Evening social: Future Coast Bude’s youth event

Written by Holly, photos by Liberty; Youth Board members.

On the 14 May a youth event was organised and run by the Future Coast Bude Youth Board. This a group of fifteen young people, aged between 16 and 30, who have received training and are now being paid to support the project. This helps to ensure that the voices of young people are represented in a project thinking about the future, which will impact younger generations.

The event was hosted at the 2 Minute Foundation HQ, with great views out along the coast. The session was an incredible opportunity for younger voices (people aged 16-35) of the community to be heard on matters affecting Bude’s coastline and infrastructure. A wide range of activities and educational opportunities were provided to spread awareness of the changes to our coastline, gather younger opinions on significant issues and socially connect Bude’s youths.

Welcomed with pebble painting The social began at 6pm where people arrived for a session on pebble painting. This got people thinking about what the things were in Bude that were most important to the community. It was a great chance for conversations on outcomes for our future to be explored and a creative icebreaker for the evening. Some examples of art included Bude storm tower and the various wildlife that thrives along Bude’s beaches.
	2 Minute Foundation films and a sunset walk 4 short films that were made in partnership with 2 Minute Foundation were shown. These helped to explain coastal erosion processes, climate change and how to plan for Bude’s future. The films helped encourage the group to think about issues they prioritised most along the coast. A walk along Bude’s Downs was then enjoyed giving people a chance to talk as the sun set over the ocean. I think everyone on the Youth board felt that this walk promoted conversations between new people - an important part of the community element of the project. It was also a good reminder of Bude’s natural habitats and social spaces.
Discussions and Polls After watching the films, a blank postcard was handed out to everyone. People were encouraged to note down what they cared most about Bude's shore. There was then a discussion about how these things might be impacted by coastal change. Liz Taylor, Future Coast Bude Communications and engagement lead, then led an interactive presentation on the various projects that the Future Coast Bude project could fund, which would help the community adapt to coastal change. The areas discussed included Summerleaze and Crooklets toilets and car parks as well as the beach huts and coast path that stretches across the Downs. Nia Clarke, from the Marine and Coastal Partnership helped prompt the discussion about priorities. This was followed by an opportunity to anonymously vote on the options - a useful way of understanding what younger members of the Bude community prioritise.
	Mural Art A stunning mural capturing Bude’s shore was created by Hal Murray, a member of the youth board who ‘wanted to create an impression of the coast for the community to build upon, where young people can share their fondest memories of Bude and blend them into the landscape, and to help people reflect on what makes this place so important to them.’ Everyone wrote a short message to express their own interpretations of Hal’s artwork - an innovative way to further give young people a voice in a society built on older generation’s opinions. We’d love to involve every youth's belief, so it will be displayed in later events and workshops as well as put up on social media to gain comments from a diverse range of younger persons within the Bude community. The films shown can be viewed here: Films The survey about projects is open until 28 May and can be completed here: Survey

Categories: Youth Board