A unique exhibition exploring what young people think about leisure opportunities in Swindon will be held at STEAM tomorrow(21 Sep) evening.
Young people from various organisations, including Swindon Borough Council’s Restorative Youth Services, which incorporates the Youth Offending Team and On Trak youth counselling service, have been taking part in a PHD research project funded by the Department for Health at the University of Bath.
Annaleise Depper undertook the project to listen to young people views about leisure and open spaces through creative, visual methods. The focus on health, leisure and wellbeing comes at a time when recent reports show that the majority of children and young people, aged between five and 15, fail to achieve recommended levels of physical activity in Swindon.
The aim of the exhibition was to generate creative ways of engaging with young people, while exploring ways to incorporate their views into physical activity and health strategies. The findings of the research will be shared locally with policy makers and practitioners around health and community wellbeing.
One of the key findings from the project was that young people would like more opportunities for informal and non-traditional leisure activities, such as ice skating, trampoline parks, outdoor and indoor skate parks and outdoor adventure parks.
The young people surveyed also said that many activities outside of school are not always accessible due to a range of structural, cultural and social inequalities that they have to negotiate in their everyday lives.
Members of the public can see for themselves what the young people think about leisure and space at STEAM between 6pm and 8pm tomorrow. The exhibition will feature creative displays, talks, and a series of short films. There will also be the chance to ask questions and the Mayor of Swindon Cllr Maureen Penny will present certificates to the young people who took part.
Cllr Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and School Attainment, said: “It is heartening to see so many young people take an interest in their environment and want to have their say. They have been exploring social challenges in Swindon as well as reimagining future health and sport policies from a young person’s viewpoint.
“This is an ideal way for anyone with an interest in these areas to incorporate their voices into future strategies for health and physical activities in Swindon.”
