Rochdale Children’s Hopes for the Future Shared on Film
Your Trust has been leading a programme of activities and events, inspired by the natural environment, which aim to spark conversation and action about climate change.
In 2024, Your Trust worked with Rochdale Borough Council, Walk the Plank and other local organisations to deliver Wild Wanders – a project that aimed to amplify children’s voices in conversations about climate change.
Over 240 children from across Rochdale borough took part in workshops and visited Rochdale Town Hall to meet Lily – a giant baby who wanted to hear what young people had to say about the future of the world. The children’s voices were recorded and their artwork was collected. Artists from Walk the Plank then combined the words and images into a powerful piece of digital art, which was projected onto baby Lily during the Wild Wanders night time nature trails, which took place at Hollingworth Lake Country Park in October 2024.
Nearly 4000 people attended the trails and listened to the children talking about their hopes for the future. As well as expressing their concerns about climate change, the children expressed other wishes for the future, including “a world of no poverty” and “a world of peace and hope” where children are “safe”, “strong” and “happy”.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation, commented, “This has been a wonderful project to be involved in, with a powerful take home message for us all. The children of Rochdale have spoken and been very clear on the kind of future they want to see and it was very moving to hear the responses from visitors. I hope Wild Wanders has encouraged people to think positively about what they can do to make the world a better place for future generations.”
You can now watch a recording of the installation and hear the children’s voices below.
Alongside this project, Rochdale Borough Council organised a Climate Conversations debate where children visited Rochdale Town Hall to discuss what action should be prioritised by the local authority. Their decision was then presented to Council. This programme will be repeated in 2025, meaning that children are contributing to local democracy and influencing the borough’s decision making. To find out more about the 2025 Climate Conversations programme, click here.
Your Trust and other organisations across Rochdale Borough are continuing to work together to ensure that more children’s voices are listened to by decision makers who shape local services and places. You can read more about Rochdale borough’s commitment to listening to young people in our new Children and Young People’s Partnership Plan.
For further information about climate change and sustainability in Rochdale borough, click here.
Wild Wanders is created by Rochdale Borough Council working with multi-award winning international outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank alongside Create Rochdale, Culture Co-Op, Rochdale Development Agency, Your Trust and Hopwood Hall College and University Centre. It is funded by Arts Council England and the Garfield Weston Foundation.