Youth voice report launched in Hackney Town Hall
Young people and local organisations joined Mayor Philip Glanville and senior councillors at Hackney Town Hall on Thursday 8 February to launch the report ‘Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes’. The report aims to give a platform to the concerns, thoughts and ideas of young people in order to effect positive change in the borough.
Hackney Wick is the most deprived of Hackney’s 21 wards and is within the top 5 percent of the most deprived wards in England. There is a particularly high number of young people living there, over 26 percent of Hackney Wick is aged under 19. The report specifically targeted these young people, asking them what they value, the problems they face and the changes they want to see.
Jordon Isaacs, 17 from Hackney Wick who is a lead on the Hackney Wick Youth Voice project said: “This report is important to me as it expresses all young people’s problems in Hackney and gives them a chance to tell everyone how they feel in a summarised format.”
The report offers eight recommendations ranging from better employment opportunities locally to more community events that could encourage an intergenerational exchange.
Luke Billingham, 26, from Hackney Quest, and lead on the Hackney Wick Youth Voice project said: "I'm delighted that we have launched our ‘Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes’ report. The report highlights that there are many things young people love about Hackney Wick, but also that they face major issues in the area, which need to be addressed. Having grown up in Hackney Wick myself, I'm keen to ensure that our recommendations are acted upon. We welcome any comments or feedback anyone may have on the report, or any ideas for addressing the issues it describes - especially from young people!"
Over 65 people attended the report launch, comprising council staff, business leaders and local voluntary groups. The event included speeches from young people from Hackney Wick followed by interactive theme-based discussions covering; mental health and schools, youth crime, housing, youth provision, employment and regeneration.
It is imperative that we give young people a real platform to share their voice and ideas. This report gives a deep insight how life in the borough is perceived and experienced by our young population. This alongside our other work empowering young people through such things like youth parliament, the young speaker programme and youth opportunity fund, gives us the tools and inputs we need as a Council to ensure genuine changes and a positive future for all Hackney residents. Today I pledged that not only will the Council publish a full written response, but it will deliver on the ground in Hackney Wick a meaningful response to these important challenges.
Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes was researched by Hackney Quest and funded by The Wick Award through the National Lottery “Big Local” initiative. Read the report in full online at bit.do/hackneywickyv. You can also find out more information by contacting Luke via luke@hackneyquest.org.uk or 020 8533 5480.