Our Priorities

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Raise awareness of the different types of mental health issues and reduce the stigma and stereotypes surrounding mental health, particularly for young men.
• Hold open, non-judgemental conversations with young people about their experiences and promote positive mental health.
• Explore what mental health support services are available to young people, and the barriers faced in accessing services, particularly for those not in education.
• Promote mental health as a medical issue, not criminal, and support stronger mental health training for front-line police.

Online Safety

• Raise awareness of various forms of exploitation and risk young people are exposed to online, including the early warning signs to look out for.
• Investigate young people’s experiences with misinformation and hate speech online and how this impacts their views and perceptions.
• Explore the impact of social media on mental health and promote appropriate support services.
• Work with the PFCC and Police to assist authorities in engaging more effectively with young people online.

Relationships with Police and Authorities

• Act as Ambassadors to support police and young people in building new, positive relationships by emphasising the importance of respect and communication from both sides.
• Raise awareness of stop and search rights amongst young people and scrutinise North Yorkshire Police’s use of ‘Stop and Search’ and ‘Use of Force’.
• Represent the voice of young people to NYP and NYFRS and investigate the treatment of young people by authorities.
• Explore young people’s experiences of diversion from crime and understand what barriers they face in successful prevention.

Drugs, Gangs and County Lines

• Highlight and promote the voice of young people with lived experience of drug abuse, gangs, or county lines and open the conversation for young people to seek support.
• Promote harm reduction approaches on the topic of drug use amongst young people, and work with partner organisations to improve education on the impacts of drug use.
• Raise awareness of the impact and early warning signs of county lines and gang exploitation amongst young people.
• Explore young people’s opinions and experiences of vaping and understand what actions young people would like to see taken by authorities.

Discrimination

• Explore the impacts of discrimination and unconscious bias within the police and authorities on young people, with a particular focus on marginalised and underrepresented groups.
• Raise awareness of hate crime, mate crime, and discrimination faced by young people, including incidents that sometimes go unrecognised.
• Encourage victims and witnesses to report discrimination and hate crime and explore what barriers they may face in doing so.
• Work directly with and share the voice of young people with lived experience of discrimination to support and empower others.

Gender Violence and Safer Streets

• Investigate and listen to young people’s experience of spiking, harassment, and violence in public spaces and promote existing safety initiatives.
• Educate the OPFCC and partners on young people’s experience of gender violence.
• Challenge ‘lad culture’ and other environments that accept and minimise the impacts of VAWG.
• Ensure a non-victim blaming approach throughout conversations on gender violence.