Exploring the impacts of the Venturists Programme in 2024

The Venturists youth action programme began in 2020 to add a further innovative strand to Participate Projects’ work in finding, exploring and supporting ideas that contribute positively towards people, place and planet. Participate recognises that young people often think more creatively and without the constraints of practicalities and the Venturists programme harnesses this by encouraging them to explore issues in their local community and develop ideas about how to tackle them. The Venturists includes school-based sessions, inspirational talks and trips involving a wide range of local organisations, and the infamous ‘Dragons’ Den’
where students pitch their ideas to try and secure funding for them. Importantly, students then go on to deliver their projects often with significant impacts for the school, community and / or local organisations. While initially conceived as a youth action project, it was hoped that the Venturists would also have a positive impact on self-esteem, personal development and career aspirations for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and facing challenges to learning. This report outlines findings from research to capture emerging themes from the Venturists so far, as well as a snapshot of the programme in 2024.