Participation in Action: Young service users find expression through film

Young people are at the centre of a series of short films that a charity hopes will help it communicate more effectively with its users, as well as give 16- to 19-year-olds a chance to learn new skills as they prepare to move into independent living.

St Christopher’s Fellowship, which provides a range of care and housing support to vulnerable children and young people in England and the Isle of Man, secured £35,000 from the Ashden Trust and the Big Lottery Fund to run The Wrap project.

Diversity, the first filmed instalment of the series, in which young people and staff discuss their backgrounds and opinions on a range of issues, was unveiled on YouTube last month.

Phil Townsend, deputy director of UK operations at St Christopher’s, says: "We know that the best way to improve our services is by asking the young people who use them. The Wrap project is a really good example of that."

The young people involved in the project are developing skills behind the camera, casting for roles, writing scripts and planning. Priscilla Ngethe, 18, contributes a voiceover in one of the upcoming films. "It’s improved my confidence," she says. "When I was told to go for the part I didn’t want to, at first.

But getting the part showed me I could achieve something when I put my mind to it and step out of my comfort zone. And I’ve learned to communicate and work in a team, and learned about pre- and post-production."

Rob Adlem, project co-ordinator and manager of a St Christopher’s assessment centre, says:
"It’s about speaking the same language as young people."

The series aims to change portrayals of young people. "It’s showing them in a positive light," says Adlem. "There is so much media around that shows the opposite, especially after the riots. It’s easy to point a camera in the street and blame all young people for one misdemeanour."

Lack of engagement

The project began to take shape after a review of safeguarding policy, which revealed that St Christopher’s supported housing residents had showed a lack of engagement with the charity’s leaflets. "They all agreed that, while the information was key, the format was boring," Adlem says. "Every room I cleared out had a stack of leaflets in the corner."

The charity first produced a film two years ago, which addressed safeguarding issues and was used by its fundraising team to secure funding for the current project. "It’s clear from it that we’re not professional filmmakers but it sparked everyone’s imagination," says Adlem.

Rudi Carew, 18, was one of the young people involved when the project began, before she moved into her own flat. She is pleased with how the project has grown, saying: "It will let young people in my situation know that there are people who aren’t just trying to hide them away and treat them like they’re nothing."

• www.youtube.com/user/thewrap100