A group for younger model makers?

[birch1]

The title above might be slightly controversial, but please bear with me on this one.

I have enjoyed model making (and transport in general) for a number of years, with my main modelling interests currently centreing around modelling road vehicles such as buses, with one example below of a recently completed model:

(More examples are available at https://www.facebook.com/Crosswaysbus, for anyone who may be interested).

It is, of course widely accepted that the age profile of the model making community is largely fairly senior. As someone who is in their early 20's, it has always been somewhat of a struggle to find a group of like-minded individuals who share an interest in model making, but are somewhere approaching a similar age to myself. Whilst I do enjoy learning from the skills of all ages, and am a member of a couple of modelling groups, being in a group where the next youngest member is often at least 20 years your senior never quite seems right, in the politest possible way.

This therefore poses the question, would anyone happen to be aware of a model making group (of any type, be this railways, vehicles, etc.) that has a fairly large contingent of younger members? It would be fantastic to see what exists out there that I may have missed so far.

[Dungrange]

16 minutes ago, birch1 said:

(More examples are available at https://www.facebook.com/Crosswaysbus, for anyone who may be interested).

 

Looks like you have quite a fleet there.

 

17 minutes ago, birch1 said:

It is, of course widely accepted that the age profile of the model making community is largely fairly senior. As someone who is in their early 20's, it has always been somewhat of a struggle to find a group of like-minded individuals who share an interest in model making, but are somewhere approaching a similar age to myself. Whilst I do enjoy learning from the skills of all ages, and am a member of a couple of modelling groups, being in a group where the next youngest member is often at least 20 years your senior never quite seems right, in the politest possible way.

 

I know how you feel - the first model railway club that went along to presented the same problem for me.  I was 22 and I think the youngest existing member of the club was in his 50s - about the same age as my father was at the time.  At least half of the membership were retired.  I went along a couple of times, but I never joined.  It didn't really feel right.

 

However, not all groups are like that.  The Edinburgh and Lothians Miniature Railway club, of which I am currently the secretary, has a good spread of ages at the moment, which I think is fairly healthy.  Currently, our youngest member is about 21 and the oldest around 82.  I think we have at least two members born in each decade and I feel that I fit somewhere near the average age - I'm now in my early 50s.  Because the age range is quite evenly spread, we don't have a younger and an older group, which is quite good.

 

Obviously the best way for us to attract new members is to have some of our younger members running our layouts at exhibitions, which tends to attract interest from people like yourself.

 

I'm assuming you live nowhere near Edinburgh, but I hope that you find a group that suits you close to home.

 

 

[33C]

Maybe the younger modellers frequent YouTube and other Internet sites and have no need of a physical club. I'm amazed at how many younger people are posting railway content on there and very enjoyable it is too!

[Rich_F]

On 26/03/2023 at 22:31, 33C said:

Maybe the younger modellers frequent YouTube and other Internet sites and have no need of a physical club. I'm amazed at how many younger people are posting railway content on there and very enjoyable it is too!

 

Everard Junction is I believe slight younger than myself. I'm 32. He is extremely popular & came across more knowledgeable & experienced than he is. 

 

I don't think he uses social media or forums much & Youtube/Insta are his main communications. Social media seems to be the more common communication stream for younger modellers. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Weeny Works

[Wheatley]

Agreed, they all seem to be on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram etc. There's some excellent stuff on there too. Aircraft modelling seems to have a younger demographic, although still 'adults with disposable income' rather than youths. 

 

Alternatively, just join and stick around. A colleague and I were talking the other day and he said "Do you remember when we first started here, there was always some wizened old codger in a corner somewhere who you could go and ask if you got stuck ? It's just dawned on me that we're the old codgers now". It comes around faster than you think. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Wheatley

[Flying Pig]

17 minutes ago, Weeny Works said:

 

Everard Junction is a year younger than myself. I'm 32. He is extremely popular & came across more knowledgeable & experienced than he is. 

 

I don't think he uses social media or forums much & Youtube/Insta are his main communications. Social media seems to be the more common communication stream for younger modellers. 

 

He's on here as @richard w I think and has a layout thread.

[33C]

5 hours ago, Wheatley said:

Agreed, they all seem to be on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram etc. There's some excellent stuff on there too. Aircraft modelling seems to have a younger demographic, although still 'adults with disposable income' rather than youths. 

 

Alternatively, just join and stick around. A colleague and I were talking the other day and he said "Do you remember when we first started here, there was always some wizened old codger in a corner somewhere who you could go and ask if you got stuck ? It's just dawned on me that we're the old codgers now". It comes around faster than you think. 

Wizened? There's an old codger word if ever I heard one. Understanding what it means, makes me an old codger! Ahhhh! Paradox...! Ahhhh!, Paradox, that's a young person's word! And relax....