Campaigning on Rural Issues Workshop

1
Campaigning on Rural IssuesWorkshop

• Rural Youth Network Conference
• January 23rd 2008
• Bristol
• Presented by Simon Rusby, Christina Hodgson,
  Alice Bowman and Claire Troman

Regional Youth Work Unit - North East
2
Agenda

• Introductions
• Presenting the project where, how, when, what
• Task 1 and feedback
• The documentary
• Next steps (campaigning)
• Task 2 and feedback
• Summary

3
Presenting the project

• The RYWU Youth Action North East.
• Where the idea came from YANE residential Feb
  2007, misconceptions, suggest an exchange
• Funding mediabox, began project in August 2007
• How meeting every 2 weeks, employed film
  makers, training, planned residential and
  challenges bring urban young people to a rural
  area to live for the weekend.

4
Aims of the project

• To give young people who live in rural areas the
  opportunity to have their voices heard about the
  barriers that they face and the isolation they
  experience because of living in a rural area.
• To educate people from non-rural areas about the
  above as well as helping to dispel myths, break
  down barriers and to correct the misconceptions
  held about rural life.
• To give rural young people the chance to promote
  rural life and the good points about living in a
  rural area with regards to recreation, heritage,
  culture and community.
• To give young people the chance to gain skills
  and practical experience of researching,
  planning, producing and editing a documentary and
  to work alongside professionals in the field to
  do so.
• To promote friendships, learning and
  understanding between rural and non-rural young
  people.

5
Task 1

• In groups list as many issues / barriers that
  rural young people face - 10 minutes
• Feedback

6
Our issues

• 4 main issues were stereotyping, access to
  health services, public transport and access to
  employment
• For the documentary we decided to highlight these
  issues by setting the urban group challenges /
  activities
• Stereotyping dressing up game
• Access sexual health services using only public
  transport
• Work on a farm for the afternoon.

7
The residential and the documentary

• How did it all go?
• What were the issues BOREDOM!
• Sit back and enjoy!

8
Campaigning next steps

• Documentary is a tool
• Build up relationships with local decision makers
• Show them the documentary
• Work with them for solutions to problems e.g.
  Community Transport providers, more C-card
  outlets etc.

9
Task 2

• Pick an issue from you previous list and come up
  with a plan as to how you would work with young
  people to campaign on this issue 15 minutes
• Feedback

10
Summary

• Thanks for participating