An Eden Project Field Guide to working with young people

Working with
Young People
An Eden Project Field Guide to

Published by Eden Project Publications. © 2015.
Designed by FlyingLizard
Edited by Robert Lowe, Juliet Rose, and Mike Petty
About the author
Bran Howell has been working with young people for over 20 years,
he is a trained teacher, experienced in youth and community work and
personal development.
He helped develop Plymouth Young Persons Agenda 21, which specialised
in consulting on regeneration projects, school based projects and
working in nature with students, young offenders and families. The
project was awarded best practice status by UNEP, LGMB and WWF and
enabled Bran to work in places like Peru, Russia and Morocco.
He currently works at the Eden Project as a senior education officer
devising and delivering environmental educational programmes on site,
nationwide and abroad. He works with students, young people and
adults of all ages and is also passionate about the power of play and
introducing teachers to the joys of outdoor learning.
Images: Eden Project, Teenage Market, Steve Tanner, Sam Morgan Moore.
This book has been produced for the
Big Lunch Extras programme — the
Eden Project’s way of supporting and
enabling people to become more active
within their communities and deliver
the social change they want to see.
Eden Project Publications

Working with
Young People
Bran Howell

Contents
5
Introduction 06
Why involve young people? 10
Why should young people work with you? 14
The health and safety bit 20
Working with young people 36
Working with younger children 40
Working with schools 48
Working with teenagers and young adults 54
Working with youth groups 60
Finding out what young people want 64
Celebration 74
Evaluation 78
Getting help 82
Conclusion 86

Introduction
The official age limit for a young person is 25; that’s a
pretty arbitrary cut-off, but the important bit is the
word ‘person’. A young person, broadly speaking, is
no different from any other ‘person’. Nonetheless,
working with young people is easy for some and
more of a challenge to others; while there’s no silver
bullet or secret for success, this book offers advice
that can make things easier.
Whether you are working with schools, youth groups
or community projects, with children, teenagers or
young adults, we hope this book will help you to think
about things in a slightly different way, help dispel the
myths that we (society) have created about young
people – and have a lot of fun.
7

Young people are just as varied, individual and
complicated as anyone else. What appeals to one
may be the dullest thing in the universe to the next.
Don’t assume that because you are reaching some
young people they represent all of them.
Know your place! If you are an adult, don’t try to be
‘down with the kids’, it invites and deserves ridicule
from all concerned.
Treat young people the way you would want to
be treated and never ask them to do things you
wouldn’t do yourself.
Making mistakes is okay! You aren’t performing brain
surgery or landing a plane full of royal babies so
don’t take yourself too seriously if it all goes horribly
wrong. Apologise, laugh about it and do it differently
next time.
8
The golden rules for
working with young people

11
Why involve
young people?
Young people are our future. How we treat them is an
important indicator of the health and wellbeing of our
society.

12
Being a young person in Britain can be tough. A UNICEF
study in 2011 looked at young people in ‘rich’ countries
across the world, measuring their wellbeing in terms of
opportunities, education, quality of life, etc, and found that
Britain was the worst place to grow up.
See www.ukyouth.org
Over the last ten years the number of young people
admitted to hospital for self-harming has increased by
68% and the number aged 15-16 with depression nearly
doubled between the 1980s and the 2000s. So we have
a problem with the way we raise young people and
therefore a problem with the very building blocks of
our society.
There are too many lazy clichés and negative attitudes
towards young people and not enough emphasis on the
good stuff they do.
If you ignore the lazy clichés and actually go out there and
meet them, it won’t take long to see the positive side of
our rich vibrant youth culture. It is something we should
be proud of, not be scared of.
Young people have rights; the UN Rights of the Child,
Article 12 says:
Parties shall assure to the child who is
capable of forming his or her own views
the right to express those views freely in all
matters affecting the child, the views of the
child being given due weight in accordance
with the age and maturity of the child.

13
In other words, children should be listened to and their
opinions taken seriously, allowing for their age and
attitude.
But it takes more than big sweeping statements to shift
our society’s attitudes; it’s about individuals like you
making a difference in ways that might be small but are
nevertheless significant.
By working with young people you are helping to bridge
the yawning divide between the generations, promoting
a positive, accurate and informed image of young people,
and giving them more opportunities to show what they
can do. They deserve the best services, support and
opportunities they can get. That’s why many funders
specialise in supporting projects that benefit young people.
Working with young people will give you new insights and
fresh perspectives, new solutions to old problems. You
will witness new ways of doing things with a passion that
hasn’t been bogged down by years of ‘experience’. Ignoring
young people’s views is not only disrespectful but a huge
waste of potential.
If you have any interest in our future, and want to help
individuals who will be open and enthusiastic about
their community later on in life, nurturing them now will
pay dividends. It can require resources (time, money,
chocolate….) but as an investment it’s priceless.
And finally…
It’s also fun! Young people can be funny, idealistic, creative,
brave and passionate, so who wouldn’t want to work with
them?
“Children, after all, are not just adults-in-the-making.
They are people whose current needs and rights and
experiences must be taken seriously.“
- Alfie Kohn

15
Why should young
people work with
you?
There are lots of reasons why young people might
want to work with you; they all have their own
experiences and aspirations.

16
Some just like this sort of stuff, it’s fun.
Curiosity is a great driver and they might want to find out
what’s going on, and see if they really will be listened to or
merely to confirm their suspicion that adults never listen.
Some young people have political aspirations both locally
and nationally and will want to get involved at a grass-
roots level.
Some are passionate about youth rights and empowerment.
Others might get involved because activities like these
can give them skills and the opportunity to do things they
would never otherwise have done.
Some attend organised groups and events because they
have trouble making friends in the open field of play. Great
partnerships and alliances can be made in this arena.
Parents sometimes send their children along to broaden
their minds, keep them out of trouble or just to get them
out of the way.
Most if not all young people care about where they live,
and if it’s a tight-knit community may be related to other
people in the area.
Sometimes young people have a need or aim that isn’t
being met and will engage to promote one specific
agenda.
So, young people will have all sorts of motives for coming
along and all of them are equally valid. Each brings
something unique to the group.
Reasons why young people might
want to work with you

19
Survive and Thrive
The Eden Project worked with the Bishop’s Forum in
Cornwall to develop a 5-day programme for a group
of young people from a Cornish secondary school. The
theme was personal, local and global survival. Through
a combination of physical, mental and team challenges
– including canoeing, rock climbing, orienteering, shelter
building, camping, cooking, fire-making, the ‘Don’t forget
your leech socks’ workshop at Eden, and continued
activity back at school - the programme aimed to inspire a
deep appreciation of the natural world, and to build strong
bonds, mutual support and communication with the team.
It developed the young people’s self-esteem,
confidence, social and thinking skills – all essential to
assist in their integration into mainstream schooling or
the world of work.
© Steve Tanner

The health
and safety bit
The Health and Safety at Work Act hasn’t changed
since 1974, but think how different things are now.
It’s not Health and Safety that’s changed; it’s our
society and therefore it’s us.
21

Society has become risk-averse and at times, there seems
to be little room for a sensible and measured debate.
However, many people recognise that we also need to
consider the benefits of taking controlled and acceptable
risks. The over-used ‘because of health and safety’ excuse
can be the death knell for many a good idea.
The poor old Health and Safety Executive is blamed by
everyone for ruining everything for everyone; don’t listen,
just send them this link:
www.hse.gov.uk/myth/
It’s heartening and quite funny; it proves that there are
lots of people out there only too keen to tell you a lot of
hysterical nonsense dressed up as fact.
Firstly, try to work with existing organisations who have
already gone through the pain and use their policies and
procedures.
However, if you have to start from scratch, talk to
somebody who really knows their stuff, but be aware
there are people out there who should know better but
don’t. Go through everything methodically, making sure
that you gather together policies that are actually going
to be practical and possible in the real world. Once you’ve
gathered your tools for safe practice, they become your
allies and everything you do should become easier and safer.
The benefits of risk
Young people should be free-range not battery-reared.
Learning to take reasonable risks is an essential life skill
and a bit of risk helps children to stretch themselves, build
resilience and develop their personal, social and physical
22
Health and safety in practice

23
skills. It shows them their limits and their strengths and
teaches them about themselves in ways that nothing else
can. A life lived without risk would be really boring and
probably fairly non-productive.
Protecting young people from all risk is impossible
because life itself is risky; young people will actively
seek out risks with, or without, adults’ permission (look
at adventure sports etc. risk-seekers are common to all
societies). All the evidence suggests that young people
who aren’t allowed to take risks when they are young
will grow up to do really daft things as teenagers, so
let’s introduce it to young people in a sensible and
(sometimes loosely) supervised way.

Trip to Dartmoor
A group of primary school pupils were going to
Dartmoor. Although it was summer the weather was
properly foul so the classes were going to stay at school
and had taken off their outdoor clothes and were
settling down for some maths.
Armed with risk assessments and certificates of
competence we persuaded the teachers to relent and
took everyone out for what turned out to be a magical
day taking pictures in the rain. It wasn’t as long as
originally planned but the teachers – never mind the
pupils – were still talking about it several years later.

26
Writing risk assessments
If you are working with an organisation they will have
their own format but don’t let them do it for you. It’s really
important that you and all the young people are part of the
process.
Writing a risk assessment can never be described as fun but
it needn’t take ages and should be as simple as possible.
Risk assessments are meant to be an enabler, not a barrier
and they give permission to work within the law, doing
some really fun and sometimes risky things.
Providing you have good procedures and you follow them,
policies are there to protect you as well as the young
people and should give you confidence.
Risk assessments are just a way of formally identifying the
hazards that a person might encounter.
A hazard is something that can inflict harm to an
individual.
So burning your hand on a naked flame isn’t a hazard.
The flame is the hazard.
The risk is burning your hand.
A risk assessment is a tool to assess the severity of the
risk (i.e. how badly I get burnt and how many people are
affected) and is there to help you plan to minimize that risk.
You can’t eliminate risk completely, so the risk assessment
is a tool to help you weigh up the risks and decide whether
the activity should go ahead or not.

Risk-benefit Analysis
If you thought that was complicated let’s introduce the
concept of a risk-benefit analysis.
Risk is actually a valuable thing; so a risk-benefit analysis
asks you to look at a risk and decide whether exposing a
young person to that risk is worth the benefits.
For instance completely risk-free climbing is going to be
really dull and not teach anyone anything. (It probably
involves crawling along a level floor watching out for
splinters.) Dangling from a cliff on a rope is going to
teach young person their potential and limits; promote
teamwork, practical skills, have health benefits and be fun.
If you believe that the benefits outweigh the risks and you
proceed by working out how you can reduce the hazards
of falling off the rock face then you are managing the risk.
(It’s a licensed activity so make sure the instructors are
fully covered.)
Keep it simple. If you are using the same space and doing
the same activities repeatedly write a detailed general
site risk assessment then date and annotate it if new risks
you’ve not anticipated emerge.
If you are going outside, record any notable changes and
weather considerations on the day.
The best way to get young people to take responsibility
for their own safety is to involve them in writing the risk
assessment and guidelines themselves. Young people are
often aware of risk and are never too young to be involved
in looking after themselves.
Play England has a lot of great things to say about risk
http://www.playengland.org.uk
27

28
This bit is really important.
It should be noted that safeguarding is now the new term
for child protection, which is a shame because everyone
knew what child protection was.
Nobody should underestimate the damage that child
abuse inflicts; its damage leaves a lasting legacy and ruins
lives. We must do everything we can to stamp it out, but
to do this we need to become cleverer in our approach.
If you are working under the umbrella of another
organisation, find out what their safeguarding policies are
and familiarise yourself with them. And if they haven’t got
any, start to ask questions.
It should be noted that if you are working with young
people unearthing a child protection issue isn’t inevitable
by any means. But if you do, it’s important to follow some
simple and basic steps:
Any concerns about something you see or hear need
to be passed on to the right people: it’s the law.
Quietly talk to the group leader or teacher; it is likely
that if you have noticed something they will have
done so too. If you are still concerned or not happy
with their response call social services.
If you plan to work with young people it’s up to
you to make sure you set a good example for them
and other people you work with. We should always
be vigilant and aware of the issues but not let it
stop good practice, born from common sense and
respect for each other.
Be ready to challenge things you don’t like the
look of.
Child protection and safeguarding

There are a few general rules that apply to working with
all young people regardless of age that are really just
common sense and general best practice.
Never ever find yourself alone with a young person
either in your car, the store cupboard or the toilet
(this can happen with tiny ones). At the very least
there should be two adults and or more than one
young person present.
In school it’s against the law to be left alone with
a class (even if you have a Disclosure and Barring
Service check) unless you are a trained teacher or
member of staff.
Never make fun of a child or single him or her out.
Avoid physical contact with young people.
Don’t make lewd jokes or take part in discussions of
a personal nature.
Don’t meet up with young people outside the
official setting or encourage them to contact you
on your personal number, your Facebook page etc.
Most organisations have recognised ways to get in
contact with their groups, so follow their guidelines
or let them do it.
29

Some useful tips if you are starting your own group
or running a trip
At least one adult in the group leads on child protection,
raising awareness amongst other staff, the children and
visiting adults and parents. Talk to your local social services
about the level and style of training you need.
A designated leader is responsible for the
supervision, welfare, safety and behaviour of the
group at all times.
Make sure your organisation carries the right
insurance to run events with young people.
Ensure that the staff are qualified and experienced
to run events with young people.
Ensure that all activities are risk assessed and
checked by the designated leader of the group.
Leaders are responsible for briefing other members
of the team, carrying a confidential list of the
children in their group with any relevant details,
including health issues, emergency contact
numbers, etc. If older children (12+) are being
allowed to explore an area in small groups they
should have regular rendezvous established and
have your contact number; it’s best to have a work
phone for this situation.
It may seem daunting but it really isn’t. However, check
and check again, stay on top of any changes in the law
and keep things up-to-date. Talking to other people who
work with young people is a great way of doing this but
remember, sometimes those who have the loudest voices
know the least.
30

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Once again it should be noted that a Disclosure and
Barring Service (DBS) check is the same as the old Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) check which is a shame because
everyone knew what a CRB check was.
Almost every organisation insists that you have a check
done before you can get within a mile of a young person
in its care, even though it’s not legally necessary; there is a
lot of confusion about who actually needs one. Disclosure
and Barring Service checks are good practice but care
should be taken that they aren’t the only, or even the main
way that we protect young people in our care.
It’s pretty complicated and Scotland and Wales have their
own websites, so it’s not surprising that people often get
it wrong.
According to the Government DBS checks are only
required for:
(1) Unsupervised activities: teaching, training,
instructing, caring for or supervising children, or
providing advice/guidance on well-being, or
driving a vehicle only for children.
(2) Work for a limited range of establishments
(‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact.
For example – schools, children’s homes,
childcare premises (but not work by supervised
volunteers).
Work under (1) or (2) is Regulated Activity only if done
regularly ‘carried out by the same person frequently (once
a week or more often), or on 4 or more days in a 30-day
period, or overnight’.
For more information including a definition of a regulated
activities:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/316179/Regulated_Activity_
in_relation_to_Children__DfE_.pdf
32

33
There is nothing wrong with getting as many people
checked as possible. It’s relatively cheap and easy.
However, never assume that once somebody has a DBS
certificate you can relax and not worry about all the other
safeguarding policies.
Only 10% of all convicted paedophiles have a previous
criminal record which means that only a tiny percentage
of potential offenders actually get picked up by the DBS
system, so don’t let anyone assume a DBS check is all that
is needed to do to protect young people.
England and Northern Ireland
https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/
overview
Scotland
http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
Wales
http://business.wales.gov.uk/govuk/disclosure-barring-
service-check
Further reading and resources

34
Looking after other people’s children
If you ever find yourself looking after anyone under 18 for
any period of time, in an official or professional capacity,
you take on a higher level of legal responsibility and are
acting in loco parentis: literally ‘in place of the parent’. This
means that leaders should exercise the same care and skill
in terms of caring for that child as if for their own children.
This, unfortunately means more forms, more responsibility
and more stress; the best thing to do is always make
sure parents are around or work with a group that’s
already taken on that responsibility. Otherwise you will
need to make sure all your other policies and procedures
are in place before you take on this hot potato. The Safe
Network website is utterly brilliant at cutting through the
jargon and making it a bit clearer
www.safenetwork.org.uk
On the right is a sample Eden’s in loco parentis form for
reference.
Taking pictures
Get written permission from the parent or the young
person (honestly; they can give permission too) and
don’t publish pictures with anyone’s names or addresses
attached, ever.

35
Sample Parent Consent Form
During this event XXX is acting in loco parentis, acting in
place of a parent for minors under 18 years old or those
considered vulnerable adults.
Type of event……………………………………
Date ………………………………….
Participant details:
Parent/guardian details:
Does the young person have any medical conditions, or
take any medication?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Name age
Contact number
Address
Name
Emergency
contact number[s]
Relationship to
young person
Address if different
from above
Signature

37
Working with
young people
Working with young people can take many forms and
happen in lots of different places and spaces.

Whether the sole purpose of your project is to engage
with young people, introduce new ideas and information
or involve them as a part of a community-wide endeavour,
there are certain things than need to be thought about.
Passion and inspiration
If you aren’t inspired by what you are doing then you
can’t expect anyone else to be inspired by it.
Having introduced young people to climate scientists,
community wardens, and artists amongst others, I have
found it’s always the ones with a passion for their subject
who get the best results. Working with young people
is all about passion and enthusiasm, being inquisitive,
playful and awestruck about your thing. Young people
love enthusiasm and it will encourage them to follow you.
Faking it will work for about 10 seconds.
Confidence
However nervous you feel about a session, putting a brave
face on it will repay you in spades. If you ask young people
to join in with something (however silly) and look like you
haven’t even considered that they won’t do it, then they
are million times more likely to join in. If you look nervous
and apologetic they are going to question what you are
afraid of and ultimately challenge your ability to support
them through your time together, and that’s where the
trouble starts.
Be on time, finish on time, have everything you need
to hand and smile a lot; this instils confidence and
suggests that you are a competent and organised
person and therefore worth listening to.
Ask lots of questions and get them to do most of
the work; an endless monologue from you won’t be
interesting. See later for more on asking questions.
Find ways to include and involve everyone not just
those with the loudest voices. If a small group takes
over the rest will just turn off.
38

39
Throw praise and encouragement around liberally
when people make an effort. We live in a world that
rewards achievement over effort, buck the trend!
Be constructive with criticism and concerns.
Being playful and creative
Try to approach old ideas from a different angle; it will
surprise both you and the participants and result in a
different set of outcomes. Be colourful, bold ,and proud.
Almost anything will benefit from a carnival atmosphere.

Working with
younger children
Working with younger children can require a different
approach. Play is a really important way for younger
children to learn about the world and a great way to
get them engaged.
41

42
Assumed knowledge
The term ‘assumed knowledge’ refers to people like us
assuming that others know what we are talking about.
Think about what you want to get across and unpick
it bit by bit, to make sure everyone can follow what’s
happening. It’s essential with small and larger people alike.
Time
If you think about it; six months for a six-year-old is
proportionately a massive length of time compared with
six months to a forty-five-year-old. Make sure you factor
this in when making promises, planning projects and
talking about outcomes.
Make sure you have divided the sessions into small units
to keep an eye on progress and get everything done.
Young children generally have shorter attention spans
than adults. So don’t bang on about something for too
long, plan a varied diet of activities, styles and focus and
you will be able to throw some longer activities in along
the way.
Achieving easy things is a lot more rewarding than
failing at hard things, so don’t set the bar too high. (But
unhelpfully, patronising them with stuff that’s too easy for
them won’t help much either.)
Think about your language, especially if you are
introducing specialist topics. Acronyms and jargon alienate
and annoy!
Every child has the right to rest and leisure,
to engage in play and recreational activities
appropriate to the age of the child and to
participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
- UN Rights of the child

Play
Play is such a hugely important part of our lives. It shapes
our emotional and physical development and it bonds
people together like superglue. A childhood without proper
and varied play is not only really sad but very damaging.
Apparently the more intelligent an animal is the more their
young play; it’s clearly an important way of learning. The
more traditional view of learning: something that is done
to you, indoors and behind a desk, isn’t fit for purpose
anymore; our understanding of children’s development is
now very different.
Play is also a short cut to people’s hearts and encourages
them to say what they really mean without ruining it all by
thinking too much.
Introducing play into any session goes down well with all
ages as long as you are confident about the reasons for
including it and therefore introduce and deliver it without a
hint of nervousness or embarrassment.
And on a purely practical note: play is a great way of
engaging with children. Once you have their attention
you can find out what you need to know, teach them
something interesting or stop them doing something
stupid.
Everyone plays. We don’t really grow up we just change
shape, but as we grow up we seem to need more of an
excuse to play.
43

Free play
Play is about the only time in small persons’ lives when
they make their own rules. It teaches children to
cooperate, be imaginative and develop motor skills and
it allows them to explore the world of risk on their terms
(the only way they’ll really learn).
Loose parts
Loose parts is the term given natural and found objects,
bits of material, rope, boat fenders, pine cones, in fact
anything that isn’t inherently dangerous. They will get lost,
become scruffy and have a limited shelf-life but they are
cheaper than lots of conventional play equipment. Playing
with loose parts empowers young people, lets them
create their own scenarios and encourages them to use
their imagination and experience a deeper level of play.
Den-making is a great example of playing with loose parts.
Building dens is surprisingly good fun and it will keep the
child in all of us happy for a very long time.
There are a lot of brilliant organisations around that can offer help and
advice on incorporating play into your project.
Play England is great; they are brimming with technical information,
great ideas and are really helpful - http://www.playengland.org.uk
The National Children’s Bureau website will help you get in touch with
your local Play Association where you’ll find people who are expert
and enthusiastic practitioners - http://www.ncb.org.uk/cpis/play-
associations
And can I introduce you to a lady whose expertise enthusiasm and
dedication are astounding? Sign up to Juliet Robertson’s blog and she
will send you regular packages of ideas, contacts and lovely stories
about outdoor play. The whole Creative Star website has loads of useful
stuff in fact – www.creativestarlearning.co.uk
Nature Detectives from the Woodland Trust. Great ideas, all packaged
up in lovely clear and colourful way - www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
naturedetectives
Further reading and resources
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47
Kickstarting Kingsbridge
The Eden Project was asked by Kingsbridge Community
Action Group to help parents and children in Kingsbridge
look at their recreation ground in a new light. Prone to flash
floods and dominated by the tennis courts, the recreation
ground wasn’t regarded by children as somewhere they
would want to spend time. Kingsbridge Community Action
Group asked Eden to provide a wow factor that would draw
people in and help them find out the kind of play area that
children wanted.
The team decided to make use of some of the less obvious
places on the site and set up nets, ropes, walkways and
swings in the trees on a slope at the edge of the recreation
ground, creating an adventurous area for children to explore
and play in. Although initial plans had been to put in a play
area in front of the tennis courts, it became very clear that
children preferred to play in and around the trees, and this is
where the play features were installed.
47

Working with
schools
Working with schools can be really rewarding and
it’s a great way to reach a lot of young people at
once in a safe and structured setting, but remember:
schools have their own agenda and it’s a big one!
They aren’t just sitting around waiting for you to
pop in with a great idea.
49

If you are planning a project and the thought process
starts with, ‘We need some young people, I know, schools
are full of them’…stop and change your plan. Schools
are used to people approaching them on a rent-a-mob
mission and you won’t be doing anyone any favours.
Be clear in your own mind why you want to work with
schools and consider your proposal from their point of
view: what educational value does it have? Below are
some tips to help you engage with your local school.
Identify a lead teacher to communicate with.
Be realistic about the demands on teachers’ time
and remember their job is to teach, so they are hard
to get hold of.
Clearly lay out what you’re offering and define the
commitment required from the school.
Keep it simple and ask the school to help you plan -
they know all about running stuff in their school.
Get buy-in from the head teacher if you can.
Offer to follow-up later on.
Discuss your position in school regarding child
safeguarding, managing behaviour and permission
for taking photos or video before you start.
The rules to working in schools
Pupils respect teachers who are consistent and fair. They
might not like them or their rules but that’s not the point.
Respect is more important than friendship in the
schooliverse - gaining respect makes your life a lot easier.
Allowing young people to push the boundaries but not
cross them is a vital part of the game. However, it’s vital
that you earn respect rather than expect it.
50

Once you have mastered the dark art they call respect,
making a fool of yourself, idle banter and self-depreciation
will be fine as everyone knows where they stand.
If you come up against behaviour you don’t like, refer it to
the teacher; don’t try to be the enforcer. You don’t have
the authority and you won’t have anywhere to go with
threats and sanctions. Bear in mind that sometimes there
are real reasons for an individual’s behaviour that aren’t
immediately apparent.
Planning
Plan your session or lesson carefully. Having a framework
means those random curve balls will be a joy. But always
know where you are heading. Winging it is sometimes
brilliant but can often turn into a nightmare.
Visualise how it’s actually going to work in practical terms.
If you’re doing a photography or video project for example,
will there be people hanging around because there is only
one camera? Could you stagger the process somehow?
Will they all need your help at the same time? Could they
help each other? The more you can plan out the wobbly
bits and think about what might go wrong the more
chance you have of staying one step ahead.
Divide presentations up into sections
Talking about what you are about to do.
Doing it.
Talking about what you have done.
Your introduction to a lesson might be shorter and simpler
than you think; pupils will want to get on with it and stop
listening fairly quickly.
51

52
Delivering a session or activity
If you want young people to do something or achieve a
particular task then throwing out too many instructions
at once won’t work. Nobody listens! They may be
doing things for the first time so help them along with
confidence boosting steps and goals by breaking the
activity into small chunks so that people don’t forget what
they are supposed to do and don’t have time to go off
subject.
Remember to allow time for breaks and a change of
scene, stretching of legs etc.
Active learning
Listening to somebody talk can be a bit dull and
they’ll forget a lot of it.
Talking to each other is better and they’ll remember
some of it.
Doing things is fun and they’ll probably remember
most of it.
Timing
Being in control of the timing tells a group that you are
competent and in charge of the situation. Lessons (and
meetings) that overrun are dull, and leaving late is the last
thing that people remember and leaves a sour taste in
their mouths.
Using technology
The rules state that technology always breaks down
when you are standing in front of a group and the bigger
the group the more likely it will break. Whole school
assemblies are the worst.

53
However, the more enlightened amongst you can use
technology to bring things to life, encourage interactive
learning and offer opportunities that were unthinkable just
a few years ago.
Young people are digital natives so if you don’t know, get
them to show you how to do it.
However, don’t rely entirely on technology. Remember
that everyone loves a good story and don’t forget to allow
space and time for people to talk.
Extension activities
There are always those who finish ages before everyone
else. They tend to fall into two categories:
Those that have genuinely done the activity because
they got down to it straight away and are good at
concentrating on the task in hand.
Those that can’t really be bothered, get bored
quickly or don’t get it and want to move on.
In the case of the latter, it’s worth suggesting a bit more
rigour is required and maybe a bit of one-to-one coaching
will help engage them better.
However, an activity that can absorb these types whilst
everyone else catches up is really useful. It can be
designing a logo if you’re planning an event or getting
quotes from the rest of the class for a press release.
Avoid tidying up or photocopying activities, they will see
through this immediately.

Working
with teenagers
and young adults
Funnily enough, adults are often scared of teenagers
and I suspect that teenagers are often scared
of adults, it can cause misunderstandings and a
worrying lack of dialogue.
55

56
A recent study by the Institute for Public Policy Research
revealed that the British are less likely to berate badly-
behaved teenagers than any other European race – for
fear of violent consequences.
This makes offering teenagers a chance to engage
in positive actions and community issues even more
important.
Once again, it’s worth remembering that all teenagers are
different. Some are more approachable than others but all
are capable of every emotion and behaviour under the sun
and therefore very definitely worth working with.
Doing things seems to work better than just talking, so
make sure that there are chances for the group to use
their hands and hearts as well as their heads.
Generally teenagers would chew their own arms off
rather than stand out in front of their peers. Asking for
their ideas in front of a group of mates is only going to
work with some so make time and space for the group to
work quietly in smaller groups as well.
Teenagers have a great capacity to play and be silly, just
like everyone else, but being cool in front of your peers
can be one of the most important things in the world, so
make sure there’s no hint of being patronising. However,
image and identity are very important so playing with
these themes can produce great results.
It’s worth remembering that young people have lives
outside of your project, session or lesson and they will
bring the rest of their day into the session with them. So,
if they have had a bad day, are going through a tough time
or generally being a downright miseryguts then it will
affect how they interact with you, however utterly brilliant
and fun you are. Whilst it’s important to try, you haven’t
failed if you can’t engage with everyone.
Remember, you aren’t trying to be their best mate.

The Teenage Market
The brainwave of brothers Joe and
Tom, the Teenage Market started
life in Stockport in 2012 and is
now a regular feature in many
towns across the UK. After the
first successful Teenage Market,
the brothers were given help
and support from Stockport’s
market manager, the council
and local businesses to develop
the idea further. They created a
Teenage Market licence and have
invited towns all over the country
to become part of the national
network, sharing branding,
marketing templates and advice
to make each event a success.
Teenage markets link up with
schools, colleges and universities,
enabling vocational students in
particular to gain valuable hands-
on experience through showing
their talents in hairdressing, art,
music and fashion. Offering young
people a platform to perform,
and the opportunity to trade at
a local market has helped towns
in need of regeneration to come
back to life through attracting
and connecting with different
generations of shoppers and
visitors.
58

Working with
youth groups
Working with youth groups is very different to
working with schools and it can vary from place
to place depending on who is running the group
and where.
61

Generally speaking, older youth come and go when they
feel like it so it’s good to plan a session that can cope with
this. Devise drop in activities, which need to be simple to
explain, short and provide instant gratification.
These groups can be chaotic but rewarding. Spend some
time with a trained youth worker and you’ll admire the
way that they work; it’s an unrecognised art.
Scouts and Guides
Both movements have a really positive and interesting
outlook. They are generally keen to get involved with local
issues and are often a great source of knowledge and
skills.
They are usually pretty organised but remember they are
run by volunteers so don’t demand too much of their time.
The group hanging around in your neighbourhood
These young people are generally the hardest to engage
with. They are hanging out because they want to spend
time with each other, not you, and they will have their
own rules and protocols so a sensitive approach is
necessary.
But they can also be a brilliant source of local knowledge
and offer a real mix of young people.
Care needs to be taken when working with such an
unstructured group. Think about your own safety,
never work alone and make sure you are aware of child
safeguarding protocols.
Youth-led community projects
This is probably the hardest part of community work with
young people, but can be really exciting. Empowering
them to assess, address and campaign about issues that
matter to them is a vital part of growing up to be active
citizens, and in the long term an exercise in creating a
society that works for the people who live in it.
62

63
In its purest form young people identify an opportunity
and just get on with it. However, they often will ask for
and maybe require help, support, contacts and knowledge
on how to get things done.
As with any community project, people can get carried
away with aspirations that can outstrip all reasonable
expectations. Making sure that young people set off on an
achievable journey without taking over is a balancing act
that needs careful consideration.
If you are talking to a new and less experienced group
of young people suggest that everyone (including you)
will learn valuable lessons if they pick a small-scale short
term win to start with (and celebrate it furiously). There
is nothing worse than trying and failing the first time
around; it just proves everything the cynic in us all wants
to believe.
There are heaps of organisations that support this sort
of action and millions of great examples of successful
projects out there.

65
Finding out what
young people want
If we want young people to care about the future
then they should have a say in how it is shaped.

66
Consulting with young people
Good consultation really does treat young people’s views
with respect and it will empower, enthuse and engage
young people; it will inform the process and improve
the quality of the end result. Good consultation is an
investment in the product.
Consultation could be part of a community-wide process
or it could be just for young people. It could be in response
to needs identified by young people or part of a strategic
planning process with more ‘top-down’ drivers. There is
no right or wrong way as long as the process is open and
transparent and the young people involved are an integral
part of the process, throughout the process.
Consultation usually means changes, and if you are the
one standing up in front of a group of young people, to
them you will be the face of those changes. You also need
to be totally happy with the process and the subsequent
changes it creates. If you are happy with that role you
need to accept two things:
You may upset some people, partly because not
everyone will agree on what improving things
actually means, and partly because some won’t
want change at all. This is why consultation is
important.
You are doing something that will have a positive
affect on young people. Making change happen is
hard, which is why you don’t see everyone doing it,
but it is genuinely rewarding in ways that you will
never expect.

The golden rules of consultation
Whatever the scenario it’s important that you remember
that raising expectations is a high-risk activity and should
be approached carefully. These rules will hopefully help.
Think about the space you are using; holding a youth
consultation in the Council Chambers isn’t going
to work because young people will be out of their
comfort zone, whilst doing it in a local pub excludes
a large chunk of youth (unless you want to get into
trouble). Choose somewhere where they will feel
safe and confident and set out the space so that it
encourages chatting and interaction.
It’s almost impossible to ask for something you
don’t know about. Don’t forget that young people
have only had to time to fit a certain amount of
experiences into their lives, so it’s important to
devise ways to inspire and broaden horizons and
raise aspirations.
Young people’s self-esteem and general life
experiences will affect what they ask for. Young
people should be encouraged to aim high, but
remember there is a thin line between raising
aspirations and being unrealistic.
Asking anyone to think about the future is a big
step, keep it real and break it down into small
easily manageable chunks with a well-thought-out
process.
Don’t take prior knowledge for granted. There’s a
lot of stuff young people don’t know yet – because
they’re young. Young people are often very fuzzy
about who ‘they’ are, and how stuff gets done.
Set up a variety of scenarios where young people
can talk to each other, talk to you, or record their
thoughts alone. A varied approach will result in
richer and more interesting results.
67

Everyone is different so plan a number of different
ways to present and record information so everyone
can play to their strengths, draw, write, model, talk,
work in groups, work alone, leave time and space
for reflection etc. etc.
Set parameters. Lay out the options clearly to make
sure young people understand what is on offer
and what they can realistically suggest or ask for.
Realistic parameters will lead to a more thoughtful
and realistic discussion.
Ask young people to imagine they are other groups
in society, e.g. older people; it usually invites
different thinking and results in some really touching
and thoughtful suggestions.
Be very clear about the process, your role in it, and
how much young people’s views will be taken into
account.
Be clear about timeframes, things often take ages
to happen and a few months for young people is a
large chunk of their life so far.
If your consultation with young people is part of a
larger consultation make sure your questions (and
therefore the likely answers you get) are comparable
so they carry the same weight and influence as
everyone else’s.
Report back on the results of the consultation so
that young people feel that they are part of the
process and have been listened to.
Beware of consultation fatigue. Young people can
get blasé and disillusioned if they are asked too
many things too often, especially if it’s done badly.
If you have already made your mind up about the
outcomes then don’t pretend to consult.
68

To find out more about Eden’s approach to creative
consultation see:
www.edenproject.com/eden-story/our-ethos/creative-
community-engagement
Asking questions
Whether you are in a class running a consultation or
project managing, asking the right kind of question is the
secret key to unlocking ideas and imagination.
A closed question is one that can be answered with a
single word (yes, no, maybe) or a short phrase. They can
be a useful way to start a conversation or ask people for
facts about themselves, but they can stifle and change the
way a conversation goes by giving people the chance to
take the easy way out. It can also make young people feel
like there is a right or wrong answer to something when
there isn’t and that can really put them off. Open and
closed questions can be used together to great effect and
the right combination of both will provide you with a lot
more information. For example:
Closed question:
Adult: Do you like skateboarding ?
Young Person: Yes
Adult: Oh
Open questions to encourage dialogue:
Adult: What do you like doing with your free time?
Young Person: Well, on Mondays I like to skateboard but
on Tuesday, etc
69

71
ClayFutures School Consultation
The Eden Project was asked by the
local council to run a series of
community engagement events across
Cornwall’s ‘Clay Country’ to capture local
people’s views about a possible Eco-
Town development. To ensure young
people’s voices were heard too, the
Eden Project approached eight schools
in the area. A small group of around 10-
15 pupils from each school were selected
to take the role of Time Travellers so
they could explore the past, present and
future of their villages. Older residents
were invited to help guide the children
on a walk around their village, and a film
was made and played back to the whole
school and the wider community at the
main engagement event held in each
parish. The whole school participated
by creating models which represented
the children’s idea of the future for their
village and they wrote postcards to
themselves in the future, all of which
were put on display at the engagement
events.
© Sam Morgan Moore
71

72
This is a very common form of consultation and probably
one of the most controversial yet important processes.
If you want to create or improve a space in your
community there are a number of things to remember:
It can be some of the most rewarding community-
based work going.
It can make a massive difference to young people in
your community.
It is often what young people remember.
It’s really satisfying when it happens.
Involving everyone leads to a sense of community
ownership and the space will probably be better
cared for.
However….
Changing physical things is hard.
It takes a lot of time.
It takes a lot of resources.
It’s going to be around for a while so its important to
get it right.
Find out what young people want to do, not what
they want to have. Don’t just assume that making
something new is going to solve the problem.
When consulting about a play area, for example, asking
young people what they want to have tends to result
in shoehorning as much equipment into the space as
possible with very little thought about what they actually
want to do with it.
Consulting with young people about physical spaces

73
You may remember those Christmases when the
cardboard box gets more attention than the toy inside it;
well it’s the same with most things. Give young people a
slide and it’s a slide; give young people a box and it can be
a castle, a den, a spaceship etc.
Models
Models are great; (nearly) everyone likes making models.
Making models with a community is a great way to
understand how young people interact with their
physical spaces.
They help young people understand the spaces they
live in.
It’s a good way to start conversations about
different spaces.
It adds a physical dimension to conversations.
It helps people who struggle to create pictures from
words.
Models are a quick and accessible way to present
ideas and information back to a group.
A sense of place
Going for a wander around your community will bring
out all sorts of hidden gems. Look out for stories - tales
of derring-do, romance and naughtiness; young people
can be surprisingly open about the juicy gossip in their
neighbourhood.
This is what we call a sense of place, a common bond
between the people and the place they live; their lives and
stories are often woven into the landscape giving people
a sense of belonging. In practical terms, it promotes
community spirit. Never underestimate how important
this is. Studies have linked a lack of a sense of place to
unhappiness, alienation, crime and even racism.

Celebration
75
If it’s not worth celebrating it’s not worth doing.

Some countries seem to have festivals and national
holidays every week. We are typically backward in coming
forward on this matter in the UK and we should celebrate
stuff a lot more. The end of a community project is a great
opportunity to have a celebration.
Plan your celebration before you start. It’s as vital as any of
the form-filling that funders insist on. A celebration is how
you say thanks; you reinforce the great and positive things
about the young people who have worked together, for
themselves as well as others. It’s a chance to chat about
what everyone has done, repeat the stories that have
been discovered or created.
A good party encourages young people to come out of
their houses and chat and ultimately this will encourage
more young people to get involved next time.
It doesn’t have to be a big celebration or about anything
momentous; it could be just getting some nice biscuits for
getting to the end of a session without having to have a
fag break.
It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it means something
to those involved. It can be an ancient tradition lost in the
mists of time or something you’ve made up, who cares, all
traditions had to start somewhere. After all, nobody really
knows how old maypole dancing is, and in Cornwall the
Crantock Bale push which is a slightly crazy (and brilliant)
night, began at the turn of the 21st century.
DIY celebrations are definitely the best; making decorations,
cooking food, creating a beautiful space and tidying up
afterwards (of course) all help to make the event as
memorable and magical as possible. It will take longer
but it’s empowering for young people who may not have
done anything like this before.
76

77
Even if you have a giant party designed to show off the
project’s achievements to local communities, dignitaries
and the press, it’s always worth having a quieter version
with the ones who did all the work. It’s a valuable part of
the process and gives everyone a chance to bond and say
good bye as that particular chapter closes. This can be
especially important if there has been some friction in the
team, so don’t chicken out of doing it.

Evaluation
79
Evaluation is an essential part of any project with
young people, it will help you understand what
worked (and what didn’t) and improve your next
project.

It’s essential that you get some sort of feedback on the
things you are doing to:
Find out if the aims and objectives have been
achieved.
Know what people enjoyed and what they didn’t.
Be better next time.
And it’s always nice to get positive feedback though
everyone is different so expect a range of opinions.
There are many ways to evaluate your work; just chatting
to people involved will give you a feel, but remember
anonymous responses are usually more honest though
not always possible to get.
Here are a couple of ideas just to get you started; there are
literally hundreds of ways to do this.
Evaluation forms
These are frowned on for being dull and boring, which
they can be. But they’re good for getting a lot of empirical
data. Keep them short and remember, not everyone is
confident when it comes to reading and writing so use
clear language and offer other ways of feeding back.
Evaluation continuum
Have two points at each end of the room ‘Agree’ at one
end and ‘Disagree’ at the other.
Ask lots of different questions and get the young people to
choose where to stand along the line depending on how
they feel. (Handy hint: prepare the questions beforehand,
it’s not as easy as you might think). Remember, peer
pressure may distort results.
80

Word Pool
Ask each person to come up with a word that they feel
sums up their experience.
Video booth
Young people often feel able to confide things and provide
a thoughtful commentary on their experiences in the
privacy of a video booth.
Remember, this footage must remain private.
Passion rocks
Get everyone to write down the best bits about the
project on a big piece of paper. Then ask them to place
their rocks in piles on their favourite elements of the
project.
The bean of happiness
Place a number of pots and label them from unhappy to
ultimate happiness. Give everyone a bean and ask him or
her to put it in the pot that sums up their mood.
Personal meaning maps
Ask those involved to draw a picture of their experience.
Record what they draw and assign values to how big the
objects are and where they are on the picture.
81

83
Getting help
You’re not alone. There are lots of great projects and
organisations out there that can help.

84
There are a million brilliant projects out there with an
almost overwhelming array of great examples of good
practice. It’s always worth having a look around and
seeing if other people have approached similar issues
before.
This is by no means an exhaustive list (obviously) but
here are some that we like and have been lucky enough
to work with. Their websites are full of useful and
inspirational stuff.
Creative Minds aims to get young people involved in their
community and take part in exciting activities; it promotes
and raises awareness of mental health problems within
the wider community to reduce stigma and discrimination.
www.creativemindsproject.org.uk
Community Matters supports community organisations to
provide safe and engaging activities, services and support
that meets the needs of young people.
www.communitymatters.org.uk
DIY Toolkit: Improving your community — get children and
young people involved. This is a comprehensive guide with
lots of ideas, examples and information well worth a read.
www.savethechildren.org.uk
UK Youth
A huge and brilliant organization that has a must-see
website and lots of contacts initiatives and supportive
material.
www.ukyouth.org
Catch22
Is a social business providing services that help people
in tough situations to turn their lives around. This great
organisation is right at the coalface working with serious
issues in a compassionate and practical way.
www.catch-22.org.uk

85
Teenage market
Is all about how a simple idea can be turned into a rich,
diverse and inspirational movement.
http://theteenagemarket.co.uk
Artworks’ Young People’s Programme listens to young
people and develops projects that allow them to have a
powerful voice. Working with musicians, rappers, dancers
and artists, their performance and mentoring programmes
specialise in engaging disaffected young people and
motivating them to succeed in life.
www.artworkscreative.org.uk/community/children-
young-people-and-families/projects-with-young-people
The British Youth Council is a great place to start looking
for ideas and support. www.byc.org.uk

88
I’ve been working with young people longer than I care
to admit and people often ask me how I’m able to stay
enthusiastic and positive about environmental issues
when everyone seems to want to talk about bad news,
destruction and suffering.
I firmly believe that young people are the thing that’s kept
me sane (most of the time). When I see young people’s
enthusiasm, their idealism and their energy, when I am
surprised by their compassion and empathy, and when I
am bowled over by their passion, it rubs off.
I see them and I see a future that doesn’t look so bad.
I know that as long as we keep producing great young
people we will always have the capacity to make things
better.
I hope that one message comes from all this:
Just give it a go.
Have fun.
(So that’s two, but hey, who’s counting?)

90
Eden Field Guide series
We have created a series of Field Guides to help you plan and
create your projects and make the most of the potential in your
community. They are free to participants on our community
projects and are available to download. To find out more please
email communities@edenproject.com
Community
Food Projects
FieldGuidetoCommunityFoodProjects
t
nd
m
1
Working with
Older People
Inclusive
Communities
Inclusive communities are better
communities. An inclusive community
which welcomes diversity and
encourages and enables participation
is better placed to withstand the
challenges of the future.
This book explains what it means to
be inclusive and the methods we can
use to make sure everyone gets a
chance to join in.
FieldGuidetoInclusiveCommunities
Eden Field Guide
to Community
Food Projects
Maria Devereaux
Clare Horrell
Eden Field Guide
to Working with
Older People
Wendy Brewin
Eden Field Guide
to Inclusive
Communities
Stuart Spurring
Jane Stoneham
Eden Field Guide
to Community
Places and Spaces
Dave Chapman

Young people are our future. How we
treat them is an important indicator
of the health and wellbeing of our
society. The Eden Field Guide to
Working With Young People explains
why working with young people is
so important and provides advice on
how to go about it.

An Eden Project Field Guide to working with young people

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