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Taking place just one week after the landmark passing of the Votes at 16 motion, there was lots of discussion around how this would look in reality, as well as discussion around Period Dignity. A very enlightening weekend was had by all – and who knew we could all get so excited when the Jet2 version of Jess Glynn’s ‘Hold My Hand’ came on at the summer party! The focus of the weekend was preparing for the House of Commons Sitting in November 2025. MYPs worked in five committees aligned with the UKYP Manifesto, covering topics including mental health, transport, youth work, housing and justice. They researched key issues, debated evidence, shared local case studies and began drafting reports to shape future debate.

We have been engaging in our Disability Awareness campaign, asking Council Staff, Charities and Individuals what they think about Disability provision in Luton and how this can be improved – check out our instagram and facebook pages for more details! We also attended Youth Fest, where we asked people their thoughts on how we can make Luton a better place by 2040! We had a great time meeting lots of different organisations, with a special visit from the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in the rain, and even having a break at a silent disco from Luton Pride Team! We have also had an in-depth workshop around the Child Friendly Town Strategy – giving our views on what’s working well and where we think the gaps are. We are fully engaged in exploring how we can ensure our town better supports us as children and young people. We shared some of the views from people at Youth Fest, ensuring we highlight the community’s voice. Mary Seacole invited us to film a podcast around our Domestic Abuse campaign, speaking to the police about how they support families and survivors. There was also time for us to engage in their consultation about heritage and the local area, ahead of an event in the Autumn. A few of us are shadowing local councillors including the Mayor, and have been enjoying seeing how things work within Scrutiny meetings, community talks and Full Council Meetings. Thank you to our local councillors who have been supporting us!

The Safeguarding Hub’s Youth Violence and Exploitation Curriculum is a crucial resource developed by Chiltern Teaching School in collaboration with the University of Northampton and dedicated partners. This curriculum is a direct response to the urgent need for proactive education to protect young people and foster safer communities. Chiltern Teaching School believe that education plays a pivotal role in tackling the complex issues of serious youth violence and knife crime. This comprehensive program is built on extensive research, incorporating insights directly from young people and leading professionals. It’s designed to empower students with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and the confidence to make positive choices, while also equipping educators with the tools and support they need to address these challenges effectively.

For our Child Wellbeing Practitioners Amy and Humayra who graduated on Monday 14th July! You have shown us how hard work, commitment and passion pay off! I’m sure you will all join us in wishing them all the best in their future work at Youth Partnership and Beyond! 

Targeted Youth Workers will be out in the community at Lewsey Park, Castlecroft Park and Freemans Green over the summer holidays with a host of guests including CGL, Luton Town Football Club, Mary Seacole, One Stop Advice, Bedfordshire Police Community Cohesion Team and Luton Sexual Health! There will be chances to engage in arts, crafts, games and various activities and get to find out more about what’s on offer in your area!

Youth Fest is a free event that highlights the variety of services, clubs and events that support children and young people. It is open to children, families, and of course, young people.  Come along to see Tokko and their smoothie bike, Mary Seacole and their LYFE project, and other organisations such as PRIDE, Beds Police, Luton Town Kicks and BellaBoxing, with crafts, VR experiences, silent disco, games, penalty shoot outs and much more! We will also have local young people taking on the bandstand for themselves, with music from The Lime Stones, solo artists and bands from the local area! From 12-4 at Wardown Band Stand!

Two inspiring teenagers from Luton have been elected to represent the town in the UK Youth Parliament, where they’ll work to ensure young people’s voices are heard on both local and national issues. The newly elected Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) will focus on key priorities identified by young people in Luton, including education, mental health, and youth safety. Both MYPs expressed their passion for making a difference and pledged to bring the concerns of their peers into real political spaces. One of them stated: “Your voice does matter. I want to make sure people across Luton feel heard.” Read the full article here:Luton teens representing the town in Youth Parliament – Luton Today

A few of us attended a conference in Milton Keynes around Mental Health Services, including how we feel they are accessible to young people.  We had our second cross bedfordshire youth voice meeting – named Big Beds United, where we voted on a group campaign, which will be around Period Poverty. Look out for more updates about this in future! We hosted an exploitation event targeted at helping parents learn more about the signs to watch out for and who to ask for help. One of our Members of Youth Parliament was also graciously invited to speak at the Full Council Meeting, where the new Mayor, Councillor Amy Nicholls took over the role from Councillor Tahmina Saleem. Both Councillors are great advocates for young people and we are grateful for their support. Did you see us at the Carnival? We were privileged to meet many members of the public and those within the carnival, asking what you thought about the carnival and its value in celebrating the diversity of cultures in Luton. We even interviewed the new Mayor dressed as the sun! We also hosted our first event – a fundraising cafe for PoetsIn, a mental health charity in Bedfordshire who rely on donations to support young people in the area.  I think its time for a break – dont you!?

The youth council, as part of their mental health campaign, are hosting a fun and creative Fundraising Wellbeing Café at the new Family Hub in Central Library. It is aimed at young people and families to engage in crafts and activities, as well as a wellbeing workshop with PoetsIn. It will be a pay what you can for drinks, cakes and crafts, with all money going to poets in: https://www.poetsin.com/ Please come along and get involved!

In April, our young people at Raynham Way Youth Club were lucky to engage with a knife crime awareness session delivered by PC Ommer Khan from the Community Cohesion team at Bedfordshire Police. The session highlighted the dangers, consequences and impact of carrying and using knifes. We were able to ask all the questions we wanted which included “what is knife crime” and “how do you help prevent knife crime?” Thank you to PC Khan for coming by!  Fancy popping along? Email @abdul.halim@luton.gov.uk for more information! Youth Club Dates for 11 to 12 years of age Youth Club Dates for 8 to 10 years of age age group