Projects & Impact

True Knowledge - Music & Broadcasting: Rekordshop

True Knowledge – Music & Broadcasting: Rekordshop  

Music production, podcasting and broadcasting with young people in Northampton. Our peer-led offer, was underpinned by community development values through our Rekordshop (Rekordshop – Rekordshop), delivering mentoring, ideas and skill sharing between artists across generations. Delivered through a co-produced peer-led, strengths-based approach to increase happiness and socio-emotional development. 

Impact

Measured using WEMWBS 6 month snapshot:  

67% of people showed improvement from baseline review.  

15 have completed at least 2 WEBWMS measures. The results have shown that: · 10 improved, 1 remained the same and 4 declined. · Overall, average scores increased by 6 points from 51 to 57 Improved scores: · For those who improved, average scores increased by 9 points from 52 to 62. Reduced scores: For those who declined, average scores reduced by 2 points from 49 to 47. 

Outcomes 

People have:   

  • Reduced risk factors underpinning stress, anxiety, and depression  
  • Improved mental health and wellbeing: identifying and reporting increased resilience, wellbeing, self-esteem and self-efficacy   
  • Improved attitudes and beliefs about healthy relationships to engage, build and access trusted professional relationships.   
  • Increased understanding of self and others in their community  
  • Identify protective factors and personal strategies to enhance these  
  • Discuss their complex worlds; how society impacts on them and how they are change agents in relation to this   
  • Improved education and training attainment   
  • Improved employability    
  • Reduced offending and victimisation  
  • Reduced involvement with statutory services   

MH Long term outcomes  

  • Communities have a sense of cohesion   
  • People are engaged in positive activities enhancing their lifelong wellbeing 

 

  

Peer-led wellbeing support groups enabled young people to support each other which is transferred into everyday life.  Approach by embedding The 10 Keys to happier living. 

  

True Knowledge Mentoring 

Open ended mentoring in West Northants, with a priority for people in NN1, NN3 & NN5 living in areas of deprivation. Approach embedding The 10 Keys to happier living. 

Our mentoring was facilitated by peer mentors aged up to 34 years (volunteering/paid). Mentors had lived experience of today’s culture and an evident commitment to preventing anxiety, stress and depression (eg volunteering experience, studying relevant higher education qualification). Those with medium level risk were co-worked with experienced mentors, low level risk closely case managed. Youth voice is central to our mentoring programmes which adopt a strengths-based approach to tailored plans for support. The aims of mentoring and the pathway to achieving these are decided by the mentee, whilst mentors ensure informed choices.  

Community Reach  

10 peer leaders led the project, 124 people aged 16-24 engaged in the project, their backgrounds were:  

 Adults self-identifying with stress, anxiety and depression or showing the health determinants that place them at risk of these mental health issues in adulthood  

  • History of difficulty in engaging in education, employment or training  
  • Not engaging in supporting services  
  • Stepping down or transitioning from statutory services; continued need for targeted support to reduce level of need  
  • Displaying anti-social behaviour / symptoms of trauma  
  • Marginalised due to poverty or mental health  
  • Difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships.  

  

Outputs Summary  

  • 51 peer led wellbeing group sessions 
  • YP accessed an average of 6 mentoring sessions individually  
  • Online content fortnightly co-produced and available 
  • Social media presence is influential with 18-24 year olds evaluating it with good reach, resonance and relevance: Followers 123, 18 – 24s 26.5%, Men 68.2%, Women 31.8%, Followers 56.9%, Non-followers 43.1%, Accounts reached 2,219. Top Locations: Northampton, Northamptonshire, 47.2%, Overstone, Northamptonshire 3.3%, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire. 3.3% Milton Keynes 2.4% London 2.4% 

Young Ambassadors: Routes to Community Success

Young Ambassadors are employed to provide youth consultancy for youth provision in West Northants. Their primary aim is to scope the Youth Offer with young people directly and communicate their findings in spaces and people with decision making powers.  

Young Ambassadors want to provide consultancy wider and have the capacity and skills to do this. They can provide the following:  

  • Support with recruitment and selection 
  • Surveying how engaged young people are in services 
  • Surveying the support young people need 
  • Representing their peers at meetings with practitioners, managers or leaders 
  • Reviewing findings to help understand young people’s views 
  • Co-producing ideas for new services or projects 
  • Co-producing funding applications 
  • Designing communications aimed at young people. 

 

Free 2 Talk have led this on behalf of Young Northants, West Northants Council and the National Youth Agency.  

“Cornwall, Norfolk and West Northamptonshire were the three local test-bed areas for the Routes to Community Success (RtCS) programme during 2023-25. The pioneering initiative designed to strengthen the youth sector by co-designing services with young people and building the capacity of grassroots providers.   

Key Outcomes and Learnings  

Impact & Influence:

The peer research completed by young people has been used to shape:  

  • WNC Youth Offer 
  • 11-19 outcomes  
  • Safer Northants Campaigns

Youth Employment:
The programme opened pathways into employment, education, and youth leadership, with several Ambassadors enrolling in youth work courses or securing roles in youth organisations. Youth Ambassadors also progressed teaching, journalism and digital roles.   

Flexibility:
Flexible delivery frameworks allowed partners to adapt to local contexts, such as rurality and transport infrastructure. This responsiveness enabled more inclusive and accessible youth engagement, including online participation and tailored training offers.  

Communities of Practice:
Quarterly Communities of Practice supported reflection, peer learning, and innovation. These sessions reduced isolation, built trust, and surfaced shared challenges across regions. Partners expressed a need for more regular, better-resourced collaboration, ideally co-facilitated by young people and subject matter experts”. 

Routes to Community Success – National Youth Agency