Wot Wud U Do

Dave Clayton, Community Leadership Development and Business Management graduate, has been working with Propeller on and off for several years. His platform ‘Wot Wud U Do’ is akin to the Netflix ‘Bandersnatch’ phenomenon, but with a more practical outcome. Wot Wud U Do is used to encourage critical thinking within a safe environment, tackling many issues including sex education.

 “Most people don’t really learn about sex and relationships until they’re in their twenties and find out first-hand. This platform will help them cope better as adults and they’ll be able to start spotting things like manipulative behaviour and exploitation before they leave school.”

The platform involves a series of videos, each with a series of decisions to be made at the end. The choices made decide which video to show next and you can observe how your actions play out.

Six Years in the Making

The idea for the platform stemmed from Dave’s time as a UCLan student. During this time a touring project showcased their walk-through performance of life in prison to the students. They then worked with the students to develop new ways of engaging young people in important issues. This approach inspired Dave to set up Wot Wud U Do:

“I wanted it to be interactive, so thought about an x-box game with motion sensors. Essentially like a real-life Grand Theft Auto, but you get mugged and you’ve got to work out what to do next. The idea kept growing from there.”

Knowing he wanted to develop the idea further, Dave came to Propeller where he attended workshops and worked with our business mentors to develop a business plan. He refined the idea and began developing the project around the topic of sexual health. Dave funded the initial videos himself, using actors from the UCLan School of Arts and Media. He also funded the platform, designed by fellow UCLan graduate Steve Daniels at We Are North West.

Rather than focusing on the bare bones of scientific sex education, the content looks at the broader aspects of relationships, sexuality and mental health. This means the content can be used multiple times for different scenarios and personalities; for example, going through the same set of circumstances from the perspective of someone who has anxiety. Wot Wud U Do includes additional resources to aid teachers in approaching the topics.

The Inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Education

In 2019, Dave won the prestigious University Entrepreneurship Grant, following a pitch to hundreds of people at the Educate North Awards. One of six candidates put forward by Propeller, his pitch was praised for delivering education in an engaging way. As part of the award, Dave received £1,000 of funding, additional mentor support and access to industry contacts.

“I’m incredibly grateful. I’ve been put in touch with a lot of important people in the field and have been able to develop the tool further. As part of the Community Safety Partnership forum I’ve been able to adapt content to reflect the pressing issues in Lancashire and make sure the content is helpful and relevant.”

The additional funding from the grant allowed Dave to expand the sex education content to include LGBTQIA+ resources, which are still relatively absent in formal education. The team has also been able to create additional resources for educators, including lesson plans and discussion activities.

Although it had the engagement value, it was important to keep the educational merit of the platform at the forefront. As such, Dave has developed resources and lesson plans to accompany the videos. The platform now offers 18 lesson plans within sex and relationship education, spanning the whole curriculum. In addition, a “Being Safe Online” module was included.

New Directors

In recent weeks, Dave has been preparing to release the product, and it couldn’t come at a better time. With many teachers delivering online, the need for interactive, engaging resources has become a necessity.

The platform itself is ready to go, and the team is putting the finishing touches on his sales plan. In line with this, ‘Wot Wud U Do’ now has an additional two directors who can help channel the platform outreach and ensure it reaches the right audience. Drawing on a range of experience with the NHS, local councils and universities throughout the North West, the trio understand the nuances of providing health and wellbeing support programmes on a wide scale.

Every Teacher in the North West Should Be Using This Resource

Having trialled the platform for the past two years in colleges and pupil referral units, Dave and the team are now ready to roll out the platform across the UK. The next step is approaching local schools and councils, who can trial the platform for free.

 “I want to get it so that every school and every teacher is using this resource. It’s so important to teach young people about wellbeing and managing their thought processes before they leave school. If even one person finds themself in trouble and makes a better decision because of ‘this video they saw back in school’, it’s worth it.”

The platform infrastructure is versatile and there are already other topic areas identified for the future. In the social education field, the next areas being addressed include drugs and alcohol misuse, crime prevention and mental health.

If you are a school, social service or community group working with 11-18 year olds, you can request a free trial by emailing info@wotwududo.co.uk

Find out more on the Wot Wud U Do Website.