Are you using Challenge Plus?
Tuesday 9th August 2016More and more groups of Seniors and Young Leaders are feeling inspired to organise larger projects which aim to help the lives of others and can have a lasting impact. International development, homelessness and equality are just a few of the causes which BB young people have come together to support.
Coming together to undertake a project can offer incredible benefits – to young people, good causes and also the Company itself. Young people may come from the same Church or Company, or indeed from across a whole Battalion or District. Combining talents, enthusiasm and skills from a larger area can offer a real sense of fellowship.
If you’re considering using your BB setting and your talents to start a particular project, here are some useful tips…
Projects should be…
- Challenging – something which can push both individuals and the group beyond their comfort zone
- Young people led
- Rewarding and enjoyable
- Have a lasting impact, or something beyond the short term
No two projects are the same, but there are key steps that you should consider…
- Aim? – What do you hope to get out of your project? This is normally a fixed goal that everyone is working towards.
- Location – Where is the work actually going to take place? Projects taking place abroad, for instance, will require more research.
- How? – You might have a great idea, but you need to think about how to make it a reality. You need to think about things like how are you going to fund it and whether you need any training.
- Who? – Who is going to be involved? Will older leaders need to be involved to advise? Can young people out with your area also get involved?
- What? – Exactly what is going to happen? What activities will you be undertaking?
- When? – This is where the dates come in. For some projects they will be a week or two weeks in duration. Whereas others may be once a week for 6 months. Think about when the project starts, when it finishes and all the key dates in between.
- Communication – How are you going to keep everyone up to speed with your plans? You could use email, social media or even online project management tools like Asana or Basecamp.
- Sharing your story – How is the outside world going to hear about your work? Give some thought to the likes of a blog, social media and press releases so there’s a wider awareness of your project.
