Youth Commission deliver recommendations at Big Conversation Conference

Relationships with the police, gang and drug culture and concerns around mental health were some of the main issues looked at by Wiltshire’s Youth Commission as they presented the findings of their research at their annual conference in Chippenham last night (Thursday 16 March)

The commission, which was set up in 2021 by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and is run by Leaders Unlocked, is a group of 14–25 year olds who provide a voice in police and crime matters for young people across the county. 

Speaking to an audience of invited guests from Wiltshire Police and local organisations at Chippenham Town Hall, the Youth Commission shared experiences from some of the young people they’ve engaged with over the past year. They also took questions and led discussion groups.

Many of Wiltshire’s senior police officers were out in force as they heard the recommendations put forward by the youth commissioners as they talked about the work they’ve been doing.

Eva O’Rourke is one of the Youth Commissioners:

“You can see the dedication that young people have put into this and you can see that people around us are responding.

“This gives you a voice and it gives you a platform where you can actually make a difference”

As part of the Youth Commission’s research, they engaged with over 2,300 young people in Wiltshire, who identified and fed back on five key priorities and gave recommendations on the following areas:

• Mental Health
• Relationships with the Police
• Community Safety
• Social Media
• Gang and Drug Culture

The recommendations will enable Wiltshire Police, the Commissioner, and other agencies, including local authorities, to improve the services and support they offer to young people, ensuring their needs are met.

Speaking about the conference, Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson said:

“I’ve been lucky enough to see the work of Youth Commission as it’s been developing over last year, but coming away from the conference after hearing their recommendations has left me fizzing with new ideas.

“We need to improve how we communicate with young people and that can’t come from older people, sometimes in uniform, sometimes not, telling them what they want and what they need to do. We need to listen more and act upon what they tell us.

“The Youth Commission has engaged with over 2,300 young people in Wiltshire and there are themes around mental health, gang & drug culture and relationships with the police as well as issues such as community safety and social media that we need to take seriously.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed by the work of our Youth Commission members and my pledge to them is that their efforts don’t just disappear into the ether but become a key part of our strategies for engaging with young people”

Published Friday 15 March 2023