Background Information:

Community health and wellbeing
Over the past ten years the impact of social, psychological and economic factors on the health and well-being of individuals and communities has increasingly been acknowledged in national policy documents in the UK, reflecting the growing evidence base. Within this context the concept of social capital has emerged as a way of further understanding the relationship between the health of individuals and communities, and the broader determinants of health and well-being.

Social capital
This can broadly be described as the resources within communities that create family and social organisation identified by the following: social relationships, group membership, shared norms, trust, formal and informal social networks, reciprocity and civic engagement. It is suggested that social capacity has a major role to play in community development and that there is a constant need both to build and release capacity that contributes to positive development of communities.

Involving young people
There is a need for all those involved in working with young people to recognise that participation is a fundamental right of citizenship and, to indicate to young people themselves that they are valued for the citizens they are now, not just the ones they'll be in the future. Involvement of young people in the design of public funded services that impact on their lives is now supported in the UK by legislation.

Benefits to young people
Raising awareness - how society works, where power lies, how decisions are reached, ways of involvement, how things can be changed, barriers to change.

Skills development - life skills as well as employment skills: communication, resolving conflict, listening, planning, thinking, co-operating, negotiating, participative appraisal, compromising, budgeting. Technical and procedural skills: newsletters, minutes, protocols, accounts, video, websites.

Enhancing self esteem - being consulted and asked for views is positive, helps confidence, makes people feel appreciated, valued and more likely to respond positively and has potential to encourage mutual respect.

Seeding initiatives
It is important that those involved know how to access local and national grants to seed initiatives. Reflecting developments in funding policy, government departments, national lottery and trust funds will now expect as a matter of course to see that young people have been consulted in projects that affect their lives.

Potential impact on communities and services
Environment - influenced by Local Agenda 21 initiatives, single regeneration budgets, and other initiatives at the local end of sustainability and partnership working, there are numerous examples in the UK of young people's involvement, eg influencing recycling schemes, development of leisure facilities, running allotments.

Community safety - projects often focus on young people's perceptions of crime and its prevention with a move towards young people being seen as part of the solution, not the problem.

Health - increasing number of projects aimed specifically at young people, eg drugs, sexual health. Important to be aware perceptions and priorities do not always model those of adults. In some areas consultation is already influencing GP service provision for under-15s and under-21s.