Heritage work with Young People

Since 2002 The National Youth Agency has been working in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver Young Roots, a funding programme offering grants from £5000 - £25000. The aim of the programme is to actively engage 13 – 20 year olds (up to 25 for those with additional needs) in their heritage.

Then Young Roots programme has been successful with many project managers stating they would want to engage the young people they work with in a heritage related project again. Young Roots has funded over 650 diverse projects across the UK.

Young People have found heritage to be a way to understand who they are and where they come from and therefore giving them a more secure sense of place and identity.

‘You wouldn’t think it but looking at your own history is interesting because there are so many secrets you never know’ Young Participant

‘By using heritage as a focus, the sense of belonging within the community is heightened for young people involved. The fact that older residents have stopped to chat to them about their work and openly thanked them for making their route to work or shops more pleasant is wonderful’ Faye Munns, Arts and Heritage development Officer. The project used local history as a theme for a graffiti mural.

‘They [young people] now look round the museum instead of just popping in to use the internet’ Heritage partner organisation.

‘This project has totally changed perceptions young people had about old people and the other way round. The number of complaints about young people has gone down.’ Youth Worker.

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