Hackney young people grill the experts
28 June 2010
Young residents from Southern Housing Group’s Stamford Hill and Myddleton Grange estates took part in a unique question time with crime, youth work and education experts on Thursday 24 June 2010.
The session was organised by young people from the estates with the support of Southern Housing Group, and took place at the Group’s headquarters in Farringdon. The panel included, Suzella Palmer, Lecturer at University of Bedfordshire and expert on youth crime, Kerry Young, Consultant and author of the Art of Youth Work, and Professor Gus John, a fellow of the Institute of Education. Residents took the opportunity to ask the panel about a range of youth issues, including attitudes to young people, knife and gang crime, empowering communities and educational obstacles for young black people.
Ms Palmer said: “I’ve been very impressed with today’s session. It is so forward thinking to hold this kind of forum where young people, housing association staff and panel members can come together and speak honestly about issues affecting them. It is important to continue this type of dialogue with young people, and to get real about the issues affecting young people.”
Southern Housing Group’s Project Manager, Sonia Watson, said: “Today’s event was driven by passionate young people on our Stamford Hill estate, who care about their role in society and want to tackle issues head on. Many thanks to our panel for taking part. This has been a really productive day, and we will continue to work with our young residents to develop more question time sessions like this."
Tolu Atewogboye, 16, said: “It was good to have people actually listening to what we have to say and explaining what we can do to change things and make life better where we live."