Harambee’s ‘Dig for Sustainability’ project, based in Cambridge, offered a unique opportunity for young people to engage with their war time heritage whilst taking an active role in the conservation of their local environment.

The inspiration for ‘Dig for Sustainability’ was provided by:

1. The young people with whom we currently work who are keen to make a local and positive contribution to the big global issues such as climate change and world food shortages, and,
2. The highly successful ‘Dig for Victory : War on Waste’ project of St James’ Park, London (organised by the Royal Parks and Imperial War Museum) which involved young people in the recreation of a working allotment from the ‘Dig for Victory’ era.

‘Dig for Sustainability’ reinterpreted and linked the war time practices of rationing, ‘make do and mend’ and ‘growing your own’ to the current day sustainable lifestyle practices of carbon rationing, the ‘3 R’s’ (reduce, reuse and recycle) and self sufficiency gardening.

This hands-on, youth-led project involved a core group of 30 young people (between 13 and 20 years old) in a wide range of activities over 12 months which increased their understanding and skills relating to heritage ultimately enabling them to share their greater appreciation of the value of heritage with others.

As a regional hub of Global Youth Work, Harambee has extensive experience of engaging and facilitating over 300 ‘hard to reach’ young people in creative projects which relate the personal, local and global interests and concerns. ‘Dig for Sustainability’ would represent an exciting and innovative example of global youth work by recognizing the significance of our heritage in order to better understand our global community.

The project received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and v

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