About The Walden Shed
Responding to a clear and growing gap in local provision for young people.
Why We're Here
The Walden Shed Youth Project was created in response to a clear and growing gap in local provision for young people. The project began from lived experience as a parent, watching children and young people struggle to find their place.
These young people are not invisible. In fact, they are often very visible. Their struggles show up through antisocial behaviour, poor decision-making, and increasingly through substance use. Rather than this visibility leading to understanding or early support, it often results in avoidance and exclusion.
Young people become known for negative reasons and pushed to the edges of community life. This combination of behaviour, drug use, and exclusion places young people at significant risk of exploitation. When young people feel rejected, disconnected, or written off, they become vulnerable to criminal influence and people willing to offer belonging at a cost.
The Gap We're Responding To
From a systems perspective, young people are often only supported once they reach a point of crisis. Early warning signs such as disengagement, school avoidance, antisocial behaviour, low-level offending, or substance use are frequently recognised, but there is limited space within existing structures to respond meaningfully at that stage.
As thresholds rise and resources stretch, young people can find themselves passed between services, assessed repeatedly, or left waiting while behaviour escalates and trust in adults erodes. Each missed opportunity reinforces the belief that systems are not designed for them — that they are a problem to be managed rather than a person to be supported.
Community-based, preventative work matters because it allows intervention before crisis, within relationships rather than referrals, and through consistency rather than short-term input. The Walden Shed is designed to sit in that preventative space: alongside existing services, not in place of them, offering stability, belonging, and positive connection before things escalate further.
Our Approach
Referral-Only
The Walden Shed is a referral-only project. It is not open access, and young people cannot self-refer. Referrals are accepted from professionals and services who already know the young person and understand their level of need. This model allows appropriate safeguarding oversight, shared information, and accountability.
Small Numbers
The project works with small numbers of young people at any one time, allowing consistent relationships, clear boundaries, and high standards of safeguarding and care.
Hands-On Work
Young people engage in practical, hands-on activity, skill building, responsibility, and relationship-based work. This is not about fixing young people, but about creating the conditions where they can rebuild confidence, trust, and a sense of belonging.
Community Connection
Re-engaging young people with their community is at the heart of The Walden Shed. Many young people referred to the project feel disconnected from the place they live. They are known for negative reasons, avoided in public spaces, and rarely experience positive interactions with local adults outside of authority figures.
Community & Long-Term Impact
The project aims to change that narrative — to help young people rebuild their relationship with their community, and for the community to see these young people differently.
Local people are actively encouraged to be involved in the Shed as volunteers, mentors, and skills-sharers. Tradespeople, craftspeople, farmers, business owners, and skilled community members are invited into the Shed to teach practical, confidence-building skills.
Beyond the Shed, supported pathways are developed into work experience during school holidays, time spent with local trades or farms, and introductions to real working environments. Over time, these relationships can develop into apprenticeships, employment opportunities, or long-term mentoring.
The long-term aim is for young people to move from being seen as a problem within the community to becoming contributors to it — and eventually mentors themselves.
Where We Are Now
The Walden Shed is intentionally in a careful and considered phase of development. The focus is on ensuring delivery is safe, sustainable, and built to last.
This includes governance, safeguarding, defined roles, referral pathways, and realistic capacity. The project is starting small by design, allowing quality, learning, and consistency.
At this stage, support looks like guidance, connections, shared learning, and community involvement. Formal funding and partnership opportunities will be explored as the project becomes established, with sustainability and safeguarding at the forefront.
Safeguarding First
High standards of safeguarding and care are at the core of everything we do.
Quality Over Quantity
Starting small allows for consistent relationships and careful learning.
Built to Last
Sustainable development with governance and defined processes.
Meet the Team
Get to know the co-founders behind The Walden Shed and their commitment to supporting young people.
Meet the Team