Last week we held our second annual Youth Summit in Stockport Town Hall. 15 secondary schools and 2 colleges came together to consider mental health and wellbeing, with an aim for young people to share their ideas and views with key representatives at Stockport Council. It was an incredible day with around 150 young people, representing so many areas of Stockport all under one roof!
All the students were well-prepared for the day and eager to get started! Beth and Munji organised in-school sessions where they listened to what mattered most to young people, gave them the chance to share their thoughts on video, brainstormed questions for the panel, and helped them select their workshops. This solid preparation ensured that the day ran seamlessly as planned!
The L!STEN steering group contributed a huge amount of time and energy into the planning and success of this summit and it was lovely to see the confidence they exuded when presenting on stage and leading activities for the room.
After a warm welcome and some icebreaker activities the young people who attended had a choice of workshops on various themes, including mental health & wellbeing, climate change, self-help, connectivity & musical creativity.
Similarly to last year we had a bustling marketplace full of opportunities for young people to learn about. It was great to see them make connections and have conversations with all the different organisations who attended.
This year we had a flash interview with councillors Tim Bowman (Director of Education) and Philippa Johnson (Deputy Place Lead) from the senior leadership team of Stockport Council, and a youth panel. Well done to the council representatives who were faced with super strict time limits from our L!STEN interviewers Logan and Ellie. The youth panel did an excellent job in answering honestly and openly in a room full of 200 people!
At the end of the day, everyone wrote a pledge outlining what they would be doing to help their own and others mental health and wellbeing. This reflective exercise has given a small insight into how the day has had an impact on young people considering their own mental health.
Here are some examples of the pledges we received:
To support my own wellbeing, I will:
“Exercise daily and get enough fresh air.”
“Spend more time with friends and family in my free time.”
“Talk about my feelings, be active, be involved in my community, and keep healthy.”
“Have self-care days.”
“Start learning the piano again and get good at it again.”
“Not be afraid to ask for help and reach out for support.”
“Remember to notice the little things.”
To support the wellbeing of others, I will:
“Give more to others and focus on being kind and doing the right thing.”
“Be an ear to listen.”
“Make everyone feel included no matter their background.”
“Ensure others are aware of the 5 ways to feel good.”
“Help friends when they need me, talk to people who need help.”
“Spread happiness by being positive to everyone and trying to solve conflicts.”
“Reach out to the community and tell others that things are going on in our community.”
A taste of feedback from our attendees:
We enjoyed:
Debate & student panel
Music group – the pupils liked that it allowed them to be creative.
Workshops & marketplace.
The setting!
What would you improve if you were to take part again?
Would like to see more colleges involved.
Speakers relating to the audience more with their own stories of challenge or issues that have affected them.
Less talking and more creative workshops.
Please tell us one special thing about today:
Fun environment, debating, enjoyed interacting with marketplace, lunch was lovely!
Opportunity to come to such a grand venue and see wider picture of Stockport.
Everyone was so kind. We got to experience other high schools. We felt like we were heard.
All our students are glad they came!
Munji (PIE) had this to say, 'This year's Youth Summit was such a joy to be a part of. At PIE we're always advocating youth voice and trying to get young people into spaces and have opportunities that they ordinarily wouldn't - this day encompasses why this needs to happen more often! They represented their communities and schools so well and spoke eloquently and passionately about all things mental health and wellbeing. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!'
All of us at PIE would like to express our gratitude to all the volunteers, L!STEN group members, workshop leaders, market place stalls, schools and council members who contributed to the huge success of this event. We can’t wait for next year!
Comments