Meet the Youth Commission

Youth Commission member Matthew explains why he joined and how important it is for young people to have a voice.

Youth Commission Members are 10-25, live in North Yorkshire and York and come from various places with varied experience of life. The one thing that brings them together is a will to have an influence on issues of Police, Fire and Crime and how can they effect young people’s lives.

 

Meet the Team 2023/2024

Dawid

I’m Dawid, I’m 21 and I’ve been in the Youth Commission for 7 years.

In this time I have enjoyed being apart of discussions and talking to different people in making a difference. I joined the Commission because I was interested in joining the police. I also have a passion in helping others and it provided a great opportunity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, I had a great opportunity to be a part of the stakeholders group in the recruitment process, recruiting a new ACC (Assistant Chief Constable) for North Yorkshire Police.
I also had the opportunity to extend on from Hate Crime to Mate Crime, as there wasn’t much awareness of it. This became a passion for me as I come from the background with special educational needs, and I wanted to spread awareness to people of my peers and young people.

Lulu

I’m Lulu a sixteen-year-old passionate about advocating for the voices of young people and especially those from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

Key moments I reflect on since joining at the start of 2021 include:

• Discussing with a Superintendent on institutional racism and discrimination within the force.
• Making considerable changes to the advertising material surrounding knife crime.
• Voicing my opinions and seeing recommendations being changed in the new National Race and Equality Plan by the National Police Chiefs’ Council which will be unveiled later this year and will effect change in all police forces in the UK.
• Speaking at the University of York on Violence Against Women and Girls.

I take great pride in holding my representatives to account on issues that matter most to my generation. To see my voice and that of my peers be listened to and practices changed brings a great sense of achievement.

The power of collective advocacy is truly inspiring, and it fuels my determination to continue fostering change for a more equitable future.

Zara

Hi! I’m Zara, and I’m seventeen years old. When I was 15 years old, I joined the Youth Commission and have loved working on numerous projects to improve our community.

I’ve made a lot of new friends and learned a lot throughout our meetups. I had the chance to express my opinions on the subject that meant the most to me: gender violence and safer streets.

The Youth Commission offers a secure environment for everyone, regardless of background, and has provided me with the chance to learn about topics I was previously unfamiliar with.

Matthew

Hi, my name is Matthew, and I’m 16.

I have been a member of the youth Commission since I was 13. I have loved engaging with our community and working on numerous projects, ranging from mental health awareness to knife crime prevention.

I have made many lasting friendships and connections through the Youth Commission and the subject that is most important to me is mental health awareness. The Youth Commission gave me the ability to represent my local area as the young person’s mental health ambassador.

Shawny

Hello! My name is Shawny, and I am twenty-three years old. I first joined the North Yorkshire Youth Commission when I was seventeen after the first cohort came into my Volunteer Police Cadets unit.

I have learned a lot in my time with the commission. I joined because I had a passion for policing and wanted to help give a voice to young people within my local county regarding some important issues.

One of the highlights of my experience is being given the opportunity to talk to the North Yorkshire Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner and her partners about county lines. The Youth Commission is a group of inspiring young people that want to make a real difference, and I am privileged to be a part of it.

Findlay

Hi! My name is Findlay, I’m 14, and I joined the Commission in 2023, so I am new!

I heard about the Commission through my school and joined as I am very passionate about making a positive change to people’s lives and to help everyone feel safe.

So far, the thing that I have enjoyed the most was when we evaluated the educational book on knife crime and county lines and gave ideas for a sequel. One of the things the Youth Commission has helped me to do is build my confidence.

Kitty

Hey, I’m Kitty and I’m 13. I have been in the Youth Commission since February 2021.

I have enjoyed making new friends and meeting loads of great people. I joined because I really wanted to have a voice and have my ideas heard.

I gained loads of amazing opportunities like speaking to people high up in the police.

Georgina

This is my first year in the Youth Commission. So far I have enjoyed meeting new people and hearing personal experiences.

After hearing about it from school, I joined because I want to be in the police in the future. In the sessions I have learnt a lot more about law, gangs, drugs, mental health and support.

Amber

Hello, I’m Amber, a 20-year-old Criminology student at the University of York. Currently, I’m participating in the Youth Commission for the first time, so I’m fairly new to this.

My motivation for joining stems from my strong passion for crime and the belief that young individuals should have their perspectives acknowledged.

I engage in various responsibilities, including mentoring, acting as an appropriate adult, and serving as a student buddy.

My main objective is to gather as much experience as possible, which means I’m eager to dive into any opportunity that comes my way.

Ruby

My name is Ruby, I’m 17 and I have enjoyed talking to people about their experiences.

I joined the Youth Commission to talk to the police and to gain more experience to help me join the police in the future.

Isabelle

I am Isabelle and I recently joined the Youth Commission after I heard about it through school and wanted the opportunity to make a difference.

I have enjoyed speaking to others about problems and ways to solve them and I am glad I now have the chance to do that.

Olivia

Hey, I’m Olivia and I’m 13. I have been in the youth commission since February 2022.

I have really enjoyed meeting new people and making friends along the way.

Benjamin

I have recently joined the youth commission and have loved discussing problems in my town.

In the future I plan to be an MP or the Prime Minister so I think the Youth Commission can help me with that as I am very interested in politics and dealing with crime.

Arron

I’m Arron and have been a member of the Youth Commission since 2020 when I was 20. I have enjoyed making new friends and gaining a deeper understanding of the work the Youth Commission and the topics that may affect myself and other young people.

I joined because I am passionate about having a voice and standing up for myself and my peers. I have been a member of several youth voice groups and disability advocacy groups for adults and I wanted to develop my understanding of the topics we work on.

I have experience of bullying and assault and I am now passionate about educating young people about these issues. Due to the Commission, I have worked with professionals in the police, fire and crime departments.

Layton

I’m Layton and I joined this year because I think the Youth Commission is an important branch of representation and to give young people a voice in the police.

So far, I have enjoyed hearing different members experiences. I’m interested in politics and issues that affect the UK and my local area.

Ben

I’m Ben and I am 19. I’ve been in the Youth Commission for around a year and a half now.

I’ve enjoyed meeting different officers and members of the Crime Commissioners office. I joined the Youth Commission because I wanted to learn more about how the police interact with young people.