Evaluating People & Place
Dr Jason Wood of De Montfort University, Youth and Community Division has been the lead evaluator for People & Place this year. De Montfort University have a unique resource in the form of young researchers who will be utilised in year two of the evaluation and will help to develop a better understanding of the impact of the programme on participating young people. See De Montfort University’s Centre for Social Action and Youth Affairs Unit research profiles for more information.
People & Place began with an estimated aim of attracting 458 young people to all events and workshops. This figure was far exceeded, with a total of 654 young people engaging with the programme in 2009/2010. This is a very promising total, and shows not only the success of the programme over the first year, but also alludes to increasing interest and success in years to come.
The success of the programme is supported by the positive feedback from the young participants involved in the projects. Co-ordinators too were united in their perceptions that the young people they had worked with enjoyed the programme and had gained a great deal from the projects. Feedback from the young people showed their thoughts on the matter. Throughout the assignments participants said they felt that: they were given ‘more freedom’; they were listened to; their ideas were acted upon, and they believed that they had been able to get involved in the planning, design and exhibiting of their work. Throughout the projects, the young people worked independently and in groups and as one participant stated: ‘were given a lot of opportunities to do things we wouldn’t normally do’ (Focus group participant, Brighton).
The young people benefited from the programme in many different ways demonstrating:
- Increased social skills
- Increased confidence
- Interest in careers never before considered
- Their ability to form new friendships with other young people.
