Introduction

In 2018, Cassiltoun Youth Advisory Panel received £500 Seedcorn Funding with which they designed an anti-litter campaign for their community and engaged with the public at local summer fun day events. After this success, two youth members attended a full day’s Young Placechangers training. The Youth Advisory Panel was established through Cassiltoun Housing Association in Castlemilk, Glasgow. Following the training day, the Panel developed their idea of what they thought would improve their local woodland, Castlemilk Park and applied for funding to make it happen.

Young Placechangers project in a nutshell

A £3000 Ideas Fund bought 8 posts/signage and helped employ a sessional volunteer development worker. The young people were involved in signage designs, measuring distances and deciding where the signs should go.

6 young people were part of the Panel, and 9 took part in volunteering in the woodland. One achieved their Duke of Edinburgh (two others already had this) and two did their John Muir Award through Castlemilk Park Volunteers.

Because of the project, more people in their community know about the paths and where they lead to!  Fly-tipping/littering and other antisocial behaviour has reduced.

“We think this is a fantastic example of their commitment and of why participation matters. The Youth Advisory Panel, of course, don’t agree that this is amazing and are in true young person fashion pretty ‘blah’ about it, but we will showcase it so that they get the credit and praise that they deserve.” 

Community Placemaking and the Place Standard

Two members of the Youth Advisory Panel attended the Young Placechangers training day and the rest of the group used the place evaluation tools to evaluate the woodland. All Panel members gained further skills in project design, development, management, and scrutiny. They advised the Woodland Volunteer Development Worker, received regular updates and presentations, and steered the direction of the project. 

Next steps and new partnerships

The young people worked with The Friends of Castlemilk Park, Castlemilk Park Volunteers and Cassiltoun Trust on the project. The wider community have hugely benefited from this project with increased access and an increase in volunteer involvement – there are now 24 Castlemilk Park Volunteers, meaning more volunteers and better maintenance.

The success of the Young Placechangers project (and the fact that the signage remained undamaged) led to the Housing Association securing long term funding for the Volunteer Development Worker (Glasgow Community Fund) and to complete the project with an additional 38 signs (Paths for All funding)

The Youth Advisory Panel is planning a community research project, with two of the young adults interested in being trained as Community Researchers. 

Find out more here More Young Placechangers case studies

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greenspace scotland engages and empowers young people through the Young Placechangers programme.

Young Placechangers puts young people in the lead role – bringing together the wider community to look at local spaces and plan improvements. The Young Placechangers programme has used a co-production approach to develop and pilot a training and support programme enabling young people to transform both the place they live, their relationship to it and the wider community.

Young Placechangers