Youth teams from Worcester Community Trust have delivered impactful sessions and events with young people at community centres in Worcester, diving into themes of masculinity, identity, and what it really means to have healthy relationships.
This work couldn’t be timelier. With controversial influencers dominating social media feeds and shows like Adolescence putting gender dynamics under the spotlight.
To prepare for the events youth coaches across Worcestershire undertook comprehensive and specialist training delivered by Michael Conroy, founder of Men At Work CIC. Designed specifically for youth-facing staff, the training equipped participants with approaches and language to engage young people on issues around gender, identity, and violence.
Following the training, a Youth Manager at the KVG Hub said: “Before the masculinity training, we led by example, challenging gender norms with activities like nail painting and makeup. It worked in some places, but we hit a wall in others. We weren’t always engaging with the online influences shaping young people’s views, especially voices like Andrew Tate that kept surfacing in sessions. The training helped us all understand the online world young people are navigating and gave us new tools to respond. Now we bring researched insights into our sessions and reference things we’ve seen online, which has sparked brilliant conversations and healthy debates. It’s helped all of us challenge each other and grow.”
The wider programme of events link into the White Ribbon Campaign and the 16 Days of Action against gender-based violence, both of which aim to drive awareness and challenge harmful behaviours in communities. This focus allows staff and young people to examine what a healthy relationship looks like—and what it doesn’t. Themes of consent, respect, emotional intelligence, and safety will be woven throughout every session.
Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health Team provided funding through a youth grant to support staff development and resource creation, enabling local youth teams to lead this work with confidence and care.
To find out more about Public Health wellbeing grants for youth organisations, please visit our webpage: Public Health Youth Innovation Grant | Worcestershire County Council
