A Case Study Analysis of the Experiences of Young People Formerly Involved in a Youth Participation Project Alison Body (Canterbury Christ Church University) & Eddy Hogg (University of Kent)

Why this research? The importance of charities to the lives of individuals and households (CAF, 2014) Housing associations and community cohesion as key functions of charities in individuals’ lives There is little research which seeks to explore the life journeys of beneficiaries

What do we already know? Young people aged 16 to 25 are the most likely to volunteer of any age range (Cabinet Office, 2015) Transitioning teens: from family to independence Beyond the market and the state: what can charities offer? Youth engagement also has future benefits – early experiences are vital

What we did Partnership with a housing association We talked to over 20 participants and formally interviewed 10 Each interview lasted approximately 1 hour We transcribed and analysed the results looking for themes, patterns and tensions in the data

Overview: Participants pathways Outputs for the 10 interviewees: 4 still involved/ engaged with the charity (volunteer/ employed) 4 have been employed by the charity 6 work(ed) in social welfare sector in last year All but 1 volunteered within the last year 9 of the 10 are currently employed, studying or in training

Overview: Participants pathways Participants highlighted the following outcomes as a result of being part of the charity: the importance of advocacy and mechanisms for having a voice increased confidence levels a desire to support others had been supported at times of crisis a strong desire to ‘give back’

The key ingredients: Relationships Ongoing support and relationships are key ingredients for success. Separate projects didn’t register with young people, rather one consistent service. The relationship with key individuals and enabled young people to feel safe and able to share their thoughts and feelings. Relationships were without doubt the single biggest and most important key ingredient for success. The interviewees identified much more strongly with people rather than projects, trusting the individuals they worked with rather than the larger organisation. Establishing this trust and long term relationship was absolutely fundamental to the positive long term impacts experienced by individuals; majority of the participants engaged in this research experienced at some point some challenges in their life, because of the established relationships with key individuals at West Kent Extra, the organisation acted as a pillow which caught them and helped them deal with the situation, rather than potentially spiral. We could have picked out a dozen quotes from the interviewees to illustrate this, but I do feel it summarised perfectly in this one…

They changed my life... if it wasn't for them then I wouldn't be half the person that I am now... it started my journey and I'm still on this journey, but back then I had no support, I had so many issues... these guys saved me

The key ingredients: Having a voice The charity had a strong focus on giving young people a voice This emphasis had a clear lasting impact Participants expressed strong sense of achievement in accomplishments achieved Young people participating in forums showed a strong desire to continue ‘having a voice’ and engage in local and wider politics The concept of giving people a voice was also a strong factor. Highlighted as key strand of West Kent Extra’s work, evidence of the long term impacts of this approach dominated the findings. There was a strong sense of pride in what participants had achieved, alongside a lasting desire to continue to have a voice and engage in community based issues and wider debates.

So for example we had involvement in how a centre was built, we went along to all these [multi-agency] meetings but I didn't feel we, as young people, really got a say. I still think young people’s involvement is tokenistic and not really valued for our actual opinions….. In decision making youth could still be considered a lot more... we still don't get the same say as other groups in society.

The key ingredients: New experiences New experiences emerged as an important factor Ranged from being something they felt proud of and enjoyed, to identifying key and life changing experiences All the participants identified trips as significant events in increasing their confidence and giving them new opportunities Access to equipment and support to pursue new opportunities Participants in this research also consistently highlighted the opportunity to experience new things, places and activities as an important part of their journey with West Kent Extra. This varied from life transforming experiences, including trips to Africa, gaining awards and recognition, to activities in which they felt increased their confidence, including rock climbing, water sports etc to access to equipment and facilities allowing them to pursue various interests such as music and film.

Key Ingredients: Supporting Achievement All individuals raised a sense of feeling significantly and uniquely supported by the charity. Individuals highlighted a very diverse range of things they really proud of: Gaining funding and managing projects to support the community Receiving awards and recognition from external bodies Producing art, film and drama Gaining qualifications They must have seen something in me… For me one of the most interesting aspects of this research, and in some ways intangible in terms of a recipe to replicate, was the ability of the staff of West Kent Extra to ake every one involved feel valued, special and uniquely supported. Alongside this all the participants expressed a real sense of pride and achievement in what they had accomplished during their time with the charity; this ranged from gaining funding to tackle local community problems to gaining qualifications, applying for university and getting a job. This recognition of individuality and achievement created a culture where participants felt supported, valued and cared about.

Moving On… Area that was least consistent across participants A good proportion of participants still feel ‘part’ of charity: Some volunteer or are employed by charity How are departures managed? Young people moved on for a variety of reasons: Took on new opportunities Became too old for the services “Drifted away” Within this research we saw some real key areas of fantastic and valued practice consistently discussed by all participants. Though some minor areas were drawn out as potential for improvement, which we discuss more in the full report, we only saw one area which seem to present inconsistencies across all participants and this exists around exit and/or retaining strategies. The relationships built up by the staff with young people involved in West Kent Extra is by far, in our opinion, one of the most valued strengths of the organisation, however this also then presents potential challenges. Majority of the participants still felt part of West Kent Extra, and this raises challenges about how this relationship is managed. Though young people did physically move on through various means such gaining employment, moving to new opportunities, studying etc, there was a continued emotional connection to the charity. I think this is summarised beautifully in the following quote…

In this charity, you grow up through it, and when you get to a certain age you volunteer, give back, and then you may move on to be a youth worker or something… you always stick around, somehow you always remember and connect back to here. You will always be a part of it

Moving on…. Voluntary sector organisations need to consider how they support exit strategies Majority of research interviewees wanted to remain in touch in some way Exit strategies need to exist at both organisational level and individual relationship level In total 60% of the participants either worked or volunteered for the charity following being a beneficiary, but roles unclear This is a wonderful relationship and culture to create, especially in terms in building long term sustainable communities but it does of course present some challenges and West Kent Extra need to consider how they both support exit strategies and facilitate a way for participants to keep in touch. There also needs to be some consideration of how this achieved at the individual level and organisational level. Furthermore majority of the participants express a desire to continue to volunteer and ‘give back’, encouraging and supporting this, both within West Kent services and communities and wider, encourages longer term community impact. Where individuals had remained involved in the charity, after moving on from being a young person or beneficiary, the findings do suggest there was some confusion and blurring of boundaries about their role in the charity.

Lasting Impacts for Individuals Participants identify their time with the charity as life changing Participants demonstrated a strong inclination to help others and support young people to ‘grow and develop’ Other lasting impacts identified included: Increased confidence, self awareness, pride and ambition Employment, volunteering and training opportunities Constructing identity and ‘who I wanted to be’ So onto the lasting impacts, firstly at an individual level… the participants consistently expressed their time with west kent extra and wider involvement in west services as life changing and personally significant to them. From a research perspective it was also really interesting and encouraging to note a real sense of inclination to help others and give back. All of the participants, spoke unprompted by us, about a recognition and desire to help other young people who may be in a similar position to what they would have been. Alongside this other notable lasting impacts included increases in confidence levels, self awareness, pride and ambition; alongside hard outcomes such as progression into employment, volunteering and training opportunities. Perhaps for me though of the most interesting outcomes was how much the experiences with west kent extra had helped the participants and played such an important part in their helping them to construct their identity, both in terms of who they are now and who they want to be. Another great quote illustrating some of this is…

And you know what, I know it sounds silly, but I just kept looking around me and seeing how much all these guys were developing and really changing and I was really proud of them…. I felt I was part of something special.

Lasting Impacts: Volunteering Young people aged 16 to 25 are the most likely to volunteer of any age range Within our cohort 9 volunteered within last year, 8 had volunteered within the last six months, and 5 volunteered on a regular basis Majority spoke of a recognition and desire to ‘give back’ to their communities There was a strong and consistent recognition of social responsibility When discussing impact it is also important to then translate what these lasting impacts mean in a wider sense. We know from existing research that if people experience volunteering and community participation at a young age, they are more likely to volunteer later on in life, and though this is obviously a very small sample, the intital findings support this, with 9 of the group volunteering in the last year, 8 in the last six months and 5 volunteer on a regular basis. As already highlighted and significantly all of the participants discussed the desire to ‘give back’ and help their communities, with a really strong and consistent recognition of the importance of social responsibility.

Lasting Impacts: Citizenship Young people’s involvement in voluntary organisations encourages them to be involved in community activities, public speaking and debate. Majority of the participants continued to advocate strongly for their and others right and beliefs. The projects offered by the charity enable young people to speak out on behalf of their communities and to affect change for themselves and others. There are also lasting impacts about in terms of citizenship. Drawing on wider research we know that young people’s involvement in voluntary organisations, especially in terms of participation and advocacy, means that they are much more likely to be involved in both local and wider politics, expressing their voice and speaking out on behalf of their communities to affect change for themselves and others

Implications for Policy and Practice Making a case for retaining youth provision for all Capturing and nurturing the desire of participants to ‘move on’ and ‘give back’ Continued development of the participation agenda Considering how voluntary sector organisations can evidence long term impact

Thank You! ali.body@canterbury.ac.uk E.Hogg@kent.ac.uk