The Next Generation project built on the later stages of the Chalk, Cherries and Chairs (CCC) initiative, led by arts consultancy INSTAR, which explored how young people in and around High Wycombe felt about their local landscape and wanted to interact with it. The project aimed to test new approaches for engaging young people in heritage and nature activities, strengthen partnerships, and provide insights on resources needed to deliver effective youth-focused sessions. During the initial months, partners collaborated with consultants and the Project Manager to develop ideas, leading to a delivery phase in spring and summer 2025. This phase included working with youth organisations and young people to pilot activities, reflect on learning, and share outcomes via a public webinar in October 2025. Chilterns National Landscape formalised these insights into a strategic Youth Engagement Approach document in November 2025, setting out priorities, objectives, and lessons learned from the project.
BBOWT adopted a “listening” approach informed by its Community Organising Framework, conducting 14 listening exercises with 67 young people aged 9–25. These sessions, held in both formal “House Meetings” and hands-on activities like making bee hotels, revealed key themes such as young people’s need for relaxation in nature, desire for thrilling activities, pride in their local area, and perceived barriers like council decisions, finances, and social media. These insights are now feeding into BBOWT’s Youth Advisory Panel, supporting youth governance and ongoing community engagement, while helping the organisation refine its approach to collaboration and action for nature.
Amersham Museum focused on engaging “returners,” young people aged 18–25 returning from university who felt disconnected from the community. Partnering with Wild Amersham and using local spaces like St Mary’s churchyard, the museum developed a high-energy programme called ‘Bring it Back,’ designed and named by young participants themselves. The programme included 15 sessions featuring biodiversity work, historical exploration, and skill-building activities. Based on participant feedback, the museum transitioned the project into a sustained group with ongoing sessions through 2025–26, incorporating expert input, community partnerships, and future plans for sharing outputs via signage, podcasts, and guided activities.
Wycombe Museum aimed to fill a gap in provision for teenagers, offering open, iterative sessions to build meaningful youth engagement rather than one-off activities. Working with youth groups, schools, work experience participants, and young volunteers aged 11–19, the museum co-created projects with young people, including developing personal projects, social media content, and research linked to museum collections. The museum plans to continue youth group sessions, develop a gallery project with young volunteers’ research, and expand online engagement to ensure youth visibility and participation.
Chiltern Rangers sought to strengthen relationships with local youth providers, engage new partners, and trial new approaches for connecting young people to nature. Activities included surveys to understand young people’s and adults’ perspectives, practical conservation sessions, nature photography workshops, drop-in forest school sessions for teenagers, and a “Campfire Conversations” session with local youth leaders. Feedback from these initiatives will guide the establishment of a regular nature youth group for 14–18-year-olds, alongside ongoing reflection on staff aspirations and participant needs.
Overall, the Next Generation project enabled partners to explore, test, and refine approaches for meaningful youth engagement across heritage and nature sectors. It emphasised listening, co-creation, and sustained involvement, resulting in programmes and structures that continue to grow and evolve, supporting young people’s connection to their local landscapes and communities.
