Our sister organisation, Make (Good) Trouble, was brought into being on International Women’s Day in 2017 – it was an inkling of an idea. We wanted to helping young people to create a better future for themselves, to help parents better understand their children and to do something about the mental health crisis that is afflicting teens. Four years later and we’re rightly proud of this community interest company’s endeavours. All our projects are co-created with young people.
Two projects I’m most proud of are Raising Teens, a BBC Radio series developed by Make (Good) Trouble that looks into the issues teens face; and We Are Poppy, a research-based First World War project uncovering the often untold stories of women and trauma.
Raising Teens
We’re created three series of Raising Teens to-date and has covered everything from anxiety and sleep to eating disorders, bereavement and self-harm. Series three was created entirely in lockdown with guests and host all recorded remotely for broadcast on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey.
Look out for series four coming later in 2021.
You can find out more about the series and get links to listen to all episodes here: Raising Teens.
We Are Poppy
We Are Poppy is a conversation between today’s teens and the young women who lived through the trauma of World War One.
Our project was supported by the Heritage Fund and explores women’s experiences of the First World War and how the War affected their mental health. It is a story developed and told by young people who ask: what has changed for women in the past 100 years, and which challenges do we still face today? Created in a time of Covid-19 and lockdown, there are new parallels to be explored.
All the project’s activities are documented on the wearepoppy.org website and includes a comprehensive schools pack with suggestions on how to create your own WW1 project. We were also featured on the Imperial War Museum’s blog.
The research culminated in an audio project where students brought women’s experiences to life for the listener.
You can also hear the full interviews with historians and a trauma specialist on the website. It’s a rich and fascinating story.
Find out more about Make (Good) Trouble:
Follow us on social media
Twitter @makegoodnews
Instagram @wemakegoodtrouble
Facebook Make (Good) Trouble
Join our parent Facebook Group: Raising Teens in Lockdown
If you missed yesterday’s story of the Brexit camp’s flotilla sailing down the Thames with Bob Geldof in hot pursuit, never fear, it’s all saved for posterity in the Storify below.
