{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"As we look into what Scouts should achieve for future 14\u201324-year-olds, we\u2019re making sure young people are front and centre of the research. ","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWe know we can improve what we provide for Explorers and Network\u003C/span\u003E. Too many of our Scouts aren\u2019t continu\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eing to Explorers, and too many Explorer Scouts aren\u2019t moving onto Network. That\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003Es why we\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003Ere looking at what Scouts\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E should achieve for future generations of \u003C/span\u003E14\u201324-year-olds.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EOur first stage of work, called the \u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2018\u003C/span\u003EDiscovery Phase\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, is coming to a close. This is where we\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eve been doing research to find out what those in and out of Scouts want for this age group. A key part of the process has been involving young people\u003C/span\u003E \u2013\u00A0e\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Empowering young people to have their say and truly be involved in the process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003EBut \u2013 don\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Et just take it from us! We spoke to Ace, an Explorer and member of the 14-24 Youth Panel, who\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Es been involved in the project.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EHello from Ace\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHi, I\u0027m Ace, a 17-year-old Explorer Scout from Hampshire. I\u0027ve had the privilege of being part of the Youth Panel for the 14\u201324 redesign project. I want to take you on a journey through my experiences in youth-led research and share why young voices should be at the forefront of these projects.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/zrujum0s/slide1.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"Ace smiling","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EOur journey into research\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I first learned about the youth-led research project, my motivation was clear. Scouts had been a significant part of my life, but I sensed there was room for improvement, especially in Explorers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExplorers hadn\u0027t been as enjoyable for me until recently, and I almost considered quitting Scouts altogether. I came from a group with minimal support for badge achievements and lacked a structured experience. Joining this research project felt like the right path to not only enhance my own Scouts journey, but to help make it better for future generations.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the beginning, I had mixed feelings. I worried about being used as a token voice, which has been a common concern in previous youth experiences. However, from day one, the facilitators made it clear that our voices would be heard, and they maintained open channels of communication.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EMaking the research our own\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe co-design workshops were eye-opening. I experienced first-hand what it means to take charge of generating research data. The feeling of actively participating in decision-making processes within the project was empowering. I realised that my perspective as a young Scout mattered, and that in itself was a valuable lesson. It wasn\u0027t just about listening, it was about actively shaping our Scouts community.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EBreaking barriers and embracing diversity\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInclusivity and diversity became central to our research focus. We aimed to move beyond tokenism and truly embrace diversity. My personal experiences as a queer and disabled young person have often involved feeling left out or treated differently. However, this project allowed me to openly share my experiences with adults who genuinely listened. It was a significant step towards a better, more inclusive future at Scouts.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe worked hard to make sure all voices were heard in our research group. Everyone brought unique perspectives, and it was essential to create an environment where everyone felt valued.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EOur impact and future hopes\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur youth-led contributions had a concrete impact on the research project. We identified areas for improvement and made changes that we were genuinely proud of. It was rewarding to see that our voices could bring about real change.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, I hope that youth-led research becomes an integral part of Scouts and other areas of life. Young people have unique perspectives and fresh ideas that can shape a brighter future. I want to continue being part of this movement, advocating for youth voices to be heard and valued.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMy journey through youth-led research has been transformative. It\u0027s shown me the power of youth perspectives in shaping research and the importance of actively involving young people in decision-making processes.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an Explorer and a Scout, I now believe that my voice not only matters, but it can drive positive change. Youth-led research isn\u2019t just a buzzword, it\u0027s a way to make sure Scouts and broader communities continue to evolve, adapt, and become more inclusive. I\u0027m excited about the future and the role I can play in it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EOver to one of our researchers, Charly\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHi, I\u2019m Charly. I\u2019m working as part of the team at Scouts researching the 14-24 redesign and have been working with the Youth Panel.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/veqfyjin/slide2.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"altText":"Charly smiling","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAce was one of 20 members on the 14-24 Youth Panel. It was amazing to see the panel\u2019s enthusiasm. When they originally volunteered for this position, the expectations were for no more than two hours a month, spent in online meetings. But, as the research progressed, they were super keen and willing to help with so much more than that. The Youth Panel led research in their own areas and brought together young people and adults into the same space to solve challenges. \u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving the panel meant their perspectives were consistently fed through from start to finish. It allowed a more relatable take when they were approaching other young people for their perspectives.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey were vital in challenging expectations of some of the suggested approaches. In their own strands of research, they contributed to reaching over 1,000 young people across all four UK nations and over 800 non-Scouts through their survey.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Youth Panel were incredibly successful in all they\u2019d achieved. We\u2019re definitely keeping them involved with the 14-24 redesign project.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Find out more about our plans for the 14-24 redesign","body":"\u003Cp class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003EWe\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Ell be collating all of our findings from the 14-24 research and sharing it in the new year. After this, we\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003Ell be moving on to the \u003Cspan\u003E\u2018\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Edesign phase\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. This means we\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Ell be creating ideas that could make those achievements a reality. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/our-programmes-of-work/redesigning-our-14-24-year-old-provision/","id":null,"url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/strategy/our-programmes-of-work/redesigning-our-14-24-year-old-provision/","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#490499","title":"Next steps","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003EIf you\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003Eve been inspired by Ace and Charly\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Es work, email us to get involved in the next stage of the project, which is\u003C/span\u003E\u00A0\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eco-designing what the 14-24 provision will look like.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022line-height: normal; margin: 5.0pt 0cm 5.0pt 0cm;\u0022 class=\u0022Body\u0022\u003EWe\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Ere particularly looking to hear from:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022Body\u0022 style=\u0022line-height: normal;\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eyoung people currently in Scouts (aged \u003C/span\u003E10\u201314)\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022Body\u0022 style=\u0022line-height: normal;\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eyoung people who\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2019\u003C/span\u003Eve been members of Scouts, but decided to leave\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli class=\u0022Body\u0022 style=\u0022line-height: normal;\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003Eyoung people who aren\u0027t Scouts members\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-indent: -18pt;\u0022\u003EEmail \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:annie.voller@scouts.org.uk\u0022\u003Eannie.voller@scouts.org.uk\u003C/a\u003E to let us know you\u0027re interested.\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022mso-ansi-language: EN-US;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Like the sound of the Youth Panel?","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"15 December 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about the 14-24 redesign","url":null,"newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Meet our 14-24 team","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/march/meet-the-team-14-24-re-design","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":78207,"nodeName":"How we\u2019ve made our 14-24 research youth-centred","title":"How we\u2019ve made our 14-24 research youth-centred","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/zrujum0s/slide1.jpg?cc=0.1754451705198988,0.009779253891572722,0.17288413704853922,0.3385500536768654\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dac76a442eceb0","caption":"Ace, a 17-year-old Explorer Scout","type":"jpg","size":110401,"width":1280,"height":720,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"How we\u2019ve made our 14-24 research youth-centred","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"As we look into what Scouts should achieve for future 14\u201324-year-olds, we\u2019re making sure young people are front and centre of the research. 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