The project had two main objectives: 1. Increase organisations' capacities, knowledge and reach 2. Promote youth civic participation to make young people promoters of changes for the benefit of the society The project aimed to mobilise the young community to have a sense of initiative, share their area of expertise and interest with their peers, learn from fellow international changemaker-wannabes, and brainstorm follow-up ideas/initiatives implementable at the local level that continue the project mission of YOUth take the LEAD. In addition, it had the goal of building the capacity of each member of the partnership, by exchanging not only Erasmus+ administrative and logistical practices, but also expertise on specific fields that are increasingly important for the positive development of the young generation, such as 1. active citizenship & youth participation, 2. environmental friendly practices, 3. Sports. The organisations exchanged perspectives and learnt new well-functioning activity types that they integrated already in their future activities, such as accreditation projects and local activities.
The needs addressed by the project stemmed from the situation of the young community members of the towns the partnership members reside in. GYEEK operates in Szeged, a town with a significant youth population, due to being a university city, however it is also a town with few participatory opportunities available for young people. Bodrung is headquartered in Kapušianske Kľačany, a village with 949 inhabitants according to the metrics of 2023 december, with an ageing community, where the rural youth is isolated from internationalisation and development opportunities. Musubi is a sport association in Miercurea Ciuc, a small city with around 35 000 citizens, 72% of which is a minority, facing an ever increasing issue of young people around 18-28 leaving the city for better social and career opportunities. The needs were touched upon by the YOUth take the LEAD, which gave power and tools into the hands of the young locals to create opportunities for themselves and contribute to shaping a future for their local communities where youth is a cornerstone of development. The motivation of the partnership also reflected their organisational needs to increase their local volunteer base, and increase their image at the national level.