Newham propose multi-million pound boost for young people services

The Newham Youth Safety Board are looking to provide a multi-million pound boost for young people

PICTURED: Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz

THE FIRST report of Newham’s Youth Safety Board is published this week, a day before the Cabinet sits to consider a budget that has young people at its heart.

The Youth Safety Board was created by Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz in March 2019 with the specific aim of making Newham a safer place to grow up.

The Board is a partnership between the council, young people, police, health and education services and families who’ve experienced the effects of crime and violence. It is led by the Mayor and Duncan Bew, a surgeon and anti-knife campaigner.

Mayor Fiaz said: “Newham should be a place where every child and young person feels safe, thrives and where they can reach their full potential through accessing all sorts of enriching opportunities. 

“With the help of young people, residents, family members and our partners on the Youth Safety Board, we’ve come up with an ambitious and positive agenda which I am committed to implementing. 

“We want to make Newham the best place for children and young people, and the agenda set out in this report will contribute to this considerably

“Tomorrow, the Cabinet will consider budget proposals which will dedicate £4.5 million a year to supporting children and young people in Newham up until 2023. The money will support new Youth Zones, provide extra support for young people’s health and mental well-being, and programmes to keep our teenagers safe.

“Last week’s election result makes it even more important that our vision for raising the health, safety and well-being of all young people is re-asserted at national level. Our strong message to the new government is that if our ambition for our young people is to be realised, then we and all councils up and down the country, must see a significant increase in funding that is desperately needed to reverse the epidemic of violence facing our youth. 

“The newly elected Conservative government has presided over an era of crushing austerity where local government funding and youth services have been decimated. 

“Now more than ever we have to say ‘enough is enough’, our young people are in peril and we must act now to protect and invest in them and their future, for all our sakes.” 

“On behalf of the board I would like to dedicate this first report to those youngsters, their families and friends who have been affected by violence, crime and exploitation. We will do better in future.”   

One of the recommendations of the report is to provide early intervention for youngsters who present at hospital emergency departments or the police, following assault or arrest. 

Duncan Bew, Clinical Director for Trauma and Acute Surgery at Kings College Hospital, and co-chair of the Board said: “As a trauma surgeon, I see the consequences of violence for Londoners and their families on every shift.

“Where models around the world have been successful it is because they have community credibility and they highlight the opportunities in the community for young people to thrive. In years to come I hope Newham and the Youth Safety Board will come to be seen as the gold standard for youth services.”

The report highlights some specific priorities:

  • Reduce school exclusions
  • Make public spaces and public transport safer for young people in Newham
  • Make available better information for young people and their families about seeking support, engaging in positive activities, and how to access help in the event of a serious incident
  • More support for children who experience a difficult start in life

Keisha McLeod, whose 14-year-old son Corey Junior Davis was murdered in Newham, is one of the invited members of the Board, she said: “This report is the start of what is necessary. It shows the youth we care, it shows them we are interested in their opportunities for their future and that we are willing to invest in them.

“I became part of the Youth Safety Board because I am determined to work towards a world where no parent has to experience what I have gone through. It’s a huge job but I am very optimistic about what we can accomplish.”

One of the key features of the Newham Youth Safety Board is the inclusion, as full members, of young people from the borough.

Keir is one such member, he said: “Plainly and simply, we’re close to a state of emergency regarding youth safety in Newham. Our young people have the right to feel free wherever they travel and it’s our responsibility to give them this right. It’s not just enough, however, to only have the voices of adults making change.

“The opinions and suggestions of young people inside and outside of the gang and knife crime issue are invaluable in order to combat this rising issue. I hope that the youth safety board will take steps to solve the gang and knife crime problem and ultimately make Newham a safer and more enjoyable place to be for everyone.”

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