Springboard: Moments To Connect – Our Lives, Our Legacy
Insights from Our Lives, Our Legacy, a project using the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement to explore the legacy of ‘The Troubles’.
Our Lives, Our Legacy brought together 15 young people from across the sectarian divide to participate in a series of development opportunities through the year, including a co-created event to mark the anniversary. This project was funded as part of Spirit of 2012’s ‘Moments to Connect’ initiative, which supported a series of projects to explore how major national events of 2023 can connect individuals and communities across social divides.
The young people participating in the project were drawn equally from across the religious and cultural divides in Northern Ireland. They grew up in segregated communities and went to segregated education, so for many this was their first opportunity to get involved in cross community work and explore the impact of the conflict on their lives. These 15 young people worked together as the NextGen Youth Group.
Key to the success of the project was the active involvement of young people at every stage. This approach created a sense of ownership and responsibility but also ensured that the entire project was authentic and had young people at its core. The group have emerged as inspiring young leaders with a strong ability to influence change in their own communities. The project provided the NextGen group with greater sense of agency and supported them to develop a wide range of skills that allowed them to research, design and run their own event, as well as engage decision makers on issues that are important to them.
The impact rippled through to family members and the wider community. Conversations and experiences of
the young participants sparked discussions in homes and neighbourhoods. Families were positively impacted and proud of the work their young people had undertaken but also at their understanding of a topic that had separated so many people in the past.
An interactive final evaluation report was produced, which explores the project and its impact and key learnings through narrative, video and audio.
Outcomes and impact
1. The Good Friday Agreement, and the 25th Anniversary of the event, leads to increased social cohesion and understanding
As a result of their participation in the project, the NextGen Youth Group had the opportunity to develop sustained and meaningful relationships, built on mutual respect and understanding. They developed new friendships and built long lasting connections. The group’s responses to the evaluation survey showed a significant impact on social connectedness. This included a significant reduction in their feelings of loneliness as a result of the project, with 100% also agreeing that they had made new friends. 87% also felt that these friendships would continue beyond the project. Members of the group identified where the project had helped them to become more open-minded and forge closer connections with others from different backgrounds.
Upon completion of the project, all of the group agreed that the Good Friday Agreement was still relevant today. 73% reported they knew the Agreement well by the end of the programme and 100% thought that the Agreement has significantly shaped their lives and the trajectory of Northern Ireland.
2. Increased wellbeing through participation
Surveys showed an extremely high increase in wellbeing, with overall happiness increasing by 111%. As a result of participating in Our Lives, Our Legacy, participants demonstrated clear evidence of increased confidence, self-belief, mental wellbeing and health. Through evaluations and feedback, participants all stated they felt much more positive about their lives and that the project has provided them with routine and structure in their lives, as well as increased motivation to get involved in other training, projects and even employment as a result.
Evaluators also found that there were significant increases across the ONS measures of wellbeing to above
Northern Ireland and UK averages (and a corresponding decrease in anxiety, down by 37%.)
3. Increased agency to design an event that the young people feel is relevant to them and their communities
Taking a youth-led approach to the project generated positive results, with significant changes for the group in relation to wellbeing, confidence to take action, and getting on with people from different backgrounds. The group were taken through an intensive youth-led process which included workshops to help enhance their leadership, organisational and event planning skills. They were involved in every aspect of the design and delivery of the event supporting them to increase their agency and feel empowered.
The data shows that the group felt significantly more confident in running events, engaging in community action to address issues (from 33% engaged or very engaged at the start of the project, to 67% at the end). 94% demonstrated increased confidence, with 98% citing that the event reflected their own views, experiences and opinions. The group are organising another event for September 2024, to mark the anniversary of their showcase.
4. Increased confidence and empowerment of the young people to apply their learning/skills from the project to the wider community
Members of the group felt they had more of a voice in their communities between the start and end of the project. 73% planned to take action in their community following the event. The young people developed skills in the facilitation of workshops, producing podcasts, evaluation and how to capture the impact of events. They gained a OCN Level 2 qualification in Uniting Communities Through Leadership as well as a wide range of other training.
Through the young people, the project extended its reach into schools. The group disseminated the learning from the project by delivering workshops to over 85 students in 7 schools. 95% of students stated that as a result of the workshops they “found it really easy to have a positive attitude towards young people from different communities, cultures, abilities and backgrounds to their own”.
NextGen Youth Group participantOur story seems to have been defined by division, but it should also be defined by resilience. We continue to show hope and desire to recreate and build our own legacy.