East London charity, Shoreditch Trust, and local content marketing agency, the tree, are finding new ways to engage young people in the area. They have developed a targeted creative workshop, encouraging young people to explore new ways to think about colours, shapes and words. This is the first time a business has approached the Shoreditch Trust with this kind of initiative. Shoreditch Trust has several different programmes, aiming to improve health, wellbeing, learning and community. This partnership focuses on supporting the Food for Life programme, which urges young people to improve their physical and mental health by building a better relationship with food. The initial workshop included a range of students, aged 14-16, with varying abilities, interests and levels of literacy - accompanied by two staff members and a representative of the Shoreditch Trust. The students were tasked with building a brand for food products that they were already growing or cooking as part of the Food for Life scheme. The inclusive workshops are specifically designed for those who have had difficulties with mainstream learning and schools.
the tree presenters explored the psychology behind colour, shapes and words in order to help the young people build their brand
Katie Edmondson, Food for Life Project Manager for Shoreditch Trust, said “This initiative was especially exciting to us because it gave creative direction to kids who need it. It is important for these young people to see the different jobs involved in bringing a product to life and the opportunities that they offer.” Head of Content and Production at the tree, Edward Fraser, added: “As a business that benefits from being in the area, we felt it was important to look at how our skills and services could offer something to the community. I approached the Shoreditch Trust and the workshop idea was a natural fit for the Food for Life scheme. Showing the children how to take an idea and build a brand around it is a really creative and commercial process. We hope that it’s something they can talk about to potential employers in the future.”
