Social Action at Techniquest

Cardiff Youth Council (CYC) helped to run a social action event at Techniquest, empowering young people to identify issues and create positive change in their communities.

The event began with an introduction to the “How to change the world” toolkit, explaining social action with examples like uniform swap shops, tree planting, protests, and writing to the council. The young people then discussed why their voices are important and should be listened to by adults, highlighting children’s rights and the responsibility of adults to listen to them.

The young people then identified issues they cared about, discussing how these issues made them feel and why they cared. They then used the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to explore which rights weren’t being protected. They also discussed what an ideal world would look like.

The groups then drew problem trees, with the problem at the centre, the causes as roots, and the effects as the leaves, which helped them build a case for change. Following that, the young people changed their problems into a vision for the future, turned the causes into positives, and considered the benefits of their vision.

Here are some examples of issues and solutions that were discussed at the event:

• Litter was a key concern, with schools envisioning a clean world and proposing solutions such as more bins, community litter picks and educating people.

• Mental health was highlighted as an issue, with one school wanting a happier place where everyone can get care. They suggested more places for mental health support, training in schools and more funding.

• Racism was a focus for some, with the ideal being a world without racism. They proposed fair and good education, people being heard and having a voice, and equal opportunities.

• Safety was a concern for one school with regards to rivers, and they wanted cleaner, healthier rivers. Another school wanted safer roads with less traffic and pollution, suggesting CCTV, lighting and speaking to the council.

• Play spaces were seen as lacking by one school, and they wanted free playgrounds in every corner. They suggested making parks more fun, and raising money for parks.

• Poverty was identified by one school, with a vision of a world where everyone can overcome poverty. They wanted everyone to have access to enough food and housing and suggested more jobs for all.

The groups then hung their trees on a washing line and moved onto planning their next steps, using the toolkit and following “Gwenno’s journey” to bring their ideas to life. They created an advocacy plan and filled in postcard pledges which will be sent to their headteachers.

The event was a day of collaboration and empowerment, and CYC were proud to be a part of amplifying the voices of young people across Cardiff.