Written by Lisa Money. Tue 17 Feb 2026.
It feels like we’re in a moment.
Many of the partners in Imagine This have worked in Torbay for years. They have been through it all; the highs, the lows, the ticking along. Those partners, and indeed some of us who grew up in the bay have not been surprised to hear what young people have told us they want:
- Things to do
- Places to be together
- People to talk to
- Opportunities to have fun and develop skills
And underlying all of this – the need to find belonging and to be valued. Not rocket science, is it?
It’s kinda depressing to think we still haven’t nailed that in Torbay. BUT, what is different right now, is context. Things feel different…
Nationally, things are moving in a direction that feels good:
- Play Strategy (resulting in the creation of an All Party Parliamentary Group)
- Youth Matters: National Youth Strategy
- National Curriculum Review & the National Enrichment Framework
Locally, I have been at a whole host of meetings and events recently that suggest things are shifting. There seems to be a new (to some) and exciting energy to change how we are listening to young people and providing the resources and structures for them to step up and take the lead on things that matter to them.
I’ve been around long enough to know there’s no silver bullet, but I’m also optimistic enough to see that we are in a moment; that energy that has felt latent for a long time is starting to fizz and bubble.
Through the Imagine This network we are building bridges within and beyond the voluntary and community sector, making connections locally, regionally and nationally to capitalise on this moment in time. More people than ever are coming to the table from an array of sectors, and those people are coming with a genuine willingness to collaborate.
And if you’re looking for the right people to get around a table, Torbay has the most incredible talent, expertise, passion and drive. Did you know that we have:
A nationally recognised play work expert in Torbay, who is currently on the UK Children’s’ Play Policy Forum?
A digital commerce agency based at the Epic Centre who have just won TikTok Shop UK Agency of the Year?
Masters and PhD level practitioners in Arts and in Youth Work here and working with children in Torbay?
And that’s the ones that popped into my mind; there will be many, many more!
So we are, most definitely, in a moment and Torbay has the potential to become a leading place in terms of genuine youth engagement and youth leadership.
The question is, are you in?