Anxiety, isolation, difficulty imagining the future: mental distress among young people is rising across Europe, and the places where they grow up matter. Abandoned spaces, a lack of greenery and few opportunities to meet affect both well-being and the sense of belonging. Y-REC starts here.
Y-REC promotes the mental well-being of younger generations through urban regeneration and environmental sustainability. The idea is simple: reclaiming neglected spaces and turning them into green, biodiversity-friendly areas improves people's lives and their bond with the community. This is why the project combines mental health support activities with concrete action on the ground – community gardens, therapeutic gardens, mindfulness in parks – alongside training, international exchanges and initiatives designed by young people themselves.
Y-REC involves young people aged 15 to 30 from six European countries, with particular attention to those with fewer opportunities, together with youth workers, educators, local communities and environmental organisations. The aim is to build a network of local Resilience Hubs and to strengthen democratic participation, social inclusion and community resilience.
One of the first activities is a field research process that gathers qualitative and quantitative data on younger generations' experiences, identifies barriers and opportunities relating to well-being, participation and urban sustainability, and explores the role of cultural and community spaces. The findings will feed into a transnational report of evidence and good practices. The collaboration with the European Palermo Youth Centre (EPYC) roots the research in the local area, built on relationships of trust with local communities.
Once the questionnaires have been collected, two focus groups will bring together young people, youth workers, cultural practitioners, activists and community representatives: through participatory methods and storytelling, they will draw out concrete experiences and new perspectives. The first will be held on Tuesday 23 June, from 4.00 to 5.30 p.m., at EPYC – Via Pignatelli Aragona 42, Palermo.
The questionnaire is aimed at young people, youth workers, youth organisations, cultural practitioners and activists. Fill it in and confirm your attendance at the focus group: https://forms.gle/6g496ns1wyp3TkHP9. Every response helps develop tools that respond more closely to the needs of younger generations and local communities.
Y-REC – Youth for Resilient Communities is a 24-month transnational initiative connecting people's well-being with the care of urban spaces, involving younger generations in research, participation and the transformation of their local areas. The project is coordinated by KMOP (Greece) and brings together the partners ALLWEB Solutions (Greece), Asociatia Initiative si Proiecte pentru Tineret IMAGO (Romania), Assemblée des Régions d'Europe (France), Nuorten Akatemia (Finland), Family and Childcare Center – Skopje branch (North Macedonia) and LAND Impresa Sociale (Italy).
For more information, contact Aurelia Schera, aurelia.schera@impresasocialeland.org.