Who

30 young people form the Amber Foundation and the Prince’s Trust

The project

The Tyntesfield Young Roots project was the first community event to take place at Tyntesfield since it opened and coincided with live performances of the play, Precious Bane.

The young people were given the responsibility of stewarding the event and the car parks in the evening performance. On the nights they were not stewarding they were mesmerised by the outdoor theatre performance. During the days the young people participated in various activities which ranged from arts workshops to Tai Kwon Do.

Throughout the residential they also made a film capturing their experiences. This involved learning new filming, interviewing and various other production skills. At Tyntesfield they had a chance to tour the Victorian mansion, chapel and gardens. They were then invited to give feedback to National Trust staff on how they would like to be involved in the future.

Despite heavy rain on a couple of the days morale was very high at the campsite and many people made new friends and learnt a lot of new skills. When the time came for everybody to go home it was a common feeling that they had "experienced something special!"

Their words...

'I felt really nervous in front of the video man but I’m pleased I did - I know I can do it now.'

'Excellent four days full of opportunities.'

'I really have experienced something special.'

'I have a better awareness of how much time is needed to plan and execute the work and the emotional expectations of all the people involved.'

What the young people gained

The majority of the participants felt that the experience of being involved had been very positive for them. Learning new skills in:

• Communication
• Team work
• Organisation
• Co-operation and negotiation
• Listening
• Respecting others and being respected
• Gaining confidence
• Having fun
• A sense of achievement
• Meeting new people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Video and arts
• Historical and environmental understanding

The added dimension of the increased social interaction between groups has enabled the young people to share and exchange experiences finding many commonalities. This has already resulted in new friendships and relationships being formed.

What the project achieved

The project helped the Trust explore how young people could not only be attracted to Tyntesfield, but how they might become an essential element of its fabric and an integral part of its community.

Since the weekend, young people from both the Amber Foundation and the Prince’s Trust have been involved with the National Trust at other properties and work is ongoing to establish a regular ‘youth’ presence at Tyntesfield.