Our L!STEN Youth Alliance Project is in full swing, with the meetings being a hive of activity every month! During the last few sessions, we have been inviting council representatives in to start an open dialogue between young people in Stockport and decision makers at Stockport Council. PIE were commissioned by Stockport Council to run the Youth Alliance in April this year, and the three year project will look to gather, share and amplify youth voice in and across Stockport to help ensure young people are heard and valued.Â
So far we have been visited by Director for Education Tim Bowman who we discussed young people's opinions about the education and support they were receiving in schools and colleges, along with Heidi Shaw and Philip Wilkinson who came along to discuss their work around accessibility, mental health and SEND provision. We will be welcoming the CEO of Stockport Council, Caroline Simpone, to January's meeting.Â
The data has been incredibly interesting to look at and our steering group has been doing an excellent job at analysing it. The responses have increased month to month and we now have over 100 respondents! The topics we have covered so far this year have been: activities & facilities, education, mental health and careers. We post our findings every month, so please have a nosey at our socials if you’re interested!
Whilst we have a thriving steering group we are always looking for new members, so please do get in touch if you or a young person you know would like to get involved. The sessions are great not only to take part in meaningful discussions, but to help make new friends and build skills ready for work and further education too.Â
We are also looking for additional local youth groups or sessions to visit in the new year for us to come and run engagement sessions with. This is to help us ensure each month that the data we are gathering is truly representative of the young people of Stockport by trying to ensure we connect with as many of them as possible each month.Â
We have loved our first six months running the L!STEN network and can't wait to see what the next few months holds. Thanks to our key links at the council Megan, Donna and Steve for all of their support getting the alliance up and running.
We are now confirming final plans for the L!STEN Youth Summit which is taking place next February. The aim of this is to gather a cross section of youth voices, representing the diversity of the young people we serve. Many Stockport schools have signed up and Beth or Munji will be visiting all schools in January to conduct some preparatory work with all pupils involved so they make the most out of the day!
If you know any young people in Stockport who could answer our questions (there has been an extension into November due to the busy festive period), please use and share this link: