JD Sports’ youth club dictionary reveals what ‘alright’ really means

JD Sports and BBC Children in Need have published a dictionary that looks beyond what young people say to what they might actually mean, highlighting the role of youth workers who know the difference.

Created by Uncommon Creative Studio, the Youth Club Dictionary draws on conversations at eight youth club focus groups.

Its 26 entries pair conventional definitions from Oxford University Press with young people’s experiences. “Alright”, for example, becomes “a means of deflecting attention away from painful feelings”.

The campaign comes as the partners report that 1,200 youth clubs have closed since 2010, taking trusted places to talk with them.

Rapper and former youth club member DC3 has turned the dictionary’s language into a new track, ‘My Home’.

Its accompanying video, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold and produced by Park Pictures, was shot at Downside Fisher Youth Club in Bermondsey.

The dictionary also takes to the streets, with a 30-panel outdoor gallery in Elephant & Castle and digital displays across six UK cities.

JD’s Paul Orange said: “Youth clubs are where young people feel understood, and the language that comes out of them is proof of that.”

Uncommon ECD Josh Tenser added: “I hope that when people read the dictionary, they hear the voices of the young people that call a youth club their home.”

Following JD’s Louis Theroux sneaker campaign, this work puts the brand’s youth club partnership centre stage, encouraging donations at youthclubdictionary.co.uk.

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