We turn young people's ideas into action, through creative, youth-led projects.

Case study - Cedar Mount High School, Manchester

Film project:
dangers of drugs and alcohol

A DVD, worksheets and peer education on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Citizenship teacher Vanessa Thompson at Cedar Mount High School in Manchester got a group of her students involved in a Young TimeBank project because:

“we don't get enough time for Citizenship education - one hour a week just isn't enough – encouraging young people's involvement in public life is really important– and I wanted Young TimeBank's help in getting out of the young people what’s in them: their own ideas for making a difference…”

Vanessa’s students decided to make a DVD and worksheets exploring the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The young people will use the materials to give presentations and workshops at local primary schools. Vanessa has valued Young TimeBank’s contribution because:

“it’s good for the students to see people outside of their school coming in and working with them – to see that people from outside care about them and their community as much as they do. Sam [The Young TimeBank Volunteer Facilitator] has the ability to sit down with the young people – and these are hard to reach young people - and get them on task and motivated. Her approach made the young people feel confident – made them feel the project (making a DVD) was easier than they had thought before, that it really was something they could do...”

Vanessa describes the success of the project:

“TimeBank’s involvement has helped me deliver Citizenship curriculum outcomes in terms of building young people's sense of their own agency, and peer-assessment (because the young people involved have seen and constructively criticised the first draft of the DVD and given recommendations for improvements). We've also involved other young people in the school by showing the draft of the DVD to other forms to get their feedback and criticism.

We have yet to take the completed DVD into the local primary schools. However, local community members, both parents and local primary school staff – who I talk to as the Transition Coordinator – are amazed that young people can do this, and want to do this.

This project has helped me raise the profile of Citizenship within the school. TimeBank’s involvement has given the project prestige. Other teachers who were sceptical of the idea of young people teaching primary school children [about drugs and alcohol] have now got on board. We've brought different departments within the school together for this project – TimeBank have helped us take a cross curricular approach to Citizenship and get other staff members involved who can bring their own skills to the project e.g. the drama department. We also ended up representing England with this project at the ACT [Association of Citizenship Teaching] and Controversial Issues Network “5 Nations Citizenship Conference” in 2007.

TimeBank’s approach has not only raised young people’s self-confidence and sense of their own agency, it has made parents and teachers in the community realise what young people can do when given the chance. What I’ve most appreciated about TimeBank's involvement is the chance to stand back and facilitate with Young TimeBank volunteers - and let the young people take on responsibility for the project, with some impressive results!”

Volunteer Facilitator Hannah France describes her experience as a Young TimeBank Volunteer Facilitator at Cedar Mount:

“I’m currently studying Economics and Social sciences at Manchester University. I had been involved with volunteering at home and wanted to continue while at university. As a Volunteer Facilitator I have a level of responsibility that I wouldn’t have in other projects: the responsibility for managing a group of young people, and helping them to make a difference to their community. It’s also a two-way exchange of information and ideas. From volunteering with Young TimeBank, I have gained the ability to walk into a room of young people where I don’t know anybody and just get on with it. I have learnt to negotiate with young people and also to remain tactful. When we were talking about what project to do some of the ideas needed to be discounted, but in a way that was tactful to the feelings of those that had proposed the idea, and a way that empowered the group to make this decision themselves, with some prompting from me about the things they needed to consider. All these things will be helpful after I graduate.”

Cedar Mount pupil Shardae Hutchinson describes her experience as a member of the Young TimeBank group:

“I feel a lot more confident at working in a group and meeting deadlines now. I think I’ve got used to listening to criticism and evaluating other people’s work. Sam [The Facilitator] was good because she helped us with the project and helped us think up ideas but didn’t say no to our ideas…”