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Jo Coles - York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime

Jo Coles - North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime

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Meet the Youth Commission

Find out about the people who make up the Youth Commission in North Yorkshire

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 2025/2026

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elinor

Hi I’m Elinor , I’m fourteen and I joined the youth commission in February of 2022.

I have loved being a part of the youth commission as it has given me so many great opportunities to help others and make a positive change , which is something I’m very interested in ! I have enjoyed hearing peers and young people’s opinions on different topics and working together with others to make our community a better place

I am very interested in knife crime and mental health awareness as it is something I have experienced and am passionate in as I believe in making our communities a safer place for everyone.

I have had some amazing experiences with the youth commission so far and made some great friendships 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.

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.