After the break some of the young people
fedback some of the ideas discussed as
part of ‘you say we listen.’ The following ideas and
suggestions were raised.
East Street
Market
- the council should invest more in
the regeneration of East Street Market so that the local community
could feel proud of the market
- young people should be given a level
of responsibility in the market
- the council should encourage young
people to become traders and encourage young people to use their
skills in a positive way, for example young people involved in drug
dealing may have business skills which they could use as
traders
- a connection needs to be made
between East Street and the Walworth Road, young people identified
that it feels like to distinct places and there is no flow between
the spaces, which need to be better connected.
Crime and the fear
of crime
- Participants highlighted that
positive behaviour starts at home and there is a role for parents
and guardians
- There needs to be more things for
young people to do
- Activities that are available to
young people need to be promoted through innovative means such as
facebook
- Young people also worry about crime
and feel threatened
Employment
opportunities
- Schools could be used to bring
people together to share ideas, e.g. a forum for young business
students
- The community should take
responsibility for students who don’t enjoy study and
identify the barriers to their learning
The chair stressed the importance that the
council act on what young people had said at the meeting and
invited Cllr McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
to respond to some of the ideas. Cllr McDonald identified some of
the points she had picked up on whilst circulating the workshops
which she would take forward:
- The need to improve the reputation
young people had in the media
- Ensuring the right activities were
provided for young people and that they were publicised in the
right way, such as facebook
- Young people should be involved in
the community councils
- Cllrs
should engage with young people and go to them
- Young people should be involved in
the decision making process of services which affect them, it was
planned to allow young people to make decisions on one fifth of the
youth service budget
Cllr McDonald took questions from the floor
relating to: the closure of Connexions in Peckham, the help
available to young people in finding work once they had completed
training and the number of apprentices the council employed.
Cllr McDonald explained that she was not aware
of the closure of Connexions but would take more details and
investigate the matter, that the council was involved in a match-up
scheme and that she had set a challenge for local employers to
recruit 100 apprentices in 100 days, the council currently employed
37 apprentices but hoped this would rise to 70 within the year.
The chair thanked all the young people for
taking part in the youth themed element of the meeting and invited
them to stay for the main items.