At Youth Action Unlocked, young people from across the North East came together to design projects that could make a real difference in their communities. From Newcastle, a group called The Other Direction stepped forward with a project that aimed to address a growing issue among young people: vaping and smoking.

We spoke to some of the group members and Erin explained the name behind their team: “We chose The Other Direction because we want to use this project to make a change in another direction.”

Their idea was rooted in what they were seeing around them every day as Jannah shared: “We’re covering vaping and smoking in the community area, and we’ve noticed a lot in our areas where vapes have been put out on the roads that aren’t fully finished with.” For Erin, the focus was on education and responsibility: “We want to make sure they’re educated and have awareness of the impact. But also know if they’re going to continue where to dispose of them.”

The project would include resource packs for schools and youth clubs, online information, and creative approaches like activities and potentially even a documentary. Erin explained: “We’re going to make resource packs and deliver it in other youth sessions. We’re going to make resource packs even online that include pamphlets and information on where to get help and where to dispose of them and do different activities in youth groups to raise awareness about it.”

The group also hope to transform waste into art, producing a sculpture made from disposed vapes to highlight the environmental and social costs of vaping.

What inspired them was the reality of their own communities. Erin said: “We have seen a lot of young people in our areas that are vaping, and we know that there is more and more research coming out about the health issues, so we wanted to make sure that we try and diminish the amount of smoking and vaping happening in our area, especially with young people.”

For Erin, youth-led action carries a deep meaning: “To me it means that young people can choose the activities they want to do and be able to make a difference because of it.”

For The Other Direction, their journey at Youth Action Unlocked was about more than presenting a project – it was about finding their voice, building confidence, and starting the work of changing their community for the better.

So far, they have created a powerful video to raise awareness about vaping. You can watch it here: