The Leeds Young Change Makers, a group of young people from Little London in Leeds, interviewed Alison Lowe West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) on their podcast to share their concerns around safety in their community.
During the podcast, the young people were able to pose questions to the DMPC and explain why they don’t feel safe playing football at their local muti-use games area due to the amount of crime that takes place there.
The project started as 6 months of detached youth work in Little London where youth workers built a relationship with young people out in the community. They started to meet weekly to play football and deliver targeted sessions to raise awareness and understanding on topics like stop and search, gangs, county lines and the effect of drugs.
As part of the project, Barca youth workers facilitated a residential at Grinton Moor in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Authority. The trip provided the young people, some of which had never been to the countryside before, with the opportunity to explore, develop skills and plan activities.
The group have also expressed an interest in fundraising to support people experiencing homelessness in their local area. They have a coffee morning planned and are learning to bake some delicious treats to raise money. To find out how their fundraising can support people, they interviewed two Barca Housing Navigators for their podcast to learn more about the reasons that a person may become homeless and the support that is available across Leeds.
Leeds Young Change Makers are designing a logo for their group and plan to continue their podcast with a regular monthly guest.
