Mosaic Youth Project

The Mosaic Young Champions Programme

Young Champions reunited at Okehampton YHA by D.Rolls

Our Mosaic Young Champions project aims to get young people excited by and involved in National Parks and everything they offer. We build links between National Parks and young people aged 16 to 25. We focus on young people from all ethnic backgrounds who face difficulties such as disability, low income, substance abuse, homelessness, or being refugees.

Why?  

Youth group taster at Bellever YHA 2009 by D.Rolls

Most young people don’t visit National Parks; they don’t think or know that National Parks have anything to offer them. Yet National Parks are our most spectacular, challenging and inspiring landscapes and can provide fantastic opportunities for young people to get involved in volunteering, outdoor activities and develop new skills. National Parks were created for all people to enjoy – regardless of their age of background - and we believe that all young people should have those opportunities.

What?

We recruited and then trained Mosaic Young Champions to work with the National Parks Authorities in the South West of England to encourage other young people to visit and get involved in National Parks. Through our training we give Young Champions the skills and confidence they need to organise activities for other young people such as trips, conservation activities, raft building, bushcraft and volunteering opportunities, to get them involved in National Parks too. We even train the Young Champions in skills like web design and publicity to help them spread the word further.

Who?

World Record attempt to plant trees on Dartmoor in 2009 by D.Rolls

The Mosaic Young Champions programme was led by the Campaign for National Parks, working with the Youth Hostels Association, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Exmoor National Park Authority. We also worked with several youth organisations and groups across the South West region to get more young people involved in Mosaic.

The project was funded by Natural England through Access to Nature as a part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme, as well as Nationwide Building Society and the Young Foundation.

We are currently fundraising so that we can run the Mosaic Young Champions programme in other parts of England and in Wales; and are delighted that we have recently been awarded funding through the Big Lottery to run our Mosaic project in the three Welsh National Parks with people from ethnic minority communities.

When?

Our Mosaic Young Champions programme ran between 2009 and March 2011. Many of our  Young Champions are still involved with the National Parks through the Mosaic Action Teams we set up to make sure that National Parks Authorities consider young people’s needs when making decisions and planning activities.

Young Champions’ Voices

Yes Conference in Sweden 2010 by D.Rolls

“Mosaic has really helped me to develop as a leader. It is a brilliant opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends.” Caz, Mosaic Young Champion

“I am really looking forward to getting the guys out on the first trip I’ve organised. I’ve been bigging it up a bit.  Most of them haven’t been out before on to Dartmoor, though of course I have done it myself now.” Paul, Mosaic Young Champion

“The experiences with Mosaic were really useful in the job interview. I could talk about the press releases and everything I had done.” Milan, Mosaic Young Champion

“As a youth worker I have developed in-depth skills and now feel confident to make the previously ‘hidden’ National Parks accessible to the young people I work with.” Suaad, Youth Worker, Exeter

The Mosaic Young Champions programme toolkit

Young Champions and Ben Fogle in 2011

To give you a taste of the Mosaic Young Champions’ tremendous achievements, we have put together a toolkit packed full of case studies, video clips, ‘how to guides’ and reports that show their achievements. To download the resources, follow the links below.

Welcome letter from Ben Fogle

Mosaic Young Champions executive summary

Mosaic Young Champions project report 2010
 

Youth leadership case studies:
Case Study 1: Youth-led steering group
Case Study 2: Youth volunteering festival - X Fest
Case Study 3: Youth-led projects – The Dartmoor Tree Plant
Case Study 4: Access all areas
Case Study 5: Youth inspection of Exmoor National Park Authority
Case Study 6: Youth proofing Dartmoor

Mosaic Young Champions in action

Bellever YHA 2010 by D.Rolls

See the Mosaic Young Champions in action through these films:

The Young Champions

The Champs

Interview with Ben Fogle

Contact us

Mosaic Programme Manager: Nina Arwitz

Email: nina@cnp.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7924 4077 ext. 227