We need to support local young people to have a voice and to express their views and priorities about community safety

This week’s short blog is a call out to all 11 -18-year-olds who live or are connected to Camelon and Tamfourhill. I have begun having street conservations with groups of local young people and I have been encouraging them to complete the young peoples community safety survey: Lets Make Camelon and Tamfourhill a safer and happier place to live. The main issues in the survey, include being safe outdoors in parks, MUGAS and the street, Social Media, travelling about the area and asking what topics or issues  would be most useful to learn about through further information sessions and workshops. There is a prize of 4 cinema tickets for a lucky person who has submitted a completed survey, it only takes 5 minutes, and it is the starting point for involving local young people with the new community safety strategy. The strategy through listening to local young people can facilitate new opportunities, services, and activities for  young people . The core of this approach is to promote young people’s wellbeing and to empower them to develop and organises the activities that would be best suited to their needs and aspirations. Here is the link :      

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/D686J6H

Please pass this link  onto any young people you know and who would be prepared to fill in the survey and there will be further opportunities ,if they are interested, to get more involved with and help design some new  local community safety projects.

Last weeks blog focussed on the long summer holidays and how that can be a risky time for our young people as they push their own and other peoples boundaries. My watchwords were “Look out for your mates” After the tragic loss of life in Scotland over the last weekend due to drowning I felt it was appropriate to repeat some of the campaign materials that I published last week, these were: https://www.fearless.org/campaigns/Scotland-summer

The good  mental health and  wellbeing of our local youth population are critical in making our wider community a safe and enjoyable place to live, so  over the coming months I will be highlighting some specific youthful issues that are raised by local young people as they reflect upon their own local community and personal safety.