on the earlier work about understanding other people’s agendas and emphasise
it is important to speak with them and create a dialogue. This may not be easy but propose you build
this into your plan.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity sheet
Don’t restrict size of the map, but add as many onion layers and lists
as the young people think are needed. Edit it at a later stage.
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activity sheet 37
how to write a letter
How to Write a Letter
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to introduce the group to the art of writing a letter
• to begin to prioritise contacts
• to help the group clarify its reasons for contacting identified groups or individuals
and the results it expects.
What You Need
Flipchart categorising the group’s list of target contacts (‘the onion layers’ chart)
Paper
Coloured pens
Worksheet (see template at the end of this Section)
Telephone directory or access to (work) address of decision-makers
Coloured sticky dots
Group Size
10
activity sheet
Time Needed
30 to 45 minutes.
DESCRIPTION
Give each participant the worksheet ‘How to Write a Letter’. Also provide a mailing list
and/or phone book of groups or organisations they may want to contact. Bear in mind
issues of data protection in terms of local contacts such as local activists’ home addresses
or contacts for other young people. Do not give the group an individual’s personal details
not already public knowledge.
As a group, using the information gathered in the previous Activity, The Onion Layers,
ask the young people to shortlist people/organisations the group most wants to write
to - say the top five. On the flipchart, stick coloured dots against the names of those
the group prioritise.
Explain it is important to find the name of the person, organisation or council department
you need to contact. To do this the group may have to call the secretary of the person or
the organisation’s reception to clarify details. This information may also be listed on
websites or in local directories.
Use the worksheet to draft a letter to each on the list. Be mindful of literacy levels. Young
people can work in small groups for this part of the activity. Ask each group/pair to draft
a letter for one person/agency on the short list.
When all the groups/pairs have finished their letter, share all the letters with the whole
group so that everyone is aware of all correspondence being sent out. Once draft letters
have been agreed each group/pair can write or type their final letter to be sent.
PROMPTS
Ask the group:
How did they feel writing the letters?
What results do they expect to get?
How should the group respond to replies they get?
Have they arranged to have a meeting and, if so, will those
who signed the letter remain the main contact?
Explain that they may not always get a reply to their letters
and propose that, if need be, they set a date to follow up.
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activity sheet 37
Letter-writing can be a powerful tool for informing the wider community of young people’s views.
It can be the first step to taking action on the group’s chosen issue. Some young people may be
anxious about the response to their letter and need reassured that the letter will be sent.
If the group doesn’t receive a reply within a reasonable timescale, say within one month, discuss
options for follow up with the group, such as a polite phone call or letter. Reflect with them that
sometimes you need to persist to get people to listen and respond, and consider ways of following up.
If you are sending a letter to a newspaper, try to think about the most suitable publication for the
subject in your letter. If it is a local issue such as a traffic issue in your area, contact the local newspaper.
If it is likely to be of broader interest, say dog fouling, consider writing to a newspaper with a wider
circulation as other groups outside your local community may wish to work with you to take action.
how to write a letter
Make sure you keep a copy of all letters sent by the group so that you can follow it up if no replies
have been received.
If the group intends contacting the press, seek consent from parents/carers.
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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activity 37 how to write a letter
How to Write a Letter
........................................
(Your Group’s Name)
................................................
.......................................
(Contact Address)
(Telephone Number)
................................................
(Email Contact)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Date)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Name
........................................
of person, title)
(Organisation)
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Dear
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (add
(Address)
the name of person/organisation you are writing to)
(Introduce the group, for example)
Hello. We are the ‘group name’ and we meet once a week to discuss issues in our community .
...............
template
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(Explain the issue you are concerned about, for example)
We have been looking at the issue of... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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We are unhappy about this because...
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(State clearly what you want to happen next, for example)
We would like to arrange a meeting/attend an event/send you information.
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(Thank them for taking the time to read your letter and ask for a reply by telephone or return letter)
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Yours sincerely
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(Signatures)
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(Names (of members of the group))
Learning to Read Maps and Plans
INTRODUCTION
Aims
• to assist young people in learning to interpret maps and plans (this is important if your
project involves young people and architects and planners)
What You Need
Paper
Coloured pens
Range of everyday objects such as litter bin, drinks can, cup with drinking straw, toy car
Compass
Thick paper
Card
Lollipop sticks
Optional - selection of maps to stimulate discussion
Optional - treasure hunt (prepared by worker with map, clues, and treasure as a prize)
Optional - Large paper, tea, coffee
learning to read maps and plans
activity sheet 38
Time Needed
30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on age and experience of the group).
This activity is aimed at younger children aged eight to eleven.
Add another hour if running treasure hunt and consulting sample maps.
DESCRIPTION
Start the session with a brief discussion about what a map is. Then explore with the young
people how they can show different views - a side view and bird’s eye view.
Using the everyday objects you have brought, ask the young people to practise this by
drawing different side views of the objects, followed by one from above - a bird’s eye view.
Reflect on how an object can look quite different from above.
Play a game where one young person draws a bird’s eye view of something from their
imagination and the rest of the group has to guess what this is.
As the young people become confident with this concept, ask them to draw a bird’s eye view
of several of the objects. Participants can make their own model compass to stick on their
maps using cardboard, paper and lollipop sticks.
Working in small groups, each with a worker, this activity can be extended to include a
treasure hunt. Prepare a map of the building or immediate area in which the group meets
with buildings or objects marked from a bird’s eye view. Mark on the map where different
clues are hidden. By solving each clue, participants will be given a letter. At the end of the
treasure hunt, the letters are used to make a word. The winner is the one who solves the
puzzle first and wins the prize treasure.
activity sheet
Size of Group
5 to 10
At subsequent sessions, the young people can make their own treasure maps. Ask them to
think about their neighbourhood as an island, marking the main features. They can then mark
buried treasure and where their group meets. To make the maps look like old treasure maps
they can age the paper by painting it with cold, strong tea. They can add coffee granules to
the wet paper to create dark age spots.
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learning to read maps and plans
activity sheet 38
PROMPTS
At the end of the activity, discuss different sorts of maps - treasure maps,
road maps, maps of countries. Ask the group to think about:
• Why we use maps?
• How might they be used when planning physical changes to the area?
Although young people learn some map reading skills in school, it appears they have little
practical experience.
To work with those making or designing physical changes to the neighbourhood such as
architects and road planners, young people need to be able to interpret the information
maps or plans contain. Often those produced by professionals are detailed and complicated.
activity sheet
It can be really helpful to ask professionals to explain them to the young people. If this is not
possible, request copies so that you can do work with the group, suggesting they add post-its
to show features familiar to them as reference points such as the park, school, shop or
community centre.
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128
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“First of all we identified the issues of
concern to us. We used disposable cameras
to take photos of things we did and didn’t
like in the area. We voted on which of the
issues we thought were the most
important to do something about and
made these into a huge jigsaw puzzle”.
Female, aged 13
This is the story of young people’s participation over four years in the Ormlie home zone
project to improve their estate, and also showing young people’s individual development.
The processes outlined here relate to the Sections in the Guide but also demonstrate that
they do not necessarily follow in linear fashion.
‘Home zones are residential streets designed to give pedestrians priority over vehicles.
Key benefits of home zones are they provide space for children and young people to play
safely and for residents to meet. Home zones include traffic calming, parking spaces, trees
and bushes and seating.’ www.homezonenews.org.uk
long term
YOUNG PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION IN THEIR COMMUNITY HOME ZONE INITIATIVE
The home zones concept also aims to address social exclusion by encouraging the community
to work together and create a more cohesive sense of community. Ormlie was designated
a pilot home zone by the Scottish Executive.
INTRODUCTION
20 young people, aged between 9 and 15 at the outset, together with Ormlie
Community Association (OCA), Highland Council, Ormlie Social Inclusion Partnership
When August 2000 to March 2005.
WHAT HAPPENED
Young people looked at the UNCRC and what this meant to them. They were very interested in
Article 12 (which states young people have the right to express their views about what concerns
them) and how this could become a reality in their local community.
“First of all we identified the issues of concern to us. We used disposable cameras to take
photos of things we did and didn’t like in the area. We voted on which of the issues we
thought were the most important to do something about and made these into a huge
jigsaw puzzle”. Female, aged 13
Early on, young people prioritised both environmental and social issues:
ugly environment
high, black fences
lack of plants and trees
speeding cars
boring play areas
nothing to do
no place to go
feeling isolated
case study 2
Who
In groups, participants used artwork to work out how they wanted their community to look,
identifying road areas where they felt unsafe and places they wanted to play. They presented
their work at an Ormlie Community Association meeting:
jargon buster
“At first we went to an OCA meeting and told them about the work we’d done in groups.
We said we thought Ormlie would be better with flowers and benches and stuff to slow the
traffic down. We took in our drawings and maps we’d made of the area.” Male, aged 12
Social Exclusion - When individuals or areas experience a range of problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes,
poor housing, crime, poor health and family breakdown resulting in people or areas not benefiting from the opportunities
enjoyed by most people in society
UNCRC - This is a set of rights which ALL people under 18 have. Recognised by countries at an international level.
In December 1991 the UK Government agreed to put the Convention into practice
131
Young people learned about home zones.
long term
“Home zones are about cars and people on the street. It is good for people to play on the
streets cos you meet and play with more people and become friends and do stuff together. In a
home zone the cars are slowed down by speed bumps and built-up bits so it means you can play
safely on the road.” Male, aged 10
Over several meetings, young people talked with OCA representatives about their ideas.
“The OCA talked to the Scottish Executive to see if we could be a pilot home zone. They said ok
and in November 2000 an MSP came and said to us Ormlie was one of four pilot home zone
areas in Scotland.” Female, aged 13
They continued to explore ideas for improving the physical environment of the estate (see sample
websites in the Resources Section in the Appendix). They interviewed people to find out more about
home zones, such as the architect, and a roads and transport engineer from Highland Council.
Taking part in the OCA residents working group helped them understand other people’s points
of views as the group included adults, teenagers and older members of the community.
“We met with other people from the community and people like Ian the roads engineer as part
of the home zone working group to plan our ideas for the home zone. All our CPP groups did
work to plan this - like looking at books and dressing up pretending to be different people in
the community and arguing for our views.” Male, aged 11
They went on to plan two community consultation days in 2002 and 2003 to gather wider views
about the developing home zone plans.
“These days were to celebrate National Play Day and at these we asked other people in the
community their ideas for the home zone. We made inflatable palm trees to see what Ormlie
would look like with trees cos its so windy none grow here.” Female, aged 11
Highland Council painted some of the planned home zone features onto the road. Each time young
people made a video to show the developing sense of community.
“On play zone day we played kerbie to show we needed kerbs cos at first they [the OCA] said
they’d take them all away. We made a film to show why we need kerbs to play kerbie”.
Male, aged 11
jargon buster
case study 2
Young people surveyed residents to find out what features others wanted in the home zone design.
They completed a questionnaire for land use consultants, employed by the Scottish Executive,
to monitor and evaluate the progress of pilot home zone areas, and formed part of a focus group
they held.
132
Focus Group - A small group of people specifically chosen to give their views about a particular subject
Council - A group of people who are elected to govern a city or part of a country, for example,
City of Edinburgh Council and Highland Council
“Two of us from the CPP got money from SIP to go to Manchester and Leeds [Northmoor and
Methleys] with some grown-ups to look at their home zones. It was fun to see but on the way
back we got stuck in the snow and had to stay at the Hilton. We made a video and showed it
at an OCA meeting and to the Scottish Home Zone Network [in Inverness Council Chambers]”.
Male, aged 11
On their return, the group gave presentations at an open OCA meeting, describing features they
liked and how they could be built into the Ormlie plan. The two young residents, in their
presentation, spoke about materials used for surfacing, showing what they thought was most
appropriate for local weather conditions.
long term
Over the period, young people had between two and six representatives on the home zone working
group. Residents were keen to visit successful home zones.
Young people continued to work with the OCA and the architect to develop the plans and,
in summer 2003, the OCA obtained funding for the first stage.
“The OCA got lots of money and put in bricks that make the cars go slower. It makes it safer
for us to play on the street... kerbie and stuff. It’s 20 so if a car hit a person it wouldn’t hurt
them as much. There is also bollard things and colour... yellow and reds.” Female, aged 12
“Next, in this story we did more work in our groups. We visited lots of places with slate and
stone walls and we met a stone wall dyker called George. We showed him the models we’d
made of our stone ideas for the home zone. He helped us work out how much they’d cost
to do and then he talked to the architect. Our ideas went in the plans... planters, big stone
arm chairs and just funny bits”. Male, aged 12
CPP participants also contributed to other activities, including several gardening and
clean up projects.
“Home zones aren’t just about the roads they are also about sharing the road between people
and cars so its safe and a better place to live with murals and trees.” Female, aged 12
case study 2
Young people remained involved in the second phase which began in March 2004.
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notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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134
conclusion
“It has given children a greater understanding
of how life works in general... they might not
reap the benefits now but, when they get
older, they will because they have got this
understanding that they have human rights.
But they don’t have them... I mean, we all
have and should have rights but that’s not
always the way the world is and we have to
work to get them... children realised this.”
Development Worker, Save the Children
conclusion
“What I feel was the most rewarding part of the programme
was seeing young people develop their ideas and put them
into action... develop their sense of self esteem, as well as
bring new initiatives to the area”. Development Worker, Save the Children
Conclusion
The process outlined in the Guide need not be followed step by step, and the activities and
processes in Sections One and Two may be useful when your group is well established and its
project some way on, as well as in the earlier stages. Methods are also adaptable. It also can
be used in a number of settings other than community development.
Evaluation is important. Completing the plan, do and review cycle suggested in Section Three
is helpful. Make time to assess what has happened with the young people, for example,
exploring:
• How effective was the project? What did they think they achieved?
• What did they learn?
• What would they do differently? How?
Practical materials developed in the course of the programme, which our partners told
us were useful for them as well as Save the Children, can be found on Save the Children’s
website at www.savethechildren.org.uk/scotland. They include a sample partnership
agreement, joint arrangements between partners for various policies and procedures
where partners share a responsibility and/or duty of care towards the young people
involved, and an evaluation framework for this type of work.
Our experience in supporting young people to become involved in activities to improve
and regenerate their communities stresses the importance of young people not working
in isolation, even with a lot of support from dedicated workers and one organisation.
Young people, no matter how motivated to achieve their goal, need to be able to work
with other people. They need this if they are to have a real chance of influencing change
and a meaningful, consistent experience of participation.
A critical part of the approach outlined in the Guide is:
jargon buster
• creating opportunities for young people to work alongside a wide range of
other stakeholders
• supporting the development of their knowledge, skills and confidence to feel able
to do so
• working with adults in the community and in organisations to find ways and,
sometimes persuade them, to give young people a place in decision making.
conclusion
Ask yourself and your co-workers similar questions, as one of the last steps in your
evaluation process.
Community Development - Working together to help people living in a community to identify their own needs, rights, options
and responsibilities, and support them in organising and taking action together to increase their quality of life and control over
decisions affecting them. For example, action to improve access to services or physical amenities in the local area
Policy and Procedure - Guidelines or rules that organisations often follow. These could be about all sorts of things for example,
health and safety, treating everyone as equals, or how to complain about a service
Regeneration - Action which leads to the solving of problems in areas which are experiencing social exclusion. This action aims to
achieve a lasting improvement in the physical, economic, social and environmental nature of an area.
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means they are given opportunities to think for themselves,
being involved in decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part in the community where they live
or the community of interest they belong to (see information sheet in Section One about the UNCRC)
Stakeholders - Individuals, groups or organisations with an interest (stake) in what happens within a project, programme,
development or community
137
When everyone - young people and adults alike - goes through the experience that,
in itself, makes the case for young people being involved in regeneration as they
demonstrate what they bring to the process and the end result.
Importantly, Save the Children could not have carried out the Community Partners
Programme without our partners in the four sites. The approach outlined in the Guide
reflects their valuable contribution, and the work and enthusiasm of individuals.
A report about the learning and impact of the programme is available from
Save the Children. SIGNPOST
In the Words of Save the Children Development Workers
with the Community Partners Programme (CPP)
conclusion
“An initial discussion about what rights young people were entitled to soon revealed
that the vast majority... had experienced a breach of their rights at some point...
young people could relate to what we are trying to achieve. Similar dialogue with
other community stakeholders such as teachers and parents was also essential”.
“It can be a difficult, slow process... with peaks and troughs... it’s very much about
finding the right people to work with and always being creative with the young
people. Things don’t always go right, but that can be ok too. What I get out of it is...
relationship building with the young people and how this type of work cascades
into other aspects of my life”.
“What I feel was the most rewarding part of the programme was seeing young
people develop their ideas and put them into action... develop their sense of self
esteem, as well as bring new initiatives to the area”.
“It has given children a greater understanding of how life works in general...
they might not reap the benefits now but, when they get older, they will because
they have got this understanding that they have human rights. But they don’t have
them... I mean, we all have and should have rights but that’s not always the way
the world is and we have to work to get them... children realised this.”
SIGNPOST
138
appendices
• Democratic Structures Information about Decision Making
• Jargon Buster Glossary of Terms
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child A Simplified Version
appendices
• Signposts Where Else to Get Help - Other Information and Resources
Democratic Structures Information about Decision Making
and Initiatives about Community
Regeneration and/or Young People
This Appendix combines the collective knowledge of the guide’s authors and information
drawn from a range of sources (acknowledged after each Section as appropriate), and
provides a summary or introduction to the topics listed. Sources for further information
are signposted throughout.
The authors are aware that most of this information is available on websites or in
information handbooks. Save the Children’s Community Partners Programme Development
Workers expressed the view that, in doing this type of work, such a resource at the
outset would have been useful.
CONTENTS
2 The Voluntary Sector
Who runs voluntary organisations?
What do voluntary organisations do?
Local or national?
Who funds them?
Creating a constituted group
What makes a charity different?
Councils for Voluntary Service
Youthlink Scotland
3 Statutory Bodies - Local Councils or Local Authorities
Departments and services
Councillors
Leaders and chairs of the council
Committees
Wards
Community Councils
Different types of voluntary and statutory organisations at a glance
appendix
1 Statutory or Voluntary?
A Quick Definition
4 Special Statutory Initiatives
Social Exclusion and Social Inclusion Partnerships
Community or integrated schools
5 The Bigger Picture
The Scottish Executive
The Scottish Parliament
What are MPs, MSPs and MEPs?
The Children’s Commissioner
The Scottish Youth Parliament
Young Scot
Dialogue Youth
Youth councils/forums/partnerships
Connect Youth
The Children’s Parliament
141
1 STATUTORY OR VOLUNTARY?
A Quick Definition
Statutory - a statutory service (sometimes called a public sector service) is often provided
by the local council or local authority. This type of service is not run on a commercial basis,
but funded through taxes including the local council tax and through the Scottish Executive.
This means that some services may be free, or the income from any charges is put back
into funding services. As well as more obvious ones such as the Parks Department or the
primary school, there may be a local advice shop or youth club that is run by a department
of your local council.
There are also statutory bodies called NDPBs (Non-departmental Public Bodies), sometimes
known as quangos. These are unelected bodies, appointed by and responsible to Ministers.
Like councils, they too have a public service function, often with a national remit.
appendix
As well as providing direct statutory services, councils are ‘increasingly adopting new roles
as facilitators, co-ordinating a range of service providers including the private and voluntary
sectors, other public agencies including health boards and trusts, local development agencies
and community organisations’ - The Scottish Local Government Handbook (2000)
This handbook is available from the Scottish Local Government Information Unit (SCGIU),
5th Floor, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6H5. SIGNPOST
Voluntary - voluntary organisations can be established by anyone 16 or over, or any group,
to respond to a particular need in their community or within society. However, legally, they
must abide by certain rules and obligations and there must be certain structures in place.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has lots of information about the
voluntary sector. The information in the next section is a summary of some of the main
points. You will find lots more information on their web-site at www.scvo.org.uk SIGNPOST
2 THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Who runs Voluntary Organisations?
A voluntary organisation is run by a board of directors or sometimes by a management
committee. It is the employer of the employees who run the organisation on a day to day
basis. The employees have a salary whereas members of the board or committee usually
volunteer their services. Voluntary organisations very often have charitable status (see section
below), though not always. There are local voluntary organisations and much larger national
ones. The national ones can be very big indeed, such as a large charity like Barnardos.
They can also be young people led such as the organisation Article 12 Scotland.
What do Voluntary Organisations do?
As a very rough guide there are four main categories of voluntary organisations in Scotland.
An organisation can encompass more than one category:
SIGNPOST
142
• Service Delivery - these organisations deliver a particular type of direct service straight
to a particular client group or beneficiary. There are lots of voluntary organisations in
Scotland which provide many different kinds of services. Some provide advice such as
Citizens Advice Bureaux, SIGNPOST some provide care and support to people in need,
as in organisations for people who are homeless, and some provide activities for
certain groups in society, for example, youth clubs.
• Advocacy and Campaigning - these organisations usually seek to bring to the attention
of the general public, and/or to local authorities and governments, specific issues or
the situation of certain groups of society. The people they champion will often be
disadvantaged in some way, and will benefit from having an organisation promoting
their rights in society. These organisations are sometimes run by the people who
themselves are disadvantaged.
• Umbrella (also called intermediates) - these are organisations which exist to support
smaller organisations sharing a particular role or theme. Lothian Association of Youth
Clubs, for example, is an umbrella organisation for youth clubs in Lothian, whereas
Youth Scotland is an umbrella organisation for youth clubs in the whole of Scotland. SIGNPOST
• Neighbourhood groups, community associations, tenants associations - these types of
organisations aim to develop and improve the amenities, opportunities and environment
of a specific community or residents within a defined area of housing. The membership
will mainly consist of the people who themselves live there.
What makes a charity different from other voluntary organisations?
Charitable status is a particular type of legal status which has a number of potential benefits
but also places some limitations on an organisation’s activities.
To become a charity, an organisation must be properly constituted (see below) and have
‘charitable’ aims, meaning the objectives of the organisation must fall entirely within
one or more of four categories:
1
2
3
4
appendix
The umbrella organisation which supports all voluntary organisations in Scotland is called
the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). SIGNPOST
The relief of poverty
The advancement of education
The advancement of religion
Other purposes beneficial to the community
These are the legal categories as stated by the Scottish Charities Office. If the organisation
seeking charitable status can show its aims are acceptable, it can then be registered
as a charity.
Scottish organisations apply to the Inland Revenue for charitable status for tax purposes.
See www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk SIGNPOST
Supervision and regulation is carried out by the Scottish Charities Office. See its website
for more information at www.crownoffice.gov.uk SIGNPOST
143
Local or National?
Local voluntary organisations come in all different shapes and sizes. They may be affiliated
to other, small organisations, but are unlikely to have a head office elsewhere. Sometimes
they are set up to tackle a particular problem such as youth homelessness or drug use.
National, or even international, voluntary organisations will have one head office situated
in one town or city. They may have smaller departments or branches spread out over the
country. It does not matter how many branches it may have it will still be the same
organisation.
Who funds them?
Voluntary organisations can be funded in a whole variety of ways. Sometimes they can
apply for money from the local council, sometimes from grant making trusts. They may
raise money through other fundraising activities, for example, asking members of the
public or private businesses for contributions.
appendix
• Local authorities - local authorities often have specific streams of funding voluntary
organisations can tap into. They also have relatively on-going mainstream funding which
voluntary organisations may be entitled to.
• Trusts - trusts often like to fund innovative projects for a specified number of years
and usually prioritise specific areas they wish to fund (some, for example, will focus on
community development, or children and young people). Sometimes these areas of
priority change from year to year and sometimes they stay the same. As a rule of thumb,
trusts prefer not to become permanent funders. Most often they will fund organisations
which have charitable status.
The following reference books are all published by the Directory of Social Change, at
www.dsc.org.uk SIGNPOST They are regularly updated and have lots of useful and detailed
information about trusts:
• The Directory of Grant Making Trusts published in association with the Charities Aid
Foundation. This is also available in CD ROM version and it is possible to subscribe
to an on-line edition which is updated regularly throughout the year.
• A Guide to the Major Trusts Volume 1 - grants of over £400,000 per year*
• A Guide to the Major Trusts Volume 2 - grants of over £ 60,000 per year*
• A Guide to the Scottish Trusts - grants of over £1,000 per year*.
* Grant amounts at time of Guide going to press.
Directories such as these are expensive. Information about new funding streams and the
priorities of grant making trusts, etc, can be found in the SCVO weekly newspaper
Third Force News or from your local Council of Voluntary Service (see below). SIGNPOST
• The National Lottery - organisations can also apply for funds raised from the National
Lottery. The operating name for this at the time of this guide being written is The
Big Lottery. This is an independent organisation set up by Parliament to distribute
money to charities, arts and sports organisations etc. For more information, visit
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk SIGNPOST
SIGNPOST
144
• Scottish Executive and European Union - the Scottish Executive (see below) also makes
funds available to constituted groups, as does the Commission for the European Union.
However these may go to national, rather than local, groups or organisations.
See www.scotland.gov.uk and www.europa.eu.int SIGNPOST
Creating a Constituted Group
A constitution is a legal document which gives the framework for the way your organisation
operates. It explains what the organisation is, its purpose and what are the rights and
responsibilities of different members of the organisation. Constitutions usually explain
what the rules will be for making financial reports and keeping proper financial accounts.
All voluntary organisations should have a constitution if they plan to stay together for
a relatively long period of time and if they are taking on a substantial piece of work.
Some informal groups will often not have one. If this is the case, they are not a legally
constituted group and, amongst other things, will find it very difficult to apply for funding.
As soon as any group starts dealing with money, even very small amounts, it is advisable
to have a constitution. Even a very small group can have a constitution and be a legally
constituted group.
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) www.scvo.org.uk
SIGNPOST
The Shell Better Britain Campaign website, at www.sbbc.co.uk, SIGNPOST has an information
sheet explaining constituted groups. It is very clear and easy to read. This information sheet
is part of a series relating to community development and local involvement.
As well as providing information about funding available, the Directory of Social Change
(see above) also publishes a range of books giving advice on the organisation of voluntary
organisations. Go to www.dsc.org.uk SIGNPOST
Councils for Voluntary Service in Scotland (CVS)
appendix
The following websites have a wealth of information about constituted groups:
‘Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) is the general name for the local infrastructure bodies
for the voluntary sector in Scotland. They strengthen the contribution local voluntary
organisations make to the economic, social and cultural development of the community,
and provide a bridge between the sector and key public agencies at a local level.
CVS themselves are voluntary organisations and draw their membership from voluntary and
community groups in their own area. The range and variety of individual organisations is
enormous, as is the range of services they provide’ (SCVO website, 2004 at www.scvo.org.uk).
Confusingly, it may not be called a CVS. It could be called something like a Voluntary
Resource Centre, Council for Voluntary Service or Association of Voluntary Organisations.
It usually will have Voluntary or Community in the title, accompanied by the name
of the area where you live. There are 60 CVS throughout Scotland, in both urban
and rural areas, so there is a good chance there will be one fairly near you.
Visit www.cvsscotland.org.uk SIGNPOST
145
YouthLink Scotland
YouthLink Scotland supports work with young people in all of the 32 Scottish local
authorities and has a membership of more than 50 national voluntary youth organisations
which themselves represent more than 600,000 young people, and covers issues such as:
• Education and training
• The world of work
• Leisure, sport and the arts
• Health and well-being
• Citizenship, democracy, and rights
• Relationships and the family
• The environment
• Faith
• International affairs
(YouthLink web-site, 2004).
appendix
YouthLink is based at Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5EZ.
Tel: 0131 313 2488. Fax: 0131 313 6800. Email info@youthlink.co.uk
See their website at www.youthlink.co.uk SIGNPOST
3 STATUTORY BODIES - LOCAL COUNCILS OR LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Departments and Services
There are 32 local councils in Scotland. Different councils have different leading political
parties (or ruling parties). The ruling political party in a council often is referred to as
‘the administration’. Councils are also known as local authorities.
Different names may be used for people who work directly for councils such as council
officers or council officials.
In a way, your council is a very large organisation split up into smaller organisations.
To make it easier to operate, the council is split up into departments running certain services
for the local population living in the area. Some of the main functional departments are:
•
•
•
•
•
Education (this may include schools and youth work)
Social work
Housing
Roads and road safety
Leisure and recreation (this may include youth work).
There are other departments but these are some of the main ones. Different councils may
have slightly different names for departments but they will all be similar, for example,
community education is the name of a department commonly used for services for young
people and adult members of the community.
SIGNPOST
146
There are three broad categories of services:
Mandatory - must be provided, including education for school age children
Permissive - services which may be provided such as nursery education
Discretionary - general power allowing councils to spend limited amounts of money
on specific things.
There are many different departments and councils therefore are very large employers.
They can employ all sorts of people from planners and architects to community workers
and youth workers.
When working on an issue about your community, you may find yourself working alongside
a number of different staff within the council, often from different departments.
Councils get money from the Scottish Executive and from the local Council Tax. Nearly
everyone over 18 has to pay council tax (though there are some special circumstances
which mean that some people do not or pay a reduced amount).
Each ward will have its own councillor (see below). Councillors can be people from all
sorts of backgrounds who have decided they want to work to improve a particular area.
They become councillors by standing in local elections and being ‘voted in’ or chosen
by the people who live there. They can either represent a political party, or they can
stand independently. If independent, they may have a particular topic they stand for
but they will not stand for any particular party. Councillors are not employed by the
council, even although they do receive a form of payment from the council.
As the councillors represent the views of the people who live in their ward, residents
there may contact their councillor to express their views and ensure that those views
are considered in the council’s decision making processes. Most councillors hold regular
meetings, called surgeries, in their wards so that residents can consult and discuss various
issues relevant to the ward and the city as a whole.
You don’t have to attend surgeries to meet with your councillor. If you are in a group or
a club, and are interested in a particular issue or think your councillor can help you, invite
her/him along to meet with your group.
appendix
Councillors
Leaders and Chairs of the Council
Two of the most important posts on any council are the Chair of the Council and the Leader
of the Council. In most cases, the Leader is a member of the political group with the most
councillors. As the name suggests, the Leader takes the lead in developing and improving
services. The Chair is something called a Civic Leader and, on formal occasions, represents the
council and the whole area the council covers. The Chair or the Leader also chairs meetings
of the full council. The Chair may also be called Provost, Lord Provost or the Convener.
147
Committees
To help make decisions and make it easier to control the different departments, councils
have a committee structure which often can be quite complicated. For example, the
City of Edinburgh Council has a committee for children and young people and one for
the environment. Before a decision is made by a council, you sometimes may hear someone
say, “it has to go to committee”, meaning the committee must make the decision
before officials can act. Committees are made up of locally elected councillors with
paid officers in attendance.
All committees sit regularly, according to the council’s ‘standing orders’ (agreed rules which
determine the way the council operates, for example, the closure of debate at meetings or
the rules governing the appointment of officers), usually every few weeks. The preparation
for committee involves the production of reports from departments to give relevant
information to councillors.
appendix
To form a committee, the council agrees to delegate a particular issue to a chosen group
of councillors, working on behalf of the full council. The policies and strategies are decided
upon for staff to follow, and this group of councillors checks with staff to see if things are
going to plan.
To make things a bit more complicated, some councils in Scotland have what they call an
executive system. This basically means that there is something called a cabinet made up of
a group of councillors who have to make decisions on a whole host of things. The rest of the
councillors have to represent the interests of the people living in their ward to this cabinet,
and make sure that the members of the cabinet are carrying out their duties properly.
All 32 local councils in Scotland have said that they want to look at ways of including young
people’s views in the committee structure, especially when the committees consider matters
which directly affect young people such as the education committee, the youth or leisure
committee and the legal services committee (which change local by-laws on youth curfews,
carrying of weapons, and drinking in public).
Wards
Depending upon where you live, a council can be just for your city such as Glasgow Council,
or it can be for a much wider geographical area such as Highland Council. Whether the
council covers an urban or rural area, the area is split up into smaller areas called wards.
The area you live in will be a particular ward and will have a name. Ward boundaries are
set by the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament. One councillor is elected per ward.
Electoral wards are often used by the Scottish Executive to define the borders of
regeneration and grant programmes. To find out more about your ward, look at the
Neighbourhood Statistics section of the Scottish Statistics web site - Scottish Statistics.
The web site is www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/ SIGNPOST
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Community Councils
Community councils are the most localised form of representation within the Scottish local
government system. Their main role is to act as a voice for their local community and provide
a link between communities and their council.
There are about 1,200 community councils in operation across Scotland.
Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, local authorities are responsible for setting
up community council schemes where there is a demand for this type of local representation.
All councils must prepare a community council scheme for their area including boundaries,
arrangements for elections, voting and conduct of meetings.
Although community councils in Scotland have a statutory basis, they do not have any
statutory duties or powers. Their main source of income is the grant received from councils.
The level of grant provided by each council varies, but usually covers administrative costs.
Some councils also provide support in kind, such as free use of rooms for meetings and
access to facilities such as photocopying and computers.
In 2000 a special commission recommended that community councils be more effective
in involving young people.
Local council websites often have a section about community councils in their area.
Sometimes the community council itself has a website.
Parts of the above section have been adapted from:
The Scottish Local Government Handbook (2000). Available from the Scottish Local
Government Information Unit (SCGIU), 5th Floor, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6H5.
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and
The A - Z of Scottish Local Government. Published by SOLACE (The Society of Local Authority
Chief Executives and Senior Managers (2003), in association with Convention of Scottish
Local Authorities - COSLA at www.cosla.gov.uk SIGNPOST
appendix
Community councils can play an important role in informing councils about the views and
needs of local communities. They also have a statutory role to play in the planning process.
Councils must consult community councils on planning applications affecting their areas.
If you need further information about your local council all councils have a website
which tells you more about:
•
•
•
•
•
the workings of your council
which ward you are in
who your councillor is
when s/he holds surgeries
specific issues dealt with by your council.
You will find links to individual council sites on the UK government portal at
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NATIONAL LEVEL
LOCAL LEVEL
Advocacy and campaigning projects
eg, Shelter.
Services or projects which are part
of larger voluntary organisations
Service delivery projects, eg,
Citizen’s Advice Bureau
Local informal organisations
(un-constituted)
eg, mothers and toddlers groups.
Local voluntary organisations
(constituted)
Service delivery projects/community
associations/tenants associations
Umbrella organisations of local
voluntary organisations (constituted)
Umbrella organisations of national (or
international) voluntary organisations
Head offices of national (or
international) voluntary organisations
These may be in different parts of
Scotland, different countries in the UK
or even in different countries
SMALL
LARGE
Specific Council Services
eg, youth-groups (discretionary), schools (mandatory),
art galleries (permissive), libraries (permissive)
Smaller council offices or specific departments within
the councils geographical area
eg, Community Learning and Leisure, Education,
Parks or Planning
Head offices of councils/ local authorities
These based in towns and cities, eg, City of Edinburgh
Council is based in the city itself and the head office
of Scottish Borders Council is based in Melrose.
Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament
STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS
(These would never have charity status,
as they are part of the state)
VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
(These may or may not have charitable status)
appendix
Different Types of Voluntary and Statutory Organisations at a Glance
nb Not all types of organisations fit into these categories - there are all shapes and
sizes of statutory and voluntary organisations. This flowchart gives an overall picture.
4 SPECIAL STATUTORY INITIATIVES
Social Exclusion and Social Inclusion Partnerships
Social exclusion can be broadly defined as a range of inter-related social, economic and
environmental problems that reduce the social or economic wellbeing of an individual or an
area. These may include unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime
levels, bad health and family breakdown. (The A -Z of Scottish Local Government, SOLACE
2003 (Supported by COSLA), available from COSLA, see www.cosla.gov.uk) SIGNPOST
First set up in 1999, Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) were the cornerstone of the Scottish
Executive’s approach to tackling the problems encountered by socially excluded communities
and groups before Community Planning (see below) was introduced. At the time of writing,
SIPs are expected to have been completely phased out by the end of 2005.
Some partnerships had a thematic or client basis such as young people or health,
while others were based on geographically defined areas. Thematic SIPs were an
acknowledgement that some forms of social exclusion cannot be addressed on the basis
of geography, but only through addressing the needs of identified communities of interest.
Community planning is the process that brings together a range of key public, private
and voluntary sector partners together with local communities to promote the wellbeing
of a local area. Each local authority is obliged to produce a Community Strategy.
This document should cover all the other plans and strategies which local councils already
have to produce. Consultation with the community should be an integral part of the
community planning process.
‘Community Planning should be seen as a key opportunity for improving community
engagement by:
• involvement of citizens at the beginning of decision processes rather than at the end,
• attention to achievement of local quality of life outputs for all neighbourhoods,
• by innovative participation methods including use of IT’
(Communities Scotland - Precis no.53: A Summary Series of Research - 2004).
appendix
Community Planning
Communities Scotland is the lead agency for the co-ordination and support of community
planning across Scotland.
On the website www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk, SIGNPOST you will find the Scottish Section
for Regeneration, dealing specifically with community regeneration including a series
of How to... Guides such as the Community Engagement and Partnership Working Guide.
There is also a series of profiles of community based projects and organisations, serving
as a forum for advice and support:
‘Find out what’s happening across Scotland and beyond - get important information - make
contacts and build networks - share ideas and tell others about what you do - find out about
what works and what doesn’t’ (Communities Scotland 2004).
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Community or Integrated Schools
Community schools attempt to provide co-ordinated school education, family support and
health education services in one place. They bring together a single team of professionals
from a range of services, including teachers, childcare professionals, social workers and
health personnel. (New Community Schools newsletter issue 7 - Scottish Executive).
For more information, visit the website at
www.scotland.gov.uk/education/newcommunityschools
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5 THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Scottish Executive
The Scottish Executive is the devolved government for Scotland.
appendix
It has overall responsibility for all of the devolved areas listed in the Scottish Parliament
section below. The Scottish Executive was established in 1999 and, when this guide was
written, was led by a coalition between the Scottish Labour Party and the Scottish Liberal
Democrat Party. However it could be one party depending on the election results.
The Executive is led by a First Minister who is nominated by the Parliament and, in turn,
appoints the other Scottish Ministers who make up the Cabinet.
Executive civil servants are accountable to Scottish Ministers, who themselves are accountable
to the Scottish Parliament. Visit www.scotland.gov.uk for more information. SIGNPOST
The Scottish Parliament
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament. They are called MSPs for short
(see below). They can make laws on key devolved areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
agriculture, forestry and fisheries
education
environment
health
law and home affairs
local government, social work and housing
sport and the arts
transport and economic development.
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As well as passing bills (a bill is a proposal for a new law which is debated by Parliament),
MSPs closely examine laws made by Ministers. MSPs can find out facts about Scottish issues
by asking Ministers questions either in writing or in person. This is one way MSPs can raise
issues that matter to your group on their behalf. There is a regular Question Time in
Parliament one afternoon per week.
Any individual, community or pressure group can raise an issue by petitioning the
Parliament. This is a formal request to the Public Petitions Committee for the
Scottish Parliament to:
• take a view on a matter of public interest or concern
• amend existing legislation
• introduce new legislation.
What are MPs, MSPs and MEPs?
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament. 73 represent constituencies and
are elected by the traditional first past the post system (Orkney and Shetland, a single
constituency for Westminster purposes, is split into two constituencies for the Scottish
Parliament). There are a further 56 regional MSPs, seven for each of the eight regions
(based on the regions used for European Parliament elections).
The Scottish Parliament is elected according to a form of proportional representation known
as the Additional Member System (AMS). This is intended to ensure that the share of seats
each party receives reflects as closely as possible its level of support among voters, but it
also allows each constituency to have its own representative in the Parliament.
Each voter at a Scottish Parliament election has two votes. The first vote is cast for
a constituency member who will be the candidate winning the largest number of votes
in a constituency (a total of 73). The second vote is for a political party (who will provide
a list of nominations), or for a candidate standing as an individual, within a larger electoral
area called a Scottish Parliament region.
appendix
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of Parliament
MP stands for Member of Parliament. Here Parliament means the United Kingdom
Parliament at Westminster in London. The United Kingdom is divided into 659 constituencies,
each of which sends one MP to the House of Commons. Scotland has 72 MPs at present.
At a general election there is an election in each of the constituencies. Most of the
candidates in the election will represent a political party but there can also be independent
candidates. Each voter gets one vote which they allocate to one of the candidates standing
for Parliament in their local constituency. The candidate with the most votes becomes the
local MP and represents all of those living in the constituency in the House of Commons.
153
Member of the European Parliament
An MEP is a Member of the European Parliament. Just like councillors and MPs, they
represent local people, this time within the European Parliament. They have an important
say in a wide range of regulations affecting people who live in the countries of the European
Union (EU). They also deal with the EU budgets and have an important role in overseeing
how taxpayers’ money is spent by the institutions of the EU.
Elections for the European Parliament are held every five years. In 1999 a new voting
system was introduced which replaced parliamentary constituencies with large regions,
each represented by a number of MEPs.
The Commissioner for Children and Young People
Professor Kathleen Marshall took up her appointment as the first Commissioner for
Children and Young People in Scotland on 26 April 2004.
appendix
The general function of the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland
is to promote and safeguard the rights of children and young people. To achieve this,
the Commissioner will:
• generate widespread awareness and understanding of the rights of children and
young people
• consider and review the adequacy and effectiveness of any law, policy and practice
as it relates to the rights of children and young people
• promote best practice by service providers
• commission and undertake research on matters relating to the rights of children
and young people.
www.scotland.gov.uk
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The Scottish Youth Parliament - SYP
The Scottish Youth Parliament meets three times a year, discusses issues which affect
young people across Scotland and tries to propose innovative solutions to these problems
and situations.
It believes that young people in Scotland have the right to have their views listened to
and acted on. They work together with organisations and groups in Scotland that have
a link with young people, to ensure they do as best they can for Scotland’s young people.
The overall aim of the Scottish Youth Parliament is to act as a sounding board for
Scottish Parliament business, highlight and take action on youth issues and be a
real voice for young people at national and international level.
Your group might want to get in touch with the Parliament for more information
or to find out how to become a member. The membership is between 14 to 25 years.
Contact the Parliament at:
Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5EZ. Tel 0131 313 2488.
Email info@scottishyouthparliament.org.uk
Website www.scottishyouthparliament.org.uk SIGNPOST
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Young Scot
Young Scot is a Scotland wide organisation supported by the Scottish Executive. As well
as a website packed full of information, there is a card discount service available and
a discussion board solely for the use of young people. Young Scot Guide manuals are also
available, updated on a yearly basis. The most relevant section on the website, and the
manual, relating to community development is the ‘Things to Do’ section.
The web address of Young Scot is www.youngscot.org
Contact them on info@youngscot.org if you have any queries.
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Dialogue Youth
A Dialogue Youth National Support Unit has been established by COSLA, based at Rosebery
House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh. The Unit provides support to dedicated Dialogue
Youth Units located within each local authority area.
‘Amongst other things the Dialogue Youth Unit will:
• Develop outreach information points - a new technology infrastructure in appropriate
premises across the council area, eg, libraries, cyber cafés
• Act as a resource and research base on youth issues and youth planning consultants
to community planning partners, sharing information and good practice
• Stimulate and assist the development of partnership and collaborative action on youth
issues and services
• Develop direct contact with young people through a partnership with Young Scot new
technology based services (SmartCard, Portal, e-mail and text messaging) and through
support to existing youth participation and consultation structures (pupil councils,
youth forums, Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament)’.
www.dialogueyouth.org
appendix
Dialogue Youth is a major national initiative supported by the Scottish Executive and COSLA
(Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) to promote cross-departmental and joint agency
approaches to the development and delivery of services for young people. It has been in
place since March 2004. Dialogue Youth Units are being established in councils across
Scotland to support councils and their community planning partners. Specific projects
supported by Dialogue Youth include developing a local youth card based on the existing
Young Scot card and supporting existing youth information networks.
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Youth Councils/Forums/Partnerships
These forums are often linked in some way to the local authority. They usually have
a connection with all of the organisations within an area which work with or for young
people. They are usually established to encourage young people to meet on a regular
basis to consider issues affecting the way they live in their community and take these
issues up with the organisations there.
In Highland there is a very large forum, Highland Youth Voice, an elected parliament
of 70 young people from throughout the Highlands. On the Youth Voice website,
Highland Council states ‘we want to make sure that young people have a say in
issues that affect us and also take action on issues that we think are important’.
www.highlandyouthvoice.org
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appendix
Connect Youth
This is a network of organisations working with young people in statutory and voluntary
sectors. Its purpose is to share practice, debate and develop strategy, and influence policy
in relation to youth participation in Scotland. The network also aims to engage with young
people themselves at local and national levels, bringing them together and supporting
them to address the issues affecting their lives.
Designated youth workers known as ‘Connect Youth Co-ordinators’, represent each
organisation on the network. At the time of writing, a wide range of field workers, policy
officers and managers are involved.
YouthLink (see above) supports Connect Youth. On their website there is an agreement
which outlines what it means to be a Connect Youth member organisation. It details the
current Connect Youth priorities, the role of Connect Youth Co-ordinators and provides
organisations with the opportunity to sign up to the network. The membership directory
is also on this website.
To find out where your nearest local youth council or forum is, contact YouthLink Scotland
on 0131 313 2488. SIGNPOST
The Children’s Parliament was launched in 2001. It is for anyone aged up to 14 years old
‘who thinks that what children think matters’. Its main aim is to promote the importance
of children as Scotland’s youngest citizens. ‘The core of the Children’s Parliament is the
national network of groups - the aim being to have 20 groups of 20 children meeting
throughout Scotland by the Spring of 2007’ (The Children’s Parliament - 2004).
The Children’s Parliament is based at New Parliament House, 5-7 Regent Road,
Edinburgh EH7 5BL. Tel 0131 558 9030. Email info@tcp.eclipse.co.uk
Website www.childrensparliament.org.uk SIGNPOST
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This list aims to explain simply terms used in the text which may not be familiar to
young people. You will be able to refer to it or use it when working with young people.
Abstract Concept - An idea that is based on general ideas and not on any
particular thing or situation
Accountable - Being responsible for certain decisions or actions, and being
able to explain them
Acronyms - A kind of abbreviation formed by taking the first letters from
words that are too long to use comfortably, often the name of an
organisation. For example RSPCA stands for the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Activist - A person who works to improve a situation or something.
For example a community activist works to improve the community
he or she lives in
Agenda (i) - A list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting
Agenda (ii) - This can also mean that an individual or group of people have
in mind something they want to achieve or a certain way they would like
something to progress
Allies - Individuals, or groups, working together to achieve the same aims
Analytical - Breaking an idea or problem into manageable parts in order
to understand it better
Beneficiary - Someone who benefits or gains from something
Community Planning - The process where a local authority and partner
organisations come together to plan, provide and promote the wellbeing
of their communities. It promotes the active involvement of communities
in the decisions on local services which affect people’s lives including,
for example, health, education, transport, the economy, safety and
the environment
Components - One of several parts of a project
Confidential - In this context relating to information which is not shared
with others unless there is an absolute need. For example if it is felt
that a young person is in danger in some way
COSLA - Convention of Scottish Local Authorities - This organisation
acts as a central point, and provides leadership, for local government
in Scotland and all of the local authorities (another name for councils).
Two of their roles are to increase the role and influence of local
government and to strengthen community support for local government
Consensus - An opinion that all members of a group agree with
Consolidated - To make a position or a piece of work stronger - so that
it is more likely to continue
Constituencies - A district that elects a representative to parliament
Constitution - This document states what the overall aims and objectives
of an organisation are and outlines the roles of the organisation’s
key members
Best Interests - This simply means behaving in a way which is most
beneficial for the people involved. For example, an outing may be
cancelled due to unruly behaviour even although those attending
may wish to continue, because of the risks to the person concerned
or others in the group
Council - A group of people who are elected to govern a city or part of
a country, for example, City of Edinburgh Council and Highland Council
Bill - This is a written suggestion for a new law that is presented
to a country’s parliament, so that its members can discuss it
Councillors - Someone who is elected to represent a specific area - such
as part of a town
By-Law - A law that is made by a local authority and that applies
only to that area
(Councillor’s) Surgery - A time when people can meet their councillor
or Member of Parliament to ask questions and get help or advice
Campaigning - A series of planned activities to support a particular cause.
For example, the Scottish Executive periodically has campaigns relating to
health and public safety such as driving over the stipulated alcohol limit
Critical Thinking - Questioning issues, especially those which directly
affect you, rather than accepting them unthinkingly
Child Protection - The broad definition from the UNCRC (see below) is
anything a child has the right to be protected from which individuals or
institutions (see below) do, or fail to do, which directly or indirectly harms
children or damages their prospects of safe and healthy development into
adulthood. There is a formal child protection system, based on law, which
spells out the different roles and responsibilities people and organisations
have in protecting children. See “It’s Everyone’s Job to Make Sure I’m
Alright” Report of the Child Protection Audit and Review, 2002 by the
Scottish Executive, available on its website. SIGNPOST
Citizenship - Having the right, and the opportunity, to be included in
making decisions and in discussions, which affect you, the way you live
and the life of your community
Constituted - A group of people or an organisation that have a
constitution (see above)
Cross-Departmental - Across different parts of a local authority.
For example, the Housing and the Social Work department working
on an issue together
Delegate - A person who is chosen, or elected, to represent the views
of a group, and who can often make decisions for them
Democratic Structures - where decisions affecting everyone are made,
controlled by people who have been fairly elected (or voted in),
for example, the government
Devolved - Power or authority no longer comes from one central point it is passed on to smaller or more localised groups. In this case, the UK
Government in Westminster, London, passed some of the power or
control to Scotland and the Scottish Executive (see below) was created
Client Group - A specific group of people who use the services of specific
types of organisations - for example, young homeless people or people
with hearing problems
Duty of Care - When an organisation or its representatives employ or
provide specific services for individuals, they must show this. For example,
when young people use a council youth service the council automatically
has certain responsibilities for their welfare
Coalition - A government formed by two or more political parties
working together
Dynamics - The reaction (usually a group’s), or the type of behaviour,
in response to a certain situation
Collaboratively - Working together with another person or group
of people
Economic Development - This can be quite complex, but is vital for
community development - on a basic level, it means a range of activities
which help a community to grow and thrive by more money being
invested or coming into the area. For example, training and support into
employment incentives for companies to base themselves there.
Collective Action - More than one individual, or more than one
organisation, working together to achieve the same aim
Communities of Interest - People who come together based on common
interest such as disability or belonging to a particular ethnic group.
They don’t necessarily live in the same neighbourhood as opposed
to geographical communities who live in the same area
Community Development - Working together to help people living in a
community to identify their own needs, rights, options and responsibilities,
and support them in organising and taking action together to increase
their quality of life and control over decisions affecting them. For example,
action to improve access to services or physical amenities in the local area
Community Directory - A directory of organisations and business for
a local area (like a mini Yellow Pages)
jargon buster
Acrostic Poem - A form of poem in which the first letter of each line forms
a word relating to the theme of the poem
glossary of terms
What do they mean?
Executive Civil Servants - Employees of the Scottish Executive (see below),
who help to run it on a day to day basis, and are accountable to
Scottish Ministers
Equal Opportunities - Everyone must be treated equally regardless of their
individual circumstances. For example, everyone involved must be given
the same chance to take part in something
‘First Past the Post’ - This means that, to become a Member of Parliament,
all a candidate has to do is to gain more votes than any rival standing for
election in the same constituency. There is no requirement for a candidate
to win the overall majority of the votes cast
Focus Group - A small group of people specifically chosen to give their
views about a particular subject
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Ground Rules - The basic rules for the smooth running of a group and
the health and safety (see below) of group members
glossary of terms
Health and Safety - Usually a set of guidelines or rules to ensure the
well-being of anyone in a public area, venue or work-place, based in law
Housekeeping - This is the term used when introducing a group of people
to an unfamiliar building. Housekeeping duties include explaining
the procedures if the fire alarm should sound, where the toilets are
and if there is a smoking policy (for policy, see below)
Human Rights - The basic rights that everyone has as human beings,
for example, to be treated fairly, especially by their government
Ice-Breaker - A game or exercise which usually takes place at the beginning
of a meeting or other activity, the purpose being to make people feel
more relaxed with each other
Idea Storming - Usually done in a group. Noting down comments
which come to mind about a particular subject as quickly as possible.
Discussion of comments takes place afterwards
Inclusion - Ensuring that everyone has an equal right to play a full part in
society regardless of barriers which they may face, such as unemployment,
high crime environments, bad health or family breakdown
Independent Candidates - A person who is standing for election but
is not attached to any particular political party
Institutions - public bodies with specific responsibilities
Key Concepts - The most important ideas or components of a project
Legislation - A law or a set of laws passed by a country’s parliament
jargon buster
Local Authority Youth Services - Youth clubs and associated services
provided by a council or local authority for young people
MP - A member of the UK Parliament
Mapping - Sometimes called a ‘Mapping Exercise’ - This is usually when
you wish to find out how many of a particular item exists. For example
this could be in a geographical area, such as play-parks within your
local authority.
Ministers - A senior member of a government who is in charge
of a government department or a branch of one.
Negotiation - Discussion between people who are trying to reach
an agreement
Networks - Closely connected group of people, with one or more things
in common, that exchange information
Qualitative Research - Information about a specific topic which
is descriptive and tends to have more depth of meaning than
quantitative data
Regeneration - Action which leads to the solving of problems in areas
which are experiencing social exclusion (see below). This action aims
to achieve a lasting improvement in the physical, economic, social and
environmental nature of an area.
Regulations - Official rules made by a government or another authority
Representation - Formal statements made to someone in authority,
usually in order to make your opinions known or to protest
Rights of Way - Legal permission to go onto or through another
person’s land
Risk Assessments - Assessment of possible difficulties or problems which
may arise during a particular situation, for example an ‘off site’ trip
or special event. Assessing what may go wrong/arise helps organisers
to be vigilant, prepared and take action to minimise risks
Road Map - A strategy or plan - often done in a graphic ‘easy to grasp’
format with simple illustrations, usually showing the tasks or results
over time
Rural - Connected with the countryside or a geographical area which
has a low population
Safe Working Practices - Ensuring that appropriate health and safety
measures have been addressed
Safer Routes to School - Guidance has been set by the Scottish Executive
(1996) on how to run a ‘Safer Routes to School Scheme’. ‘It is intended
as a tool kit of measures for everyone involved in the journey to school...
provides practical advice to children, parents, teachers,
local authorities, the police and transport operators about the role
they can play’. (Scottish Executive website)
Scottish Executive - The Scottish Executive is the devolved (see above)
government for Scotland. It is responsible for most of the issues of
day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education,
justice, rural affairs, and transport
Social Exclusion - When individuals or areas experience a range of
problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing,
crime, poor health and family breakdown resulting in people or areas not
benefiting from the opportunities enjoyed by most people in society
Stakeholders - Individuals, groups or organisations with an interest (stake)
in what happens within a project, programme, development or community
State - The government of a country or a particular geographical region
Non Discrimination - Treating everyone equally
Statutory - Something that must be carried out by law
Office Bearer - A person who holds a particular position in the board
or management committee of an organisation, for example, the treasurer
looks after financial matters
Strategy - A plan which needs to consider issues which are relatively
complicated and which will also state the aims and usually how to
achieve the aims
Official - A person in authority who has specific responsibilities to carry
out, for example, who works for the council
Survival and Development - In the context of the UNCRC (see below)
a child should have the right to life and to develop as fully as is possible
Parental/Guardian’s Consent Form - This is a form which a parent/guardian
should complete if a child is to take part in a one-off activity or a regular
group. As well as giving consent for the child to take part - the form will
also require the parent/guardian to fill in other information, for example,
medical information or consent to taking photographs of the child
SPICE - Social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional play
Participation - In the context of children and young people, this means
they are given opportunities to think for themselves, being involved in
decisions that affect them. This includes being able to actively take part
in the community where they live or the community of interest they
belong to (see above, and information sheet in Section One about the
UNCRC - see below)
Parliament - The group of people who are elected to make and change
the laws of a country
Planning Process (i) - Time spent working out what it is that you would like
to achieve and deciding upon the best way to reach that achievement
Planning Process (ii) - The process which takes place with a council’s
planning department, relating to creating new or changing buildings
in the area
Policies - Putting in place certain ways of working, or behaving,
and agreeing to follow these
Policy and Procedure - Guidelines or rules that organisations often follow.
These could be about all sorts of things for example, health and safety,
treating everyone as equals, or how to complain about a service
Public Policy - Ideas about how to address an issue which are put into
practice, usually in the form of laws or guidance by the government,
at national or local level (see council above)
Purposes and Objects - What the organisation has been created to
achieve - a statement of why the organisation exists
158
Quantitative Data - Information about a specific topic which is numerical
or can be converted into numbers, percentages etc. For example,
the number of children attending a group
Time Line - A planning tool split into specific sections (for example months
or years) showing significant events or milestones over time
Tokenism - Doing something to satisfy others - but not in a way which
is sincere or meaningful
United Nations - An association of many countries which aims to improve
economic and social conditions and to solve political problems in the
world in a peaceful way
UNCRC - This is a set of rights which ALL people under 18 have.
Recognised by countries at an international level. In December 1991
Urban - Connected with a town or a city, a geographical area with
a high population
Ward - Areas into which a city is divided and which elects and
is represented by their local councillor (see above)
Article 2
You have the right to protection against
discrimination. This means that nobody can treat
you badly because of your colour, sex or religion,
if you speak another language, have a disability
or are rich or poor.
Article 3
All adults should always do what is best for you.
Article 4
You have the right to have your rights made
a reality by the government.
Article 5
You have the right to be given guidance by
your parents and family.
Article 6
You have the right to life.
Article 7
You have the right to have a name and
a nationality.
Article 8
You have the right to an identity.
Article 9
You have the right to live with your parents,
unless it is bad for you.
Article 10
If you and your parents are living in separate
countries, you have the right to get back
together and live in the same place.
Article 11
You should not be kidnapped.
Article 12
You have the right to an opinion and for
it to be listened to and taken seriously.
Article 13
You have the right to find out things and say
what you think, through making art, speaking
and writing, unless it breaks the rights of others.
Article 14
You have the right to think what you like and
be whatever religion you want to be, with your
parents guidance.
Article 15
You have the right to be with friends and join
or set up clubs, unless this breaks the rights
of others.
Article 16
You have the right to a private life. For instance,
you can keep a diary that other people are not
allowed to see.
Article 17
You have the right to collect information from
the media - radios, newspapers, television, etc from all around the world. You should also be
protected from information that could harm you.
Article 20
You have the right to special protection and
help if you can’t live with your parents.
Article 21
You have the right to have the best care for you
if you are adopted or fostered or living in care.
Article 22
You have the right to special protection and
help if you are a refugee. A refugee is someone
who has had to leave their country because
it is not safe for them to live there.
Article 23
If you are disabled, either mentally or physically,
you have the right to special care and education
to help you develop and lead a full life.
Article 24
You have the right to the best health possible
and to medial care and to information that
will help you to stay well.
Article 25
You have the right to have your living
arrangements checked regularly if you have
to be looked after away from home.
Article 26
You have the right to help from the
government, if you are poor or in need.
Article 38
You have the right to protection in times of war.
If you are under 15, you should never have to
be in an army or take part in a battle.
Article 39
You have the right to help if you have been
hurt, neglected, or badly treated.
Article 40
You have the right to help in defending yourself
if you are accused of breaking the law.
Article 41
You have the right to any rights in laws in your
country or internationally that give you better
rights than these.
Article 42
All adults and children should know about this
convention. You have a right to learn about your
rights and adults should learn about them too.
This is a simplified version of the UNCRC.
It has been signed by 193 countries.
The convention has 54 articles in total.
Article 43 - 54 are about how governments
and international organisations will work
to give children their rights.
Article 27
You have the right to a good enough standard
of living. This means you should have food,
clothes and a place to live.
Article 28
You have the right to education.
Article 29
You have the right to education which tries
to develop your personality and abilities as
much as possible and encourages you to
respect the environment.
Article 30
If you come from a minority group, because
of your race, religion or language, you have
the right to enjoy your own culture, practice
your own religion, and use your own language.
UNCRC
Article 1
Everyone under 18 has all these rights.
articles 1 - 42
The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child
Article 31
You have the right to play and relax by doing
things like sports, music and drama.
Article 32
You have the right to protection from work
that is bad for your health or education.
Article 33
You have the right to be protected from
dangerous drugs.
Article 34
You have the right to be protected from
sexual abuse.
Article 35
No-one is allowed to kidnap you or sell you.
Article 18
You have the right to be brought up by your
parents, if possible.
Article 36
You have the right to protection from any
other kind of exploitation.
Article 19
You have the right to be protected from being
hurt or badly treated.
Article 37
You have the right not to be punished
in a cruel or hurtful way.
From Partners in Rights, Save the Children.
SIGNPOST
SIGNPOST
159
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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160
Where Else to Get Help Other Information and Resources
SAVE THE CHILDREN
www.savethechildren.org.uk/scotland
Including more materials from the Community Partners Programme.
SECTION 1
Disclosure Scotland - www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
Safe and Sound, Youth Scotland
This child protection resource takes into account legislation introduced through the Police
Act (1997) and the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003. It is split into two sections.
The first is a booklet that contains background information, good practice ideas and briefing
sheets. The second section contains a wide range of sample forms that groups can adopt
and/or adapt. The forms are also provided on a CD Rom.
Affiliated groups - free
Non affiliated groups - £15.00 (at time of going to press)
Keep It Real - The Participation Pack for Youth Groups, Youth Scotland
This is a resource pack promoting youth participation. It is the result of a collaboration
between Youth Scotland and Save the Children. In this pack Youth Scotland uses the word
participation to mean ‘young people’s involvement in decision-making in their group’.
This pack has been designed to offer something to volunteers, paid youth workers and
young people alike.
Affiliated groups - £5.00
Non affiliated groups - £15.00 (at time of going to press)
Getting Started, Youth Scotland
This leaflet outlines key areas in the running of a youth group. It provides a checklist
of questions and provides details of support available. Four of the main areas looked
at are planning, people, premises and programmes.
Free for affiliated and non affiliated groups
where else to get help other information and resources
SIGNPOST
signposts
Signposts
Youth Scotland, Balfour House, 19 Bonnington Grove, Edinburgh, EH6 4BL
0131 554 2561
office @youthscotland.org.uk
www.youthscotland.org.uk
CD Rom - Streetwise - Thinking on Your Feet: Outreach and Detached Work
with Vulnerable Young People, Princes Trust
Available free of charge
Joe Napier (contact name at time of going to press), Administrator
The Prince’s Trust - Scotland
0141 225 3387
joseph.napier@princes-trust.org.uk
www.princes-trust.org.uk
161
SECTION 2
Ladder of Participation Tool
Hart R.A. (1992) Children’s Participation: from Tokenism to Citizenship
Innocenti Essays No 4 UNICEF, Florence
www.unicef-icdc.org
Incentive Plus
Issue based board games
Great Horwood, Milton Keynes, PO Box 5220
01908 526 120
Bored Meetings - Meeting Skills for Young Decision Makers
Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership, F/1 Timberbush, Edinburgh, EH6 6QH
0131 555 5111
www.youthinclusion.org
INFORMATION PAGE
signposts
More information on accessing computers
digitalinclusion@scotland.gsi.gov.uk - Digital Inclusion Team,
Scottish Executive, Area 3 -G80, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6
www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/webaccess/
Search engines
www.google.co.uk
www.yahooligans.co.uk
www.ajkids.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc
Websites on government in Scotland and the UK
www.scotland.gov.uk and www.juniorexec.gov.uk
www.scotland.parliament.uk
www.parliament.uk
www.younggov.ukonline.gov.uk
Internet safety
www.nch.org.uk/itok
Learning to use the internet
www.fkbko.co.uk
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
www.gridclub.com - also mentioned in Activities Section Two
162
Barnardo’s (Paisley) Threads Snakes and Ladders
At the time of going to print, the pack is available to purchase at £600 + VAT.
Training sessions can also be booked.
0141 333 0200
www.barnardos.org.uk
SECTION 3
re:action Consultation Toolkit - a Practical Toolkit for Consulting with Children and
Young People on Policy Issues, Sarah Madden, Save the Children, 2001
Practical guide looks at how to consult children and young people on policy related issues,
setting out a ten-stage framework.
CASE STUDY
ISBN 1841870404
YouthLink Scotland
Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5EZ
0131 313 2488
Email: info@youthlink.co.uk
www.youthlink.co.uk
UK Youth - www.youth.org.uk
Youth Scotland - www.youthscotland.org.uk
Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) - www.scvo.org.uk
Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) - www.vds.org.uk
signposts
Save the Children Scotland Programme
Haymarket House, 8 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR
0131 527 8200
HOME ZONE CASE STUDY
www.homezonenews.org.uk
Other useful websites
Changing Streets - www.timebank.org.uk
Creative Spaces - www.creativespaces.org.uk
Homezone Challenge - www.homezoneschallenge.com
163
APPENDIX
STATUTORY OR VOLUNTARY - A QUICK DEFINITION
Scottish Local Government Information Unit (SCGIU)
5th Floor, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6H5
THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Save the Children UK - www.savethechildren.org.uk
Article 12 Scotland - www.article12.org
Citizens Advice Scotland - www.citizensadvice.org
Lothian Association of Youth Clubs - www.layc.org.uk
Inland Revenue Charities - www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk
signposts
The Scottish Charities Office - www.crownoffice.gov.uk
The Directory of Social Change - www.dsc.org.uk
The Big Lottery - www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Councils of Voluntary Services - www.cvsscotland.org.uk
European Union - www.europa.eu.int
Shell Better Britain Campaign - www.sbbc.co.uk
STATUTORY BODIES - LOCAL COUNCILS OR LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Neighbourhood Statistics Section of the Scottish Statistics website www.scotland.gov.uk/stats
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities - COSLA - www.cosla.gov.uk
SPECIAL STATUTORY INITIATIVES
The A -Z of Scottish Local Government - SOLACE 2003 (Supported by COSLA)
Available from www.cosla.gov.uk
Communities Scotland www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk
Precis no.53: a summary series of research (2004)
Community or Integrated Schools www.scotland.gov.uk/education/newcommunityschools
164
The Scottish Executive - www.scotland.gov.uk
The Scottish Youth Parliament
Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5EZ
0131 313 2488
info@scottishyouthparliament.org.uk
www.scottishyouthparliament.org.uk
Young Scot
Rosebery House, 9 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5E2
Info@young scot
Dialogue Youth
Dialogue Youth National Support Unit, located in COSLA’s offices - see Young Scot above
www.dialogueyouth.org
THE BIGGER PICTURE
New Parliament House, 5-7 Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5BL
0131 558 9030
icparliament@hotmail.com
www.childrensparliament.org.uk
OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES, CONTACTS AND WEBSITES
Resources and Contacts
PARTICIPATION
Participation - Spice It Up! - TOOLKIT
Shepherd, Carol and Treseder, Phil, Save the Children
Toolkit of methods full of practical tools and ideas for engaging children and young
people in decision making. It includes background information; values, practice and issues;
practical activities to involve and engage young people and resources
Available from: NBN International, Estover Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PY
signposts
Highland Youth Voice - www.highlandyouthvoice.org
ISBN 1841870625
Hawthorn Our Place
Children’s Inclusion Partnership (CHIP), Ardoch House, 25 Ardoch Street, Glasgow, G22 5QG
0141 336 8612
165
RIGHTS
Right Directions - A Peer Education Resource on the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (1999), Save the Children/Guide Association
Guide to help young people think about their rights through a range of fun and lively
activities based around UNCRC. The activities cover a wide range of important youth issues
such as bullying, discrimination, poverty, homelessness, health and expressing an opinion.
Available from: NBN International, Estover Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PY
ISBN 085260 161 1
A Guide to Rights (1994), Save the Children
Written by young people for young people, this booklet summarises and clarifies the UNCRC.
The articles are grouped together to make them easier to understand and to relate them
to real life situations that affect young people. This resource should be of interest to young
people, practitioners working on children’s rights and those who want to promote the
UNCRC in their work.
Available from: NBN International, Estover Road, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 7PY
signposts
ISBN 1 87032 291 6
Partners in Rights, Save the Children
Creative activities exploring rights and citizenship for 7 -11 year olds. Using the creative
and expressive arts, and drawing on the experiences and insights of young people
in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the UK.
Save the Children, Education Unit,1 St. John’s Lane, London, EC1 4AR
ISBN 184187027 7
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Scottish Executive
Leaflet guide for young people
www.scotland.gov.uk
The Rights Stuff (no longer available in print), Amnesty International
Quigley, Padraig and Kelly, Kevin
Development education resource for Amnesty International Youth
YOUTH WORK
Gamesters Handbook
Brandes, Donna
Publisher - Nelson Thornes
ISBN 0748703416
CHILD PROTECTION
It’s Everyone’s Job to Make Sure I’m Alright - Report on Child Protection Audit and Review,
Scottish Executive, 2002
www.scotland.gov.uk
166
PARTICIPATION
Carnegie Young People Initiative - www.carnegie.org.uk
Promotes the involvement of young people 10 to 25 in public decision-making.
Purpose and objectives of the organisation includes practice of participation in the UK,
young people’s involvement, research and policy development, advice and networking
and funding. Sections on site include useful resources, news and events and publications.
Speakout! - www.citizen.org.uk/speakout
European Citizenship website gives young people aged 15 to 18 the opportunity
to speak out on issues that matter to them, and to participate actively in the development
of European democracy.
Websites
Commissioner for London, Office of Children’s Rights www.londonchildrenscommissioner.org.uk
Generally relevant to children and young people in the London area, but includes excellent
sections relevant to children UK wide such as a quiz, cartoons, ‘jargon buster’, reading list
and links page. There is also information about the role of a children’s commissioner.
The Rights Site and Voices of Youth, UNICEF UK’s youth web-site
www.unicef.org
Children and young people can learn about their rights and how UNICEF promotes
children’s and young people’s rights across the globe. Site includes current issues and
an information section.
Save the Children Canada - Children’s Section - www.savethechildren.ca/en/kidsarea
YOUTH WORK
Games website - www.humanpingpongball.com
signposts
RIGHTS
167
notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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168
Save the Children fights for children in the UK and
around the world who suffer from poverty, disease,
injustice and violence. We work with them to find
lifelong answers to the problems they face.
Save the Children delivers immediate and lasting
improvements to children’s lives worldwide. We
work in more than 60 countries, including the UK.
We are also a member of the International
Save the Children Alliance, which consists of
27 independent, national Save the Children
organisations working in around 115 countries
to improve children’s lives.
across Scotland
For further copies of this publication contact Joyce Sperber
Haymarket House 8 Clifton Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5DR
Tel 0131 527 8200 Fax 0131 527 8201
Email j.sperber@savethechildren.org.uk
© Save the Children 2005 Registered Charity No.213890
DESIGNED & PRODUCED HGDesign INNERLEITHEN

Improving your community

Transcription

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