New Voices for Old Stories – Year in Review
New Voices for Old Stories is our youth-led heritage programme, which supports young people in investigating our heritage and the heritage of the area, and reframing old stories from the past 100+ years into new voices.
In 2025, we successfully completed the programme’s first year, engaging a diverse cohort of 33 young people in heritage skills training and creative projects.
Participants explored Aston-Mansfield’s archives and co-created five youth-led heritage projects, reaching an audience of approximately 350 community members through events and digital content.
Augustas (18) loved: “Learning about the great things Aston-Mansfield had done for the community”
Evaluation data indicate high levels of participation, satisfaction, and skills development. 94% of respondents would recommend the programme to others, and almost all reported gains in digital content creation skills and a deeper appreciation of local heritage.
Key Outcomes
100% have a greater understanding of heritage
94% made new friends and trusted relationships
94% increased in knowledge of creating digital content
100% felt they could apply the skills they have learned in the futures
94% would recommend the programme to others
Ariane (15) loved: “The activities and learning new things”
Saied (19) loved: “The fun socials”
Many participants loved “Meeting new people”
Skills young people said they learned
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Time Management
- Planning
- Budgeting
- Research
- Problem Solving
- Organisation
- Leadership Abilities
- Risk Management
- Archiving:
Handling and cataloguing historical materials – a unique skill directly related to heritage work.
5 Youth-Led Heritage Projects
The programme culminated in 5 youth-led projects, each taking an aspect of the past, and reinterpreting it for the modern day, and how it related to them:
What Young People Said:
Challenges and Learning
No programme is without its challenges. However, each challenge provided the team with an opportunity to problem-solve through flexibility, open feedback, and adaptive planning. The challenges also provided plenty of key learnings for the second-year of the project.
Scheduling & Attendance
Many participants were also in school or had work commitments which the project needed to fit around.
Our Solution
We introduced flexible delivery and a residential training weekend.
Time Constraints & Workload
Participants were balancing the project with other responsibilities and had limited time to complete tasks.
Our Solution
A residential reduced the number of days needed. The YFs also took on extra duties to help.
Resource Limitations
The project had a limited budget and staff availability.
Our Solution
Empowering the participants themselves to take leadership in subgroups.
Junaid loved
“Everything”
Masood loved
“The trips”
Looking Back and Looking Forward
The New Voices for Old Stories programme in 2025 has been highly successful in meeting its objectives: engaging diverse young people with heritage, building their skills, and producing creative outputs that connect past and present.
Participants came away with new friendships, improved confidence, and tangible achievements they can be proud of.
The programme also delivered on Heritage Fund outcomes by broadening audiences and safeguarding heritage for the future.
Zaynaat (17) “Loved the team building activities, and after social events”
With the lessons learned and the recommendations above, the next cohort (sign up now) can be even more impactful. By adjusting scheduling, strengthening communications, and further empowering youth leadership, Aston-Mansfield is well placed to expand this heritage programme’s reach and legacy.
The enthusiasm of this year’s participants – many of whom are eager to return – is perhaps the greatest testament to the programme’s value. As one young person put it simply: “Yes, I would do it all again!”
New Voices for Old Stories (Second Year)
Join a free, youth-led programme where you’ll explore Aston-Mansfield’s historic archive and bring its stories to life through your own creative lens.
www.aston-mansfield.org.uk/events/new-voices-for-old-stories-second-year/
