By undertaking an 18 month pilot of Cultivate in Cornwall we have been able to test and develop the approach, iron out the creases and address the challenges, to create something that really works for you.

If you are commissioning youth services, Cultivate offers a direct, engaging way to deliver for young people, promote community cohesion and create sustainable activity.

So what’s involved?

Once commissioned the Cultivate approach works in three phases:

An initial assessment – RIO completes a short piece of factfinding in the chosen location, looking into the need, what already exists in the area, identifying key community players, talking to young people and locals and finding out what problems need addressing.

Recruitment: Cultivate then recruits a Cultivator – a local person with drive, passion and in depth knowledge of their community. The key is in getting the right Cultivator. By drawing on our wide national network, contacts and links, RIO attracts the best person for the job so that the process can really fly.

Cultivating:  Each Cultivator starts by finding a group of young people in their community and building an authentic relationship with them. From here the Cultivator can begin to work with the young people, listen to their ideas and then attract in more young people as well as the relevant organisations, local businesses, professionals and skills that will enable the young people to turn their ideas into reality. Look at our story so far to see examples of how Cultivating has worked across Cornwall.

Although each Cultivate programme lasts for six months, they are never one offs. By connecting young people, local businesses, organisations, agencies and individuals together, taking an opportunistic approach to local initiatives and being entrepreneurial, Cultivate raises aspirations in young people, injecting energy and triggering action that can continue after the Cultivator steps away.

To talk to us about getting Cultivate in your area contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

So what about the numbers?