We’ve been working with the Bronte Youth and Community Centre in Liverpool delivering a series of Community Reporting workshops with young people in the local community!

The Bronte Youth and Community Centre is a Youth Organisation based in Central Liverpool. They offer a youth club 3 nights a week to children and young adults from the ages of 5 to 18 and young people with additional needs and disabilities up to the age of 25.

They are currently in the process of renovating their community hub and wanted to ensure the young people played a part in shaping their new space – which is where Community Reporting comes in.

Over the course of 6 sessions young people creatively explored their ideas for the future of their club, brainstorming ideas in the form of collages, clay sculptures, modeled buildings and recorded interviews, developing basic skills in Community Reporting along the way. The group also worked together interviewing peers, community members, staff and partners helping to paint a picture of their hopes for the future of the centre.

From Karaoke to Fashion Shows, Football to Gardening Projects – the young people came up with a whole host of ideas for the new space and their enthusiasm and excitement for the future of their community was inspirational to say the least.

These ideas will form a integral part of the plans for the future of the Bronte, informing the kinds of sessions and activities that are on offer to young people and local community, how the different areas of the building can be used and what role the young people themselves will play in the newly refurbished space.

We’ll be writing up an insight report over the next couple of months, which will summarise the findings from the recorded stories and content created by the young people. This will then be used to inform future decision making processes and shape what kind of space the centre becomes.

The ultimate aim of the project is to develop capacity within the Bronte Youth & Community Centre to use Community Reporting as a tool for engagement, insight, and evaluation and for enabling community voices – particularly those belonging to young people – to interact with the Bronte.

In 2025 we’ll also be delivering some train the trainer workshops with staff and community members to equip them with the skills to carry on the Community Reporting process for generations to come – so watch this space for more stories and updates!

If you’d like to find out more about The Bronte, Check out their website for more information and updates on the renovation work, or head over to their Facebook to see what sessions they have running for young people in and around Liverpool City Centre.