Bridging the Gap, Glasgow, participant feedback session.
The Board of Trustees at St. Paul’s Youth Forum in Glasgow is made up mostly of young people taking part in the project. They also have a youth committee for those under 16, and the board and the committee make key decisions together, including future plans, staff wages and appraisals. Beyond these formal mechanisms, St Paul’s has developed a culture in which the young people involved feel free to give direct feedback on an ongoing basis. They are also encouraged and supported to pitch their own ideas, apply for funding and make projects happen from start to finish.
A development worker at Central and West Integration Network in Glasgow facilitates a monthly Steering Group meeting with participants at their weekly community meal. Steering Group members are asked to share their thoughts and feedback on any aspect of the project, and significant changes were made when the staff heard directly from participants about the range and quality of the food available, including the request for food reflecting different cultural traditions, and other practical aspects of delivering the project.
Moray Foodplus in Elgin works closely with partner organisations to establish and maintain community larders and redistribute food in locations throughout the area. Since this was a new approach for making food available to people without requiring a referral to a food bank, the development worker wanted to establish a steering group to advise and offer feedback on the design and delivery of the project. Due to the context of the work – which is delivered in multiple sites to different groups of people – the development worker has adapted the traditional ‘steering group’ model by engaging informally and more frequently with those involved by joining in with activities and meetings on-site. This informal approach has enabled people to share their views when and where they are comfortable, while the development worker ensures their feedback informs practical dec