Platform Sandown
Conversations with young people at the Bay Youth Project were the starting point for all the youth-led projects at Sandown Station – many of them use the station on a regular basis, and said they found it unwelcoming and unfriendly.
They were asked to document how they, and others, view and use the station and they chose to do this through podcasting and photography.
For the photography, they worked with interdisciplinary artist Trudie Wilson, learning how to shoot manually and using different techniques for viewing and presenting the station in different ways. They learned how to edit their photographs and curated 40 for the ‘Back on Track’ exhibition at Quay Arts in May 2026.
For the podcast, ‘Platform Sandown’, the young people worked with Jake Richardson from the Bay Youth Project. They applied and interviewed each other for the various roles on the podcast – from host to graphic designer – and spoke to a range of people from South Western Railway, Island Line, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, and Sandown Town Council, among others.
It was great to meet the young people involved and see the world of the railway station through their eyes. Their work shows a deep understanding of the environment and a genuine desire to enrich the space for everyone who uses it. Thank you for providing a platform for young people to investigate and express themselves, as it doesn't just build skills, it promotes a connection to the spaces they inhabit every day.
It inspired me to carry on and try new things.
I've gotten better at socialising. I enjoy hanging out.
This project was one of three youth-led projects in and around Sandown Station that emerged out of conversations with the Bay Youth Project. Explore the other two here:
Sandown Station Project
Three youth-led projects designed to make the area in and around Sandown Station feel safer and more welcoming, and to increase community cohesion.
Read about our Changemaker work on the Isle of Wight: