Global Generation
Global Generation
2024 - On-going
Measuring the impact of hands-on environmental training for young people
Evaluating how a community build trainee programme in King's Cross supports young people's skills development, nature connection, wellbeing and environmental awareness through sustainable design and heritage crafts. (Photo Credit - Global Generation)
Aewell
Purpose
We're working with Global Generation to understand how their community-building trainee programme at the Triangle Site in King's Cross supports young people aged 18-25. The programme trains participants in sustainable design, building, heritage crafts and landscaping across successive cohorts — all while co-creating a permanent community garden on a site with a 1,000-year lease. Our role is to evaluate how the programme builds confidence, develops practical skills, deepens nature connection and shifts environmental attitudes, providing Global Generation with robust evidence of their impact in an area of significant social deprivation with limited access to green space.
Approach
Designed a mixed-methods evaluation combining quantifiable ratings with rich narrative responses from trainees
Conducted baseline and end-of-programme interviews with 16 trainees across four cohorts — Earth Building, Wood & Timber Framing, Sustainable Landscaping, and Planting the Garden
Assessed four key areas: skills and knowledge development, individual wellbeing and community connection, nature connection, and environmental attitudes and readiness to change
Used rated scales (0-10 for skills, wellbeing and environmental attitudes; 0-6 for nature connection) alongside open-ended qualitative questions
Tracked how trainees' emotional responses to environmental issues evolved through the programme
Delivered an impact report synthesising findings across three completed cohorts with baseline data from the fourth
Results
The evaluation has revealed a programme so far is transforming young people's confidence, connection to nature and sense of agency, with skills development showing particularly strong gains.
Mean skills confidence almost doubled, rising 90% from 3.5 to 6.6 out of 10
25% reduction in the intensity of negative feelings about environmental issues (from 6.5 to 4.9 out of 10), with trainees shifting from frustration and helplessness towards a sense of empowerment and agency
Cohort 3 (Sustainable Landscaping) showed the strongest nature connection gains at +1.3 points
9 out of 12 trainees arrived with predominantly negative emotions about the environment — frustration, conflict, anger and a sense of lacking power — but left feeling more connected, capable and hopeful
Qualitative findings highlighted strong gains in personal confidence, community belonging, positive workspace culture and lifestyle change
Trainees consistently reported that learning by doing — being "in the deep end" — was far more effective than classroom-based approaches
Quotes
"Learning so much and instantly applying it has been a lot more beneficial than learning with books. You're in the deep end and that's what I like — it builds confidence and gives a sense of reward."
Trainee, Cohort 2, Wood & Timber Framing, 2025
"I feel less trapped in a set number of options/career ladder. I feel happier that I'm making choices that makes me happy, not just following everyone."
Trainee, Cohort 3, Sustainable Landscaping, 2025
"I feel like I'm thinking accidentally about nature. I'm a lot more aware than I used to be... I started a lot of projects related to nature just subconsciously."
Trainee, Cohort 3, Sustainable Landscaping, 2025