Sadiq Khan invites young Londoners to share plans to tackle violence and racism

Hundreds of young people gathered at the London Stadium to put forward their ideas and solutions to some of the capital’s biggest challenges.

The London Hope Hack event brought 250 14-25 year olds together to share their plans to tackle key societal issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, education, mental health and racism.

The ideas that were put forward throughout the day will form part of a Voice of Young Londoners report for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

During the event, which was also attended by former West Ham, Chelsea and England striker Carlton Cole, Khan announced that the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has opened applications for a new cohort to join its agenda-setting Young People’s Action Group (YPAG).

The YPAG is a group of young Londoners with lived experiences of violence, exploitation and school exclusion, that works alongside the VRU to ensure funding, programmes and policies work for and are shaped by young people.

Reannah Britto, a member of the VRU’s Young People’s Action Group, said: “Young people have ideas, views and solutions to the issues and challenges facing us.

“They need a platform and that’s what we do.

“We work to ensure young people’s voices are heard and involved in decision-making.

“It’s fantastic that the Mayor of London has asked us to help capture those views at London Hope Hack to ensure decisions he makes in tackling key issues in our city continue to be informed by the views of young people.”

Khan added ahead of the event: “Your background, social class and skin colour should have no bearing on how safe you feel in your neighbourhood or what you can go on to achieve.

“That’s why I set up London’s VRU – the first in England and Wales – to support young people in fulfilling their potential and to ensure they have access to thousands of positive opportunities.

“I’m really looking forward to the London Hope Hack and hearing from young people about the challenges they face and the ideas and solutions they propose, because I’m committed to building a safer and fairer London for everyone.”

West Ham ambassador, Carlton Cole, said:“It’s great to see a commitment from a range of organisations and services in supporting young people across London.

“The violence we are seeing affects all of us and so we all need to do our part in helping to improve the situation, particularly for young people, so they don’t feel forced into negative situations.

“I’m proud to be part of the work West Ham United Foundation are doing locally and also to be working with a team in Newham where we are looking to set up Be Heard As One to provide tailored support for young people.

“We believe all young people should have the same opportunities to be healthy and happy, no matter where they grow up, and this event is a good building block for the future.”

The event, supported by the Hope Collective and the National Citizen Service, follows others across the country, including Greater Manchester, Reading, the Midlands and Glasgow.