Ministers agree to great discussion

The recent Safely on our Streets conference has already borne fuit.

“There needs to be more young people looking at how government writes its policies for them - and not specifically the boring stuff, but the facts and information that directly affects us. We need to be involved in designing, developing, delivering and evaluating it.” Ashley Sweetland, 18, a trustee at the UK Youth Parliament. This was what dozens of young people told ministers at the CYPU’s Safely on our Streets event.

The conference, held at Lord’s cricket ground on 25 November, enabled young people from across the UK to put their views to ministers on four key issues. Using drama, art, and written and spoken presentations, they conveyed young people’s attitudes towards mobile phone theft, alcohol, transport and young people as victims of crime.

All the presentations were developed in workshops in the weeks leading to the event. The fact that young people took centre stage was encouraging, and their performances were very creative. Not all of them worked, however, as some of the ideas were unclear – in the second presentation young people running around a campfire was supposed to illustrate the availability of alcohol. This was maybe a bit too abstract for ministers. But the people taking part felt talking directly to polticians was a big step forward for young people.

Ruth Bessant, 16, from Poole Youth Services, who was part of the alcohol presentation, said: “By discussing these issues today and seeing the presentations, MPs will feel that this is really important to young people. It lets them see that we’re not young people that just sit around and drink, we actually care, and want to change the society that we grow up in.”

The presentations were followed by debates on the issues with youth minister John Denham, transport minister John Speller, health minister Hazel Blears and Metropolitan Police Commander Steve Roberts. The questions were challenging, but they were answered clearly, and it was good to see MPs talking directly to young people without making rehearsed answers or party political speeches.

John Denham said: “We’ve got to build on the sort of thing we’re doing today, which is to talk seriously about the issues and show that we’re prepared to listen to what young people have to say.”

“It’s important that we have more opportunities for young people to be talking directly to politicians, and through the media for other young people to see that that’s happening. Ten Ministers across government departments have agreed that we will meet regularly to ensure we are looking at our work and getting best practice.”

It’s good to see the government listening to young people, but now we need to see them act on what they’ve heard. On the evidence of this event, young people feel they need to be given the means to change the policies that affect their lives.

As Ashley Ryder, 16, a member of the CYPU Advisory Forum, put it: “It should get to the point where young people not only have a say but have power to actually change things as well, because a lot of it seems tokenistic. People just take on people’s views just for show, just for the media. I think there’s no point in listening to young people if you’re not going to act on it.”

Sir Richard BransonVirgin Mobile

"We realised a lot of people were getting quite badly hurt or bullied by people stealing their mobile phones, so we talked to a lot of young people and developed a system on our own mobile phones where we could deactivate them so nobody would be able to use them once they’d stolen them. It’s important for governments to listen to people and a big section of the population are young people. I think if the government really does listen and they go and change things based on the feedback they get from young people, I think it could make a big difference."

"Alcohol education needs to be much more relevant, not shock tactics - about facts not exaggerations. It needs to apply to us. Then at least we’ll be able to make an informed decision."

"The police are supposed to be at the heart of the community. Now, instead of turning to the police we deal with it on our own. If we get the communication better when we deal with the police, hopefully things will be less aggressive.

"Whether this makes a difference depends on the will of the people invited and the government ministers and how far they’ll take your suggestions. It’s important for young people to be consulted because they are the future. They’re the ones that are going to be the leaders ahead. It’s important that they get consulted on all issues.

"Street safety is important because I think it covers all the key areas around transport, alcohol, theft and criminal damage. These are the areas that are affecting a lot of young people today."

This story was produced by Klarisse Osei, 15, Akosua Bonsu, 16, Annabel McLeod, 16, and Ella Parry-Davies, 13. It was published in The Independent as part of their Youth Matters supplement, produced in association with the Children and Young People's Unit.