Findings of 'Biggest Youth Survey' to be unveiled at FREE Regent Theatre event

Significant results from the biggest survey of young people ever undertaken in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire will be revealed at a Youth Celebration Day.

More than 3,000 young people aged between 10 and 24 responded to the survey led by YMCA North Staffordshire in partnership with the University of Staffordshire and Keele University.

Its aims were to understand what young people like and dislike about living in Stoke-on-Trent, to explore their hopes and worries for the future; to identify what helps them and what doesn’t and to use the findings to inform youth-centred policy and practice in the city.

The report - What matters to us: a consultation with children and young people in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire – makes crucial reading and is a call to action to policy makers and everyone involved in supporting and caring for young people.

It reveals their thoughts on provision of leisure and creative spaces, safety, diversity, facilities and green spaces, financial security, employment, education and training, local services and transport.

It delivers significant detail on the online world, transition into adulthood and health and wellbeing.

Report authors Zsofia Majer and Emma Head say in their executive summary: “The young people of Stoke-on-Trent have a nuanced and hopeful vision for their futures.

“While they face real challenges, they also offer valuable insights and a strong desire to improve their communities. Listening to them is not only a matter of inclusion, it is essential for shaping a city where all young people can thrive.

“This report calls on local leaders, service providers, and institutions to take these voices seriously and work collaboratively to make Stoke-on-Trent a better place for its youth.”

The event takes place at The Regent Theatre, Hanley, on July 15  between 10:00 and 15:00 and includes a programme of live performances, workshops and keynote speakers, many of them young people.

Schools, colleges and universities, local authorities, MPs, businesses, community groups and charities are already signed up to the free event. 

Places can be booked here.

Nicky Twemlow, Director of Communities & Partnerships at YMCA North Staffordshire, said: “I have had the absolute privilege of working with young people for the past 20 years and their ideas and input never ceases to amaze me.   

“Young people want to contribute, they want to be involved, we just need to hear them and create the correct environments to include them. 

“This consultation provides great insight in how we can do that and the event gives us the option to share these important learnings.

“I’d like to thank the Ambassador Group and all at The Regent Theatre for supporting this event.”

In her foreword to the report, Youth Gov. Team Member Amy Murray, 26, said: “At YMCA North Staffordshire, we believe that young people are the experts in their own lives.

“Their voices and experiences are vital in shaping services that are truly meaningful and effective. That’s why we are proud to have led the largest city-wide youth consultation ever undertaken in Stoke-on-Trent & North Staffordshire.

“This consultation has reinforced what we already believed: that young people want to be heard, and they have clear and insightful views on how to make their communities better.

“We want to thank all the young people who took part, and the partners who helped us deliver this ambitious project. Now, it’s time to turn listening into action.”