Photo: discussions at a meeting organised by ACT.

Community Voice

Hearing what communities have to say can be challenging for partners and statutory authorities. Communities can need support expressing themselves in ways others understand and can incorporate into their strategies.

ACT is committed to helping communities have a voice and be heard in all the work we do, including;

And the Collaboration Hub with the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP).

The Collaboration Hub works with communities and the 22 partners of the LDNPP, to resource challenging conversations and encourage more collaboration on policy and delivery.

Esmee Fairburn Foundation is funding the work to support ACT to assist communities to be heard and to influence the things that can, otherwise, just happen to them.

In 2023/24 we facilitated work with three groups of young people to understand their views on living in and around the National Park. We used the LDNPP Management Plan as the framework for this engagement.

Cumbria Youth Alliance linked us up with:

  • West Cumbria Rivers Trust Youth Council
  • John Ruskin School Council
  • Cumbria Young Farmers

Stefan Escreet our Artistic Advisor linked us up with creative people who could offer the three groups a choice of different ways to express their views.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust Youth Council

West Cumbria Rivers Trust Youth Council were already working with a local artist, Anne Waggot Knott, so we extended that relationship.

This document outlines the background and context for the above film:
WCRTYP Context for short film.

John Ruskin School Council

John Ruskin School Council decided to work with Josh and Josh from Horizon Studios - https://www.horizonstudiosnw.co.uk/

The lyrics for the rap are here:
Words to JRS Rap

Cumbria Young Farmers

Cumbria Young Farmers chose to work with photographer Amy Bateman - https://amybatemanphotography.com/

Lake District National Park Partnership

Their work was presented by the young people to the LDNPP in July 2024.

Veronica Fiorato the Partnership Manager summarises this in the following slides:
ACT AGM Hearing youth voices 18Oct24

ACT will continue to support the LDNPP to hear a variety of community voices and to include coproduction in the delivery of all partners work, having the difficult discussion and using creative ways to develop different solutions.