Pilot Project Report!!Compiled by !!

Introduction/Project Background!!The Getting Together Project is the first pilot of its kind in the voluntary Youth Work sector in Wales. It brought together young people and staff from 8 different organisations to undertake activities to benefit the wider community. Once paired, the agencies worked together to identify local need and develop localised responses. The young people, youth workers and organisations had not previously worked together.

This summary report is compiled by independent evaluators CaST Cymru and aims to summarise the wealth of both formative and summative evaluation data provided and references appendices and links to evidence in a variety of other media. The report does not report on individual performance and is focused on the following key questions !1. What works and why it has worked 2. What hasn’t worked and why 3. What has been done for those taking

part 4. What difference it has made to

individuals, groups, the wider community 5. What has been learned by staff and

volunteers 6. What you would do differently next time

Project Aims:!!The GT project had planned outcomes for 3 specific groups:!• Young People (participants)!• Youth Workers (paid or voluntary)!• Organisations (full list available in appendix 1)!

In addition, there is evidence of the project’s impact on the wider community which is also included in this report.

Motivation for engagement in the project (Young People): !The Pre- Project

workshop and baseline survey highlighted motivation for getting involved as: • Almost 70% of young

people expressed that they got involved because “there was nothing for them to do”.

• A third said it was to make new friends. !

Other reasons for participation included: • It’ll look good on my

CV • Qualifications • Build my confidence

• Have fun, enjoyment • Broaden my

experience • Give something back • Doing something for

the community !• Working with the

youth workers • Residential trips &

workshops • GT offered an

opportunity for young people to get involved with something beyond the usual offer

“I wanted to get involved to see an improvement

on my estate” and “I hope we will all

come out with something to be

proud of”Funded by

What Worked Well: Evidence of positive outcomes for young people:!!GT has been an opportunity to achieve individually and collectively:!“Joint planning, organising and co-ordinating of activities and events meant young people taking on specific tasks and ensuring these were completed successfully as part of a bigger event. Relying on, depending on each other, supporting each other” (SYDIC summary report)!!Young people have gained skills in: Project/event management, budget control, team

work, knowledge of diversity, ethnicity, inclusion. !Time-keeping, professional boundaries, communication!Filming, editing, IT skills!!One young person also completed the “stepping stones to Youth Work” Qualification !!Further evidence of the impact of the project is available in film format via the

film produced by BGW and the feedback summary film!

Evidence of achieving identified indicators: • 70% of a min. of 40 young people will show improved

self-esteem and confidence. • 70% of a min. of 40 young people will show improved

empathy & understanding. !In the survey 66% stated that they “sometimes found it difficult to see things from someone else’s point of view. The case study from Gayle Harris at Dr Mz quoted “We have a low number of people of ethnic origin in our county (1%) and we have a lack of understanding amongst our young people of other cultures and religion. We have had instances of ignorance and racist language at the centre from some young people and feel there is a need for more integration in youth services” (see appendices for full case study) !Joint Theatr Fforwm Cymru , Promo and EYST workshops broke down initial barriers allowed young people from both groups to learn new skills and gave the participants a reason and permission to talk to each other and discuss outcomes. (Evident in SYDIC Summary Report in Appendices) !100% of formal and informal feedback from young people including filmed interviews (16), case studies (7) and workshops attended by participants identified that all young people had increased confidence and self-esteem. !The evidence of improved empathy and understanding is demonstrated by professionals and members of the community. Gayle Harris, Project Manager at EYST reported “They have become much more thoughtful of others and more tolerant of those who look and dress differently. They have asked lots of questions and learnt a lot. The young people felt good about helping the community and gained a better understanding of issues around asylum seekers and are much more respectful of others”. !The “One Love” video created by the EYST & Dr Mz partnership further demonstrates the learning and the impact of the Getting Together Project in terms of developing an understanding of different cultures and challenging stereotypes Click here to find the YouTube Film

“The Getting Together project has helped me a lot in my confidence, speaking and getting involved in different

types of activities that I usually wouldn’t do with young people I

don’t know. I am very happy I had the

chance to go on a project like the Getting Together project.” Liz Fergurson (CCYP)

Young People

“I have gained new skills such cooking skills, communication,

co-operation with others, teamwork, and more” Abdul

Mustaqeem (EYST)

I learned how to listen to people’s opinions and take

into consideration - James Richings

(SYDIC)

Challenges & How they were overcome: !Some young people were unable to commit to the full life of the project and/or Lead Young Person role. Staff/other young people stepped in. !Retaining young people in the pilot was a challenge, Youth workers and managers stepped in to get a better understanding of what motivated young people, and sustain interest, solutions included more social activity, help with transport and meeting locations. !Some members were unable to attend events due to other commitments (e.g. additional studies or part-time work) this was managed by adjusting timescales, the project had some contingency built in which was used.

“I have learned that everyone is different and unique in their

own way, some curious about others, some that like to keep to themselves. Working with

people that didn't know much about my religion and culture was really enlightening for me

as each question that was asked, it helped me gain a closer bond

with them and really get to know these people.”  Nishat

Ahmed (EYST)

“The project has expanded the young

people’s knowledge on community and given them the

opportunity to show that two completely different groups can work together no matter what their age, social background

or ethnicity. Jodie, Youth Worker, DrMz

!!!!

Evidence of achieving identified indicators:!!-80% of a min. of 8 youth workers will achieve accreditation in at least 3 units (total 19 units). !A total of 24 “Stepping Stones to Youth Work” units were achieved by 6 youth workers via the Getting Together Project.

These represented the following partners:!

• SYDIC!• Dr Mz!• WWHA!• CCYP

Challenges & How they were overcome: !Some organisations cited breakdowns in communication as problematic. Assigning a specific youth worker from each project was seen as a potential solution. !Competing tasks/ workload was also reported as causing challenges at specific times during the life of the project. !EYST young people were more affected by school and family commitments and priorities, then timing of events was effected by religious festivals. This initially appeared as lack of commitment, which could have affected the success of the project. EYST provided diversity awareness training to all. This training was instrumental in developing a more thorough understanding about the restrictions on young people’s availability. However, the content was felt to be inappropriate for some of the younger participants. !Geography: the logistics of bringing groups of young people together was clearly problematic. The costs involved were significantly higher than originally expected.

Evidence of positive outcomes: !Soft Outcomes identified by workers involved in the pilot project: • Increased job satisfaction • Increased understanding of

what other organisations do and how to work together to present a more joined up offer to support young people.

• Improved confidence to carry on similar joint projects

• Better knowledge and understanding of the wider community/larger client group !

Knowledge/Skills gained: • A Stepping Stone to Youth Work

accredited units. • Planning • Leadership & management • Participation • Workshop facilitation • Equality & diversity

The project has helped me lead a team of young people. I have a better understanding of taking groups away, linking with other agencies and developing

relationships. I have increased my knowledge and confidence in

supporting young people to engage with their communities. Before this project, I didn’t have any experience

of collaborating with other youth organisations. Josh Horgan  

Youth Project Officer (CCYP)

Through the project we

got to know the young

people on the estates and they got to know me. I also got to know the

youth workers at the Fact

Shop. I got to build a

relationship with the project

participants and youth workers. Herman Valetin

(WWHA)

The distance between the centres was a challenge even though it was only 25 minutes drive away. But I do understand that this

project was very unique and we were not expected to get everything right.

Herman Valentin (WWHA)

I have learnt that I can put trust in young

people to organize events and communicate effectively with others who do not know anything about BME young people and their faiths. The project has given a platform for more intercultural partnership work to expand on the good of young people. It is essential for young people to integrate in society and meet with others from different backgrounds, race,

gender, ethnicity etc. Alex (EYST)

Youth Workers

What worked well: !• Clear expectation of

roles etc. . • Commitment from Young

people • Adequate time to

develop relationships and plans

• Regular communication, continuous planning (4 corners)

!!

!Evidence of positive outcomes:!!

•Increased membership of groups (e.g. SYDIC & Scouts)!•Brought WWHA closer to their

younger residents!• Sharing of resources (e.g. meeting rooms

etc)!• Sharing of organisational practices

and procedures (e.g. risk assessments, lone-working policies etc.)

“SYDIC & Scouts are now working very closely from the

same premises but also showing collaboration at staff level, which

is leading to sharing of resources and increasing

opportunities to Young People who prefer structured or unstructured youth work”

Julie Skelton (Project Manager)

Getting Together

allowed SYDIC to get together with the Scouts and

provide much needed community activities at a time when all other agencies

and organisations were cutting back activity and services. It allowed us jointly

to support the community and for the young people to put a smile on peoples

faces with positive contributions that enhanced their knowledge and

community skills. Dave Brunton, SYDIC

“As an organisation we are

aware that we can do a lot more to engage our young residents and get their views. The issues might be

the way or the medium we use to do that is not always the right one. This project

has shown us that there are other ways

we could engage with our younger

residents. The project was a good

opportunity to engage with our

younger residents.  Traditionally we do

not deliver youth work but using the right personnel with the right skills and

using existing youth groups, we can make some inroads in the

right direction” Herman Valentin

(WWHA)

Evidence of achieving identified indicators:!!-By January 2015: four collaborations will have taken place between a total of eight contrasting partner organisations!-100% of partners will show increased ambition in collaborative working!!

All 8 organisations remained engaged with the pilot throughout the life of the project. !!All organisations have identified that they have benefitted from the pilot project, have learned a great deal and are committed to working collaboratively in the future. Four of the organisations have already identified future partnership opportunities and are working together to source the necessary resources to enable this to develop further. E.g. WWHA have some land which they are seeking to develop and possibly providing a playing field. The partnership input will be vital in carrying forward that piece of work.

“We were very fortunate to be partnered with Dr Mz brilliant group

with lovely staff and wonderful young people”

Shehla Khan (EYST)

“We at ScoutsWales have really enjoyed this

project, working with a local Scout Group and the local youth group, SYDIC. The

Scout Group chosen was only formed in October 2013, so the project has helped to raise

its profile within the local community and we are hopeful they can continue to work with SYDIC to provide more events

and ways of working in the future. It has helped us as an umbrella organisation to think differently about the way we

work with other organisations, and has encouraged us

consider different ways to collaborate with new partners

in the future.” - Richard Flowerdew

What Worked Well:-!!Feedback from all partner organisations was gained via structured interviews and the submission of written feedback!!Organisations’ representatives reported that they found that they relied on the following for success:!• Regular communication with their partner

group!• Continuous planning (4 corners

methodology)!• Revisiting the original aims of the project!• Regular meetings with management group!• Specifically assigned project staff to be the

lead contact

Organisations

Challenges & How they were overcome: !The young people attached to the one partner group (Shelter) were unable to commit to the project. This was due to the nature of the relationship that they had with the organisation and the fact that those young people were likely to have been experiencing significant crises. !Shelter remained involved in the project by way of supporting the partners and the delivery of the community projects. !Communication between the pairings varied greatly and was seen as pivotal in achieving the desired outcomes. Some organisations addressed this by regular meetings between workers assigned to the project.

!! Community

Impact

Evidence of positive outcomes:!Activities including: !

- Christmas Fair!- Community Open Days (for younger

children/elderly)!- Talent Competition!- 5aside tournament(s)!- Litter picks!- Visits to Elderly Care homes!- Meeting with the Asylum Seeker support

group !!Developed Community/intergenerational understanding & improved community cohesion via various community events where multicultural themes were explored (e.g. food, henna, dress, culture etc). This feedback is evident in the film created by the SYDIC & Scout group (Getting Together Community Impact film))!! !The project challenged stereotypes of and for young people which was vital in some areas where anti-social behaviour had been experienced .!!How to involve (and benefits of) young people in community work/development!

“I think this work is really important, especially in the valleys . . I can see the enthusiasm and the engagement with the young people is second to none” Emma Taylor, Police Community Support Officer

I’d like to thank SYDIC and the Scouts;

it has brought all the community together for one purpose: to have

good community spirit in the valleys

Litter picking with Keep Wales Tidy on the Twyncarmel

Estate

“The community events have

gone well, been attended well

and good feedback has

been given. The community as a

whole have been motivated and are engaging

with the “Getting Together” ethos

by actively supporting both groups” SYDIC

case Study

“I feel the wider community can now recognise how amazing young people are. Thanks to the ‘one love’ video young people can work together to make a positive difference to society and the communities around themselves” Alex Atkins, Youth Worker, EYST

The experience and knowledge gained Getting Together project continues

to be shared via:!• Reports disseminated

via CWVYS networks and available on website!

•Social Media:!- twitter

(#GettingTogether)!- Facebook page (Getting

Together) !- YouTube) !

•Press Coverage

Organisational learning:! !• More time for planning/input/developing

ideas!• Improve publicity (flyers, social media,

letters to the school)!• Recruit young people sooner !• More team building before the event to

ensure commitment!• Consider timing and location of events (e.g. school holidays

at a place between both communities)!• Clear expectations regarding frequency and appropriate

methods for effective communication between agencies.!• Communicate expectations to staff and young people at

outset!• Gain a better understanding of the limitations on young

people’s engagement (e.g. work/study commitments)!• Identify Young People’s motivation for involvement at the

outset and embed these into project outputs and outcomes!

• More active management of youth workers

Has the project met the aims?!!The project aimed to pilot community activities, which not only bond young people to their communities and demonstrate the value young people add, but whilst doing so, break down some of the barriers between young people from different backgrounds or lifestyles.!!By supporting organisations and encouraging them to work together they have found ways to collaborate locally. They have gained an understanding of how to align aims, play to each other’s strengths and share resources to achieve a more significant community outcome than they may have achieved as a single organisation. !!The project has provided:!• Youth Worker training and accreditation (via the CWVYS Stepping Stones to Youth Work

programme). In addition it is evident that the workers involved in the project have valued the opportunity to work alongside teams from other agencies, and have benefitted from informally sharing policies and practices. There are several examples of sharing of protocols and skills including that relating to risk assessment and information sharing/data-protection. !

• Training and support for young people to facilitate full participation in the project including skill building workshops provided by agencies such as Promo Cymru and Theatre Fforwm Cymru. Furthermore, the young people themselves have identified the impact the project has had on them as individuals. They have gained many transferrable skills including; project planning, budget management, evaluation, IT, communication, public speaking, problem-solving, team-work and film-making. However, it is the increased confidence and empathy which appears to have had a significant impact on the way the young people view themselves, others and their communities. Many young people identified their intention to progress to use the skills as they move on to further training, volunteering and employment opportunities. !

• Organisational development; the project has most certainly been challenging for the organisations involved which highlights the importance of a pilot of this nature. The project has demonstrated the significant benefits of working with others to share expertise and resources and has created a lasting legacy of a willingness to work in partnership. !

• Community benefit of this project is very clear in terms of the volume of community events which resulted from the partnerships. However the project has also challenged various stereotypes and has nurtured more tolerance, empathy and value of diversity in communities. Whilst these softer outcomes may be considered more difficult to measure, professionals (e.g. police) and community testimonials have confirmed the impact of the Getting Together project on their locality.