Wellbeing and Younger People
Projects about improving wellbeing for younger people through interactions with heritage.
Project Rejuvenate
One of the three key themes for the forthcoming Heritage and Wellbeing strategy is ‘young people’.
A key priority for the government is to prevent a pathway to offending and to reduce re-offending rates and to improve the mental health of young people. We know that significant social and economic benefits emerge from reducing re-offending rates and raising individual wellbeing levels especially in terms of providing opportunities and skills. We are interested in considering pilot projects that will consider both young people in the criminal justice system and those at risk of entering it or faced with social disadvantages such as mental health issues.
'Project Rejuvenate' was conceived jointly between the Head of Wellbeing and Inclusion Strategy (Linda Monckton) and the Head of Heritage Crime Strategy (Mark Harrison) in order to ensure that the historic environment reaches its potential in addressing social inequality through both reducing the chances for crime, including heritage crime and enhancing the wellbeing and potential of individuals living with disadvantage.
Wessex Archaeology is carrying out the project after successful bid to Historic England’s Commissioning fund in August 2020. The project started in October 2020 and will run in three phases until the end of March 2021.
The main aim of the Rejuvenate project is to research the most effective ways to improve the lives of vulnerable young people with a particular view to enhancing life opportunities including to prevent involvement with the criminal justice system and to respond to the challenges of being in the criminal justice system, and reduce re-offending.
Main objectives of the project are:
- To review the current evidence base for working with young people in the areas of enhancing wellbeing, achieving potential and reducing re-offending rates within the cultural sector and beyond as appropriate
- To propose methods and costs for two pilot projects (using site-based, blended or on-line delivery) to commence in 2021 looking at feasibility of carrying out two collaborative projects using heritage interpretation, archaeological survey, archaeological investigation or heritage with a view to creating a scale-able and sustainable model for national application
- To review the project name in line with consultation with key stakeholders and young people, to create shared ownership and something fit for purpose
- To propose an evaluation framework for stage 2 of the project. This should cover the kinds of benefits to be expected by interventions and advice on how and when to follow up to assess impact and how to control for understanding the impact
