Our Story – How Wot Wud U Do Began

Back in 2011, Wot Wud U Do began life as a university project rooted in creativity and honesty. We set out to create something real – a way to engage and educate young people using creative tools, shaped by our own experiences of making the wrong choices growing up.

We knew that young people didn’t always respond to traditional approaches. So we built something different – a prototype of an interactive video experience, where players choose what they would do in a range of real-life scenarios. This was made possible through a small start-up grant from a university enterprise scheme.

That prototype sparked something. It showed us – and others – the potential of combining storytelling, technology, and lived experience to open up difficult but vital conversations with young people.

But creativity doesn’t always open doors. We struggled to find further funding, so we took a risk. We applied for a loan and built a bigger, better version of the prototype – bringing together a team of student actors, filmmakers, and creatives. Together, we co-produced the interactive videos we still use today – grounded in real-life stories and shaped by our own journeys and experiences of Preston.

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What We Created

These interactive films give young people the chance to explore themes like:

  • Sex and relationships

  • Consent and sexting

  • Peer pressure

  • Healthy vs unhealthy behaviours

They’re not just videos – they’re tools for starting honest, powerful conversations.

Want access? Email dave@wwudes.co.uk to get your personal login.

Turning Experience into Impact

As the videos gained traction, we began using them to engage young people in schools, colleges, care homes, pupil referral units, and youth and community settings across Lancashire.

And something powerful happened – peer education worked both ways. As we shared our experiences, we grew too. Personally and professionally.

But we weren’t satisfied. One-off workshops felt like just scratching the surface. We kept meeting young people who needed more: more support, more time, more chances to reflect and ask questions. So we went deeper.

We took everything we’d learned – not from textbooks, but from real life – and poured it into an 89-page teacher guidebook. A resource packed with:

  • Lesson plans and classroom activities

  • PSHE and RSE curriculum links

  • Signposting to youth services

  • Strategies for real, honest engagement

  • A focus on parents, carers and the wider support system

It was practical, raw, and rooted in reality. We weren’t trained teachers or health experts – we were people who had lived it, and wanted to change it.

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Nobody Else Was Doing What We Were Doing

Yes, some big organisations offered generic lessons. Yes, some used interactive media. But nobody was combining both – the creativity, the lived experience, and the practical, classroom-ready tools – the way we did.

We didn’t stop there.

We connected schools with other local charities and lived experience speakers, creating tailored programmes. For example:

  • Weeks 1–5: in-class lessons on relationships, mental health and behaviour

  • Week 6: guest speaker visit for open Q&A, linked to the themes

We worked with partners like Preston Domestic Violence Services, The JJ Effect, and Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust, funded through Preston’s Community Safety Partnership and supported by Lancashire County Council’s Team Around the School.

Over time, we evolved – from content creators, to workshop leaders, to trainers of facilitators, to connectors between schools and the wider voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

Then the Funding Stopped

The reality? Schools shifted priorities. Councils funded other projects. And we weren’t businesspeople with the right qualifications or networks. We were creatives – with passion, lived experience, and a mission.

But then came a turning point… thanks to Twitter.

We spotted a call-out for VCFSE organisations to join an NHS “Dragon’s Den”-style co-production event. We applied – nothing to lose. That one moment sparked the next chapter of Wot Wud U Do.

(You can read more about that project here.)

Where We Are Now

Today, Wot Wud U Do supports young people and young adults aged 11–25 who feel like they don’t quite fit the mould – just like we didn’t.

Whether they’re struggling with social pressures, emotional wellbeing or mental health, we understand because we’ve been there too.

We use our experiences to help young people turn their challenges into action – co-creating the tools, spaces and conversations they and their peers need to navigate life.

Through creative tools, mentoring and emotional support, we help them:

  • Build confidence

  • Improve their mental health

  • Understand themselves

  • Feel safe to express who they are

We continue to bridge the gap between creativity, education and wellbeing – and we’re proud to still be doing it in the city that shaped us.

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"I liked how interactive the class was"

Young person, 16