Young Apprentices at Incredible Edible

NEWS Alex Peterson 9th September 2021

Incredible Edible Knowsley consistently sees the help and contribution of a diverse range of people. Regardless of gender, age or background, anyone and everyone is more than welcome to help us achieve our goals of assisting, educating and providing for those who need it or may not otherwise have access.

However, this article is written with specific attention given to the next generation of helpers: the under 25s. It is important to us to understand the motivations and opinions of young people in regards to community work in order to gain a deeper understanding of what we can do to encourage more young people to consider such work, as well as improving the experience of those who have already chosen to do so.

Namely, the young apprentices here at Incredible Edible Knowsley range between age 19 and 21, making them a good representation of those in early adulthood.

What do They Think?

When speaking with the young helpers, the goal was to find out their opinions of the work they do and the atmosphere here. The questions asked were set with this in mind.

What do you do here?
How have you found your experience so far?
What are your motivations for helping here?
How does this work compare to your daily life?
What is your favourite thing about working here?

What do you do here?

Amongst the apprentices, there were a range of different jobs, from the maintaining of the Community Day shop to the management of the websites and social medias. However, the one common answer from everyone was that, regardless of their assigned job, if they had nothing to do, they would go and help somebody else to get something done, showing an inherently altruistic nature.

How have you found your experience so far?

There was a unanimous sentiment of enjoyment amongst everyone asked, with specific reference to a sense of feeling refreshed and active. There was no mention of any dissatisfaction with the work they did, and an apparent appreciation of the ability to see the impact of their work on the growth and development of the community.

What are your motivations for helping here?

Through the answer to this question, it was clear that helping here was a positive impact on their social lives and mental health; listing benefits such as being able to have a routine, getting outside, staying active and socialising, as well as the common motivation of helping others. These motivations show an awareness and mindfulness of their own health and quality of life, as well as the ability to improve the health and wellbeing of others.

How does this work compare to your daily life?

There was a fair amount of variance between the apprentices with regards to how their work fits in with what they do outside of work hours. Some of them viewed their work hours as a pleasant break from an urban life, while some said that they felt comfortable working because they have done gardening and worked with plants in the past. Regardless, all of the apprentices claimed to have learned new things and experienced some welcome changes, working with new people and learning about horticulture amongst other things.

What is your favourite thing about working here?

The answers here were quite unique, with some valuing the community aspect and the socialisation, some appreciated the laid back atmosphere and preferred the casual working environment, and some simply said they enjoyed the plant life and helping to water and grow.