North East Youth Symposium

The Symposium brought young people together with decision-makers and sector leaders across the North East to discuss four key themes:  poverty and inequality; community safety; physical and mental health, and education and employment. 

This was a Youth Voice event and built on the outcomes of the recent ‘Hope Hack’ that also took place in Newcastle on 26th March 2024. Hope Hacks are a participatory model pioneered by the Hope Collective - an initiative spearheaded by the late Richard Taylor to address the root causes behind the death of his son, Damilola. Using the Hope Hack model, NCS brought together young people and policy-makers including the North East Poverty Commission and Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, and we were delighted to be joined by the newly-elected Mayor for the North East Combined Authority, Kim McGuiness. 

Over 80 young people from schools across the North East shared their views on local issues that matter to them. The young people identified four key priorities which were discussed further at the symposium:

1.     Young people with SEN or disabilities missing out on vital support. 

2.     Intergenerational poverty leading to a cycle of negative health outcomes. 

3.     Community safety must involve youth services and youth workers, to go beyond a policing approach.

4.     A lack of a consistent place to call home is a driving force of poverty. 

See the slidedeck from the day: