London in Lockdown: Young people’s perspectives on green spaces, housing, and wellbeing

What’s on offer?

This co-produced online event will present findings from the Risk, Resilience Ethnicity and Adolescent Mental Health (REACH) study (www.thereachstudy.com) that sits within the Centre for Society and Mental Health, that captured during the Covid-19 pandemic. First, a one-hour presentation will focus on our results on impacts on housing quality, access to green space, and mental health. Second, a 15-minute presentation from young people, who work with us as REACH Champions, will contextualise these findings from their perspective. Finally, a 30-minute panel discussion with the REACH research team and REACH Champions will discuss the broader impact of these findings.

What’s it about?

In May 2020, REACH launched an online questionnaire to examine the changes and challenges experienced by young people living in south London during the national lockdown. With social restrictions in place, green spaces became more difficult for some to access, particularly those living in inner cities. REACH used both questionnaires and innovative diary methods to explore the impact of housing quality and access to green space on wellbeing and mental health. This event aims to share these findings while including the perspectives of young people to contextualise “green poverty”. The focus will be on what access to green spaces and the local environment means to young people both before and after the onset of the pandemic. We will ask young people to explain what they think could be done to improve access, even when Covid-19 is no longer the primary crisis that we face.

Who’s leading the event?

The REACH team and REACH Champions, King’s College London Jade Lynne Morris, Postdoc Research Associate at King’s College London Esther Putzgruber, Research Assistant at King’s College London Joseph Lam, Data Scientist at King’s College London

Open to

We would like to open this event to all; however, we feel it will be of particular interest to encourage young people aged 16-21 to attend.

Of particular interest to

This event would be of particular interest to young people along with academics and local community leaders.