It has been an exciting year for The Agency team at the Octagon, as young people across Farnworth turned creative ideas into meaningful community action. 

Following the successful pitching panel in December 2025, several young people were awarded funding to develop social action projects designed to inspire, connect and empower their local community. Since then, they have been busy making their projects into a reality. 

Among the projects developed this year has been Zane's Soft Borders, a comic book exploring themes of cultural unity, identity and human connection through storytelling and original characters. Zane recently hosted a successful launch event in Farnworth, celebrating the release of the comic and sharing the project with local audiences. The event highlighted the power of creativity as a tool for encouraging understanding and celebrating diversity within community. 

Adeniyi's project, Automotive Unity, brought people together through Farnworth's first community car show. The event was a huge success, attracting local residents and car enthusiasts alike while encouraging young people to explore interests in engineering, mechanics and automotive culture.

Through her project Crowned Roots, Precious has been delivering Afro hair braiding workshops and skills sessions for local young people across Bolton. Through these sessions, participants have learned practical afro hair braiding techniques alongside important education around textured hair care, self-expression and cultural identity. The workshops have empowered participants with new creative skills while creating opportunities for learning, confidence-building and connection.

Meanwhile, Braidien and Kenzi have been championing environmental awareness in Farnworth through a series of creative community workshops focused on wildlife and conservation. Using nature as inspiration for arts activities and conversations, the pair have encouraged residents to think about protecting local green spaces and preserving the natural environment for future generations. 

Each project has demonstrated how young voices can create impact within their communities when given the support, resources and confidence to develop their ideas. Everyone at the Octagon is incredibly proud of everything these young people have achieived so far, and we are excited to continue following their journeys as their projects continue to grow and evolve.