Quarterly Youth Forum - September 2026

P4YE's Youth Voice Steering Group (SG) was established to ensure young people's experiences, ideas and recommendations help shape decisions about issues affecting their lives and communities.

The forum brought young people together with Croydon Council representatives, police, and local authority professionals to discuss youth safety and explore how services and decision-makers could better respond to young people's needs. The aim was to move beyond consultation towards meaningful participation, where young people could directly influence policy, priorities and solutions.

P4YE facilitated a forum involving Youth Voice Steering Group members and key representatives from Croydon Council and local services.

The discussion focused on reviewing the Steering Group's recommendations for improving young people's safety in Croydon.

Key discussion areas included:
- Addressing root causes: Young people challenged the tendency to respond to problems with prescribed solutions, advocating for a better understanding of underlying issues and preventative approaches.
- Reaching disengaged young people: Members highlighted how some young people have become isolated from their communities and increasingly reliant on online relationships, requiring new approaches to engagement.
- Improving communication: Young people recommended using dedicated social media platforms and apps to promote local activities, opportunities and safe spaces.
- Youth involvement in communications: A proposal was made for the Council's Communications Team to introduce an apprenticeship scheme, enabling young people to help create content and reach their peers more effectively.
- Understanding perceptions of safety: Discussions with the Police Superintendent explored knife crime, young people's fear of violence and the difference between actual crime figures and negative perceptions shaped by media and social media reporting.
The forum included contributions from:
- Luke Dillon – Police Superintendent
- Chris Rowney – Head of Croydon's Violence Reduction Network
- Joel Pace – Participatory Team
- Anastacia Amofa – Council Communications
- Daniella Sykes – Student Researcher

The forum created a meaningful opportunity for young people to challenge existing approaches, present recommendations and engage directly with senior decision-makers and professionals responsible for community safety.

Key impacts included:
- Influencing decision-makers: Young people's recommendations were discussed directly with council, police and community safety representatives.
- Shaping preventative approaches: Highlighting the importance of understanding root causes rather than relying solely on reactive interventions.
- Improving youth engagement: Bringing attention to the need for innovative ways to reach socially isolated and digitally connected young people.
- Promoting digital youth participation: Introducing ideas for young people to help shape council communications and improve awareness of local opportunities.
- Challenging perceptions: Encouraging a more informed conversation about knife crime, community safety and how negative media narratives influence young people's perceptions.
- Strengthening youth voice: Demonstrating that young people can actively question, challenge and contribute to decisions alongside professionals and senior leaders.
Ultimately, the forum demonstrated the power of meaningful youth participation. Young people were not simply invited to share their views; they were given the opportunity to challenge established thinking, influence discussions and put forward practical recommendations for making Croydon safer and more inclusive.