Young people across Nottinghamshire are being invited to apply for a place on a national youth board to help shape future action on violence.
The opportunity, offered by social enterprise Leaders Unlocked, in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), gives young people a proactive role to play in preventing serious violence across England and Wales - and a say on the allocation of almost £200m of funding nationally.
Young people in Nottinghamshire already advise on issues of youth violence and knife crime through Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping’s Youth Commission, also delivered by Leaders Unlocked.
Since 2015, the Commission has engaged with more than 7,600 young people across the county to lift the lift on the issues that matter to young people, delivering workshops to educate on the risks of knife crime and violence.
The YEF Youth Advisory Board is looking to recruit 20 people to join the team from a range of local areas, backgrounds and life experiences.
The organisation is particularly keen to encourage applications from young people who have been affected by youth violence and those with experience of school exclusion and/or the care system.
Nottinghamshire’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is now appealing for anyone aged between 16 and 25 in the county to consider applying for a place.
Dave Wakelin, VRU Director, said: “This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to young people’s safety in the future and improve the national response to serious violence.
“We know young people affected by violence or those who have experienced challenges growing up with school, their families or in their local area bring a real depth of understanding that is vital to our prevention work and helps us to devise effective solutions.
“We can all learn a lot from listening to the voices and experiences of young people and this is a chance for young people to utilise a national platform to deliver change.”
Gabrielle Jones, project manager for the Nottinghamshire Youth Commission, said: “Nottingham over the past couple of years has seen its fair share in violence, particularly youth violence. We want to hear from young people living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to represent the county at a national level.
“Leaders Unlocked has an opportunity for those with have been affected by youth violence directly or indirectly. We are looking for young people aged 16-25 to join the Youth Advisory Board who will work with an influential national charity the Youth Endowment Fund to address youth violence.”
The new Board will work with the YEF to influence their decisions as a funder and ensure they stay focused on the needs of young people.
Members will work alongside professionals from YEF to provide advice and ideas from a youth perspective, influence decisions about funding for organisations to prevent youth violence, co-produce communications and projects with YEF and gain access to skills training, mentoring and experience for personal development.
Paddy Tipping added: “Our own Youth Commission members have taken on a great deal of responsibility in recent years, advising us on a host of important issues and even sitting on the recruitment panels for senior officers including the Chief Constable.
“This is an opportunity to campaign at a national level and guide the way we tackle serious violence in the future. If you want to use your experience and voice to reduce the risks of violence or harm to young people, this is the perfect opportunity for you.”
The application deadline is 26 March 2021. For information about how to apply visit: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/youth-advisory-board/get-involved/
Notes to editors:
The Youth Endowment Fund is an independent charity that aims to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. Leaders Unlocked is a social enterprise supporting young people to influence the decisions that affect them in society.
Media Enquiries: Sallie Blair - 01283 821012 / 07702 541401
