Listening, Learning and Leading: PIE’s Youth Directors are here!

We kicked off our very first PIE Youth Directors meeting this week, and it was a brilliant start!  Our new six-person team from across Stockport brings a fantastic mix of backgrounds and ideas, but they are all united by one goal: making sure young people are listened to, valued, and taken seriously.

Their role will be much more than sharing opinions. As Youth Directors, they will help lead and shape PIE’s work, bringing young people’s voices into the decisions that affect them. They will help us decide what to focus on, challenge us when something doesn't feel right, bring forward new ideas, and make sure our projects are rooted in real experiences rather than assumptions. They will also help us reach and involve more young people across Stockport, so PIE’s work continues to be shaped by the people it is here for.

In our first session, we talked about our upcoming L!sten Act Change Action Labs, with the group coming up with ideas for format and how we can promote the project to reach more young people. We also explored some of the bigger questions facing young people today: what helps them feel ready for adulthood, what support they need from parents and other adults, and what gets in the way of accessing jobs, work experience and future opportunities.

Before the group even met, it was clear how much insight, care and ambition they would bring. When they put themselves forward for the role, they spoke about wanting young people to have “a say in things that are designed for them” and feel like “their opinions count.” They shared hopes for “A safer community for all ages, genders, and ethnicities,” and “equal opportunities for everyone no matter background.” They also highlighted the need for more safe spaces, affordable activities, better mental health support, work experience and clearer career guidance. One young person reminded us that “a lot of the time young people don't let on what's really bothering them and need to be listened to.” Another said they wanted to be “a helping hand to the people who are still finding their place in society.”

This first meeting was only the beginning, but it already showed how much our Youth Directors will bring to PIE: honesty, energy, lived experience, creative thinking and a strong sense of what young people in Stockport need to feel supported, confident and ready for the future. We are so excited to work alongside them and cannot wait to see the difference they will make.