Focus Group with Youngsters
🟡 CERV Project – 2nd Youth Focus Group in Pissouri
📅 Saturday, 17 May 2025
🕑 14:00 – 16:00
📍 Pissouri Multicultural Centre
🔗 Work Package 2 – More Info
As part of our ongoing research activities under Work Package 2 of the CERV project, we successfully carried out our second youth focus group meeting on Saturday, May 17th at the Pissouri Multicultural Centre. The session ran from 14:00 to 16:00 and brought together 9 enthusiastic young people, aged 17 to 20, who actively engaged in an open and honest dialogue about youth life in their community.
Guided by the structured set of questions from the Cities4YOUth methodology, the discussion focused on several key areas, including:
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Modern youth identity and the generational shift in values
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Education and whether schools prepare youth for the future
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Mental and physical health, including access to services
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Free time, mobility, addictions, and safety
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Participation, future vision, and employment aspirations
The young participants expressed their hopes, challenges, and suggestions for how their town and society at large can become more youth-friendly and inclusive. Their insights contribute meaningfully to our research goals and reflect the core values of the CERV programme—promoting civic engagement, equality, and inclusive policymaking.
We are grateful to the participants for their openness and energy, and we look forward to sharing more outcomes from this dialogue. Their voices are not just heard—they are shaping change. 💬🌱
Cities4YOUth – 1st Youth Focus Group in Pissouri
Local Dialogue with youth
Date: Saturday, 17 May 2025
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Location: Pissouri Multicultural Centre
Participants: 9 young people, aged 17 to 20, from Pissouri and surrounding areas
As part of the ongoing Work Package 2 of the EU CERV Programme, the first youth focus group took place at the Pissouri Multicultural Centre on May 17th. The session gathered nine young participants aged 17 to 20, who engaged in an open, reflective, and often passionate conversation about their lives, challenges, aspirations, and the future of youth participation in their community.
This focus group was structured around key themes from the Cities4YOUth methodology, aiming to deepen our understanding of how young people view their place in society today, the intergenerational gap, and what structures or spaces they feel are missing.
Key Discussion Themes & Insights
1. Modern Youth Identity: Intergenerational Differences and Social Pressures
Participants described a deep generational gap between themselves and their parents. While their parents prioritized survival, duty, and physical work, today's youth feel they are navigating emotional stress, high expectations, and digital overload.
- • Technology defines their lifestyle, socialization, and even stress levels.
- • They feel "spoiled" in material terms, yet emotionally pressured and at times isolated.
- • There was a sense that youth today grow up faster but are less prepared emotionally.
"Our parents worked the fields. We work through emotions."
They also reflected on how youth experiences differ by gender, and how age cohorts (13–15, 16–18, 19–22, 23–26) may need tailored approaches.
2. Education& Aspirations
Youth shared mixed feelings about education:
- • Schools do not sufficiently prepare students for life or practical skills.
- • Many rely on private tutoring or additional workshops.
- • Participants dream of studying in big cities or abroad (e.g., Thessaloniki, Athens), often seeing limited local opportunities.
- • Career aspirations included psychology, business ownership, and maritime studies.
"I want to build something of my own. Not just for money—for meaning."
3. Free Time, Public Spaces, and Safety
Young people voiced a clear need for more:
- • Safe gathering spaces like youth centers, shaded parks, cafés, or art hubs.
- • Events like music nights, DJ parties, and workshops that resonate with their interests.
- • Better communication about activities, using platforms like Instagram, not just Facebook.
- Many do not feel welcomed in public spaces and want more inclusive environments.
"We find out about events too late or not at all. It needs to change."
4. Mental Health & Wellbeing
There was unanimous concern about:
- • Lack of safe spaces to discuss mental health.
- • High levels of stress, pressure to succeed, and low socialization.
- • Digital life is a cause and escape for mental strain.
Youth emphasized the importance of community support and open conversations in schools.
5. Addictions and Risk Behaviors
Participants acknowledged widespread addictions:
- • Excessive social media use, especially TikTok and Instagram.
- • Gaming and online content as escapes.
- • Some referenced smoking and alcohol.
They feel there are few support structures for youth struggling with these issues and suggested informal peer support networks.
6. Mobility & Life Plans
Many participants expect to leave Pissouri for:
- • Education or better career opportunities.
- • A more vibrant, diverse environment (urban appeal).
However, several said they would return if local infrastructure improved and if jobs aligned with their interests.
"I like the quiet of Pissouri. But not the lack of opportunity."
7. Adulthood, Housing, and Independence
Youth had a mature understanding of adulthood:
- • Adulthood is about self-sufficiency, purpose, and independence.
- • They worry about affording housing and how late young people move out.
- • Some are open to intergenerational living if it offers emotional and financial stability.
8. Safety: Digital and Physical
There are real concerns about:
- • Online safety (cyberbullying, privacy).
- • Feeling excluded or judged in public spaces.
- • Lack of clear support mechanisms for harassment or bullying.
Youth desire not just physical security but also emotional safety and acceptance.
9. Social Challenges & Inequality
Participants recognized that not all youth in Pissouri have equal access to:
- • Events
- • Learning opportunities
- • Mental health support
Those from financially or socially vulnerable families face more isolation and fewer resources.
10. Participation, Volunteering, and Civic Voice
Most participants had not taken part in local governance, but expressed strong interest if there were structured opportunities:
- • A Youth Council was viewed as a useful tool if not tokenistic.
- • They want real influence and shared ownership of local initiatives.
- • Volunteering is appealing if it's visible, fun, and rewarding.
"We want to be invited to the table—not just clapped for."
11. Jobs& Future Vision
Participants showed ambition and creativity:
- • Several envisioned starting their own businesses.
- • Others wanted careers with meaning, not just money.
- • Many felt disconnected from job opportunities in their hometown.
They need:
- • More career guidance
- • Local internship programs
- • City support for youth entrepreneurship
12. Communication and Information Gaps
Youth don't feel well-informed. They:
- • Rely on Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp.
- • Don't check traditional channels like Facebook or bulletin boards.
- • Suggested QR codes at schools, cafes, and bus stops for updates.
"If the message is important, it should come to where we are."
Youth Vision: Looking to 2030
Participants were asked to imagine a youth-friendly Pissouri in 2030:
They envisioned:
- • A thriving Youth Center
- • A network of inclusive spaces (art, sports, dialogue, music)
- • Safe and clean public areas
- • Digital integration: events calendar app, youth podcast or newsletter
As Mayor for a Day, their priorities would be:
- • Improve public transport
- • Fund youth programs
- • Invest in mental health services
- • Support youth-led businesses and social initiatives
This focus group reinforced the depth and clarity with which young people understand their world and challenges. Their insights suggest:
- • An urgent need for co-created infrastructure (e.g., Youth Center)
- • A desire for real participation and representation
- • A shift from "activities for youth" to "projects with youth"
Their message is clear: youth are not a problem to solve but a power to activate.
These findings will inform both local strategies and broader CERV policy recommendations.