South West Youth Programmes
Between 2018 and 2024, LIFEbeat was contracted by Somerset Council to enrich the lives of children and young people across the county via residentials, youth leadership projects and trainings.
Youth-Led Wellbeing Guide for Schools
LIFEbeat consulted with a diverse group of young people from Somerset to produce the following Wellbeing Guide for Schools. This guide communicates the challenges and recommendations raised by young people on how to better embed the Somerset Wellbeing Framework in secondary schools across the county.
During this consultation, live-illustrator Sara Louise-Harper, produced several graphics summarising the group discussions. (See right)
Current Projects
Somerset Creative Community Projects
In January, LIFEbeat consulted 30 young people from Somerset about what it means to be a member of a community. In youth-led groups, we discussed how it can be possible to generate a sense of belonging and inclusion in local Somerset communities.
This programme then supported youth leaders from Frome and Yeovil to design and deliver creative community projects in their local areas. Click here for more information.
Youth Voice Consultation
In Spring 2024, LIFEbeat consulted with with a diverse community of young people aged between 14-19 from across Somerset. These young people participated in a number of discussions and workshops to identify the challenges and recommendations for secondary schools on how to embed the three pillars of wellbeing from Public Health’s Somerset wellbeing Framework for Schools:
- Community and Belonging
- Positive Relationships
- Healthy Lifestyles
Click here to read our LIFEbeat Wellbeing School Guide and to find out more about this consultation.
South West Youth Council
In November, LIFEbeat youth alumni were invited to apply to join our Youth Council. Impressed at the responses received, young people were selected to represent each of the South West and London youth communities.
Youth Council meetings are held online on a quarterly basis and are attended by youth council members, LIFEbeat core team staff and representation from LIFEbeat’s board of trustees. The Youth Council plays an essential role in helping to build the confidence and leadership skills of the young people involved, and ensures our youth programmes and organisational culture are informed by input from our young people, and that the voices of young people are fully represented to our Core Team and Board of Trustees. Click here to find out more about our Youth Councils.
Personal Development Camps
At the core of LIFEbeat’s offer are our signature residential programmes, where we build diverse, creative communities of young people, staff and volunteers. Our unique approach embeds the arts and creativity at the heart of all of our programmes, where we aim to improve the wellbeing of young people by creating a strong sense of belonging within a safe community – providing them with the environment, skills, and inspiration to navigate the divisions in society and lead confident, healthy, and purposeful lives. Click on the following links to find out more information:
Past Projects and Services
School Arts Project
LIFEbeat collaborated with creative practioners to deliver arts-based workshops in schools across Somerset on the theme of the three pillars of the Wellbeing Framework: positive relationships, community and belonging, and healthy lifestyles.
Violence Reduction Unit
In 2021, LIFEbeat worked with the Violence Reduction Unit to deliver a series of weekly interventions with vulnerable young people in Mendip and Yeovil (South Somerset).
Residentials
LIFEbeat has been delivering 3 day and 8 day residential programmes in Somerset annually since 2019, directly serving over 287 young people from the South West. These programmes have supported LIFEbeat to build a diverse creative community for and with young people.
Body Positivity Project
In 2018, in partnership with Public Health, LIFEbeat worked with 313 young people across Somerset, on the Body Positivity Project. This project helped young people explore the issue of body image and break it down, creating a ‘culture of openness’.