At Young & Inspired, some of our best ideas come directly from young people.
Glow in the Dark was created by our Youth Panel after a series of conversations about what it means to be strong. Again and again, young people told us that the qualities they were most proud of were not always the ones that people notice first.
Not everyone shines because they are naturally confident, talented, sporty or academically gifted. Some young people glow because they keep going when life is difficult. They learn resilience through challenge, patience through struggle, empathy through caring for others, and courage through feeling different.
One young person summed it up perfectly:
“People always notice the loud people. Glow in the Dark is about noticing the people who keep going even when nobody sees it.”
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Glow in the Dark will run as a 12-month programme for young people aged 8–16, offering weekly evening sessions and holiday intensives designed to help young people recognise, celebrate and develop their hidden strengths.
The programme was shaped through consultation with 62 young people and 18 parents and carers. Young people told us that evenings, particularly during school holidays, can be some of the hardest times of the day. Long periods of unstructured time, caring responsibilities, limited opportunities and social isolation can leave young people feeling disconnected and bored.
Glow in the Dark provides a safe, welcoming and exciting space where young people can belong, have fun and build confidence.
Throughout the year, participants will take part in Glow Groups that combine reflection, creativity, teamwork and adventure. Activities include Neon Colour War challenges, glow teamwork trails, blindfolded trust missions and structured debate rounds that reward collaboration, strategy and problem-solving.
Young people will also explore their creativity through our Fluorescent Workshop, creating artwork with hidden UV-revealed designs that symbolise strengths which are not always visible to others. In the Glowtophia Slime Lab they will experiment with fluorescent slime, colour layering and sensory exploration, while the Glow Stick Dance Lab will challenge teams to create routines that represent resilience, unity and determination.
During school holidays, participants will enjoy extended activity days, including a Wacky Water Carnival featuring water-zorb runs, inflatable relays and precision water-gun tournaments. Holiday sessions will include two nutritious meals each day, while weekly after-school sessions will provide healthy snacks, recognising the important connection between nourishment, emotional regulation and participation.
What makes Glow in the Dark different is that we deliberately name and celebrate the strengths being used. Whether a young person demonstrates determination, compassion, focus, teamwork, initiative or leadership, we help them recognise these qualities in themselves and in others.
Glow in the Dark is also about giving back. Through at least six youth-led social action projects, participants will take practical action to improve their communities, promote reuse, reduce waste and care for shared spaces. For many of our young people, respect for resources comes naturally because they understand what it means to go without.
As one participant told us:
“Some of us know what it’s like not to have enough. That makes you think twice before wasting.”
Young people will continue to shape the programme throughout the year through our Youth Steering Group. Using a rotational voting system, they will help plan sessions, lead activities, design promotional materials and influence future developments.
This is not a project that has been designed for young people.
It is a project that has been designed with them.
Because sometimes the most important strengths are the ones that are hardest to see.
And sometimes the brightest things glow in the dark.
