A public forum for young Londoners hosted by London Met's CARES and the Greater London Authority.
Date: 25 July 2024
On 12 July 2024, the Centre for Applied Research in Empowering Society (CARES) successfully hosted the Young Changemakers Forum 2024. Held at London Met’s Holloway campus, the event aimed to amplify the voices of young Londoners and drive social action. The event was part of the CARES Youth Social Action project commissioned by the Greater London Authority Civil Society and Sport team and co-led by Professor Diana Stirbu (co-director of CARES) and Associate Professor Justin Webb.
Engaging Discussions and Interactive Activities
The forum brought together around 50 young Londoners to participate in group discussions and interactive research activities focused on the question: "How can we improve youth voice and youth social action?".
Participants, regarded as key changemakers in London, engaged in a range of activities throughout the day. Working in four diverse groups that rotated between four main research activities, participants took part in podcasting, focus groups, an art activity and a Post-it notes and discussion activity. The day was supplemented by mini-surveys and Vox-pop activities during breaks.
This participatory learning action day was the result of the work of a steering group formed of young people (16-24) facilitated by CARES member Dr Julius Elster, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Youth Studies at London Metropolitan University.
Supporting Dr Julius Elster on the day were seven other members of CARES: Associate Professor Justin Webb, Dr Rebecca Warren, Dr Raymon Hunte, Dr Stephen Hills, Aine Woods, Dr Ama Agyeman and Professor Diana Stirbu.
Additionally, on 17 July, a London Met team led by CARES members Dr Ama Agyeman and Dr Julius Elster led a participatory learning action event in a London school as part of the same project on youth social action.
Collaboration with the Mayor’s Office
The two events in July provided a platform for young people to help shape the work of the Mayor’s office on matters important to them. By fostering a collaborative environment, the forum, as well as the school-based event, emphasised the importance of youth involvement in decision-making processes and community improvement efforts.
Reflecting on the importance of participatory research
Reflecting on the July events, Professor Diana Stirbu noted: "Our Youth Social Action research project, driven by the steering group of young Londoners, is a perfect example of CARES’ commitment to embed participatory and emancipatory approaches in our applied research at London Metropolitan University. We are excited to work in this space and further develop our participatory work with young Londoners feeding back into the policy making."
- Learn more about London’s Youth Social Action Ecosystem