The voice of young people in Portsmouth is a top priority for 16 year old Maheep Kaur, a member of Portsmouth’s Youth Cabinet and the city’s elected Member of UK Youth Parliament. Maheep recently met with two local Members of Parliament, Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, and Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, to discuss the important issues impacting young people in the city.

In October, Maheep met with Stephen Morgan MP to discuss the Youth Cabinet’s priorities, as well as the concerns raised by local young people through their recent surveys and consultations. As Portsmouth MYP Maheep makes it a top priority to understand in-depth the issues and challenges that young people in the city face, as well as hearing their thoughts on how those obstacles and situations can be overcome. 

Maheep commented: 

The meeting was extremely pleasing, I really enjoyed it! I appreciated how Stephen adjusted his busy schedule to meet with me. I’m glad I had the opportunity to discuss ideas and actions that can make a real difference for young people. I was really excited when Stephen offered me the chance to spend a day with him. I’m looking forward to experiencing this and to experience what his day looks like as a MP.”

The in-depth discussion covered many topics that young people care about, and also allowed Stephen to discuss his priorities as both an MP and Minister, particularly his work on establishing Youth Hubs across the city. The meeting provided an opportunity for Maheep to engage in a productive dialogue around the initiatives that are most important to the young people that she engages with on a daily basis.

Maheep meets with MP Stephen Morgan at Unloc’s Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space

MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan said:

“It’s been really helpful to hear from Maheep about the issues that young people in Portsmouth are facing as well as those which the Youth Cabinet are prioritising. Young people are the future of our city, our jobs market, and our economy, but I believe have not been provided with enough opportunities for a long time.”

“One of my priorities since being elected is to ensure Portsmouth young people are given the support, training and opportunities that they need to succeed and grow. I am pleased to see the work My Future in Portsmouth Youth Hub is doing to support more young people in my community, and help them into the world of work.”

Maheep later sat down with MP Amanda Martin at the end of November to share the results of the recent Make Your Mark Survey, a key tool used to understand the concerns of young people across the UK. 

During the meeting, Maheep talked at length with Amanda about the results of the survey, and of the differing thoughts and opinions of the young people that took part. Maheep also highlighted the formation of the Youth Cabinet’s subgroups, with a particular focus on the Crime and Safety subgroup. 

The important topics discussed included ensuring safety for women and girls in Portsmouth, the potential of police presence in schools to enhance safety and reassurance, and the importance of restorative justice practices. 

Maheep with MP Amanda Martin

Maheep also introduced Amanda to the work of Unloc, our non-for-profit which originated in Portsmouth, and works around the country with young people to encourage youth voice, social action and entrepreneurship. 

Unloc, working with Portsmouth City Council also facilitate the Primary Council of Portsmouth Students (PCoPS) and the Council of Portsmouth Students (CoPS), powerful youth forums which help young people to positively impact and shape the city’s education. Maheep explored opportunities for collaboration between the Youth Cabinet and these student forums to engage younger children across the city. 

Reflecting on the meeting, Maheep said, 

It was lovely to meet Amanda for the first time and talk about our focuses. I really appreciate Amanda’s time and her willingness to support young people. I’m happy I was able to go over crime and safety topic, which is one of the subgroups from the three that Portsmouth Youth Cabinet is working on. It was lovely to hear an invitation for the Portsmouth Youth Cabinet to visit Amanda’s office once it’s been settled completely!

Both meetings mark a continued commitment to fostering strong connections between Portsmouth’s young people and local policymakers, with a focus on addressing their most pressing concerns and creating positive change in the community. 

Having this direct communication with political leaders and young people can only serve to strengthen the voice of young people, ensuring that their concerns are heard and that the right opportunities in society are available to them,

For more information about the Youth Cabinet and their initiatives, please contact: [email protected] 

The ballots are counted, the seats are filled, and collectively, the entire country is waiting to see how the new government kicks into gear. It’s been a tumultuous time, a different election to any we’ve experienced before. So what did we, as specialists supporting young people to be changemakers, learn during this period? 

The General Election was an eye opener for many of us, and the Academic sector was no exception. Working with young people in schools and colleges across the country each day, we have seen young people more interested and invested in political debate during this year’s election (and whilst the data is not yet readily available, it’s expected that the chasm between 18-24 year olds and 65+ in terms of voter turnout will have shrunk).

‘Why is that?’ That’s a complicated question. There’s no doubt that we live in complex times, and young people – more than many other sections of society, have faced huge disruptions to their lives over the past four years, especially because of the Covid19 pandemic. Whilst many workers nationwide were furloughed, young people were expected to carry on and achieve just as much – all be it from the safety of their home, or behind protective screens, masks and social distancing in schools. 

From their routines being abandoned, their educations hugely impacted, confinement inside the house during lockdowns, and perhaps most importantly – being isolated from their friends and peers at a time when socialisation is so vitally important to their development, their mental health and their sense of general wellbeing.

Add to this the perception of a lack of job opportunities and work experience for young people, housing costs soaring, waiting lists for mental health assessments and counselling reaching three years, Brexit and the Cost of Living crisis – many young people have felt like they’ve been strapped into a rollercoaster and thus (in the main) did one of two things; the majority engaged in this general election with vigour, energy and interest particularly motivated by their own recent rollercoaster-like lived experiences, or sadly, they disconnected altogether.

Our Changemaker Moments: Election Special event in London

Indeed this was never more evident here than during the series of televised election debates and Question Time specials, where the British public were witness to shouting, accusations, fingers in people’s faces, and aggressive and confrontational behaviour that many young people found surprising. In the build up to the election, we showed the BBC’s Election Debate highlights reel to hundreds of young people and the near-unanimous response was shock – is this how we ‘do’ politics in this country?

This feeling was emboldened by the campaign’s reliance on rhetoric; where conflation and confusion between what is truthful, facts or policy is mainstream. This ran counter to many of the young people I spoke to in the build up to 4th July, who were genuinely interested in talking about and debating the issues and policies that matter to them the most. 

I think young people expected more from the National Debate around the future of our country – yearned for more meaningful conversation and discussion. With Unloc’s Public Speaking and Debating programme as one of our core offers, we’ve shown young people for over a decade how to have constructive debate, embrace nuance and compassionately and considerately engage with people and situations where a difference of opinion is apparent. 

Our Changemaker Moments: Election Special event in Portsmouth

At Unloc we proudly play an impartial role in connecting young changemakers to policymakers, politicians and activists – giving them access to those in society that can help make a difference, and helping to create platforms for young people’s voices to be heard. With the General Election announced far earlier than anyone expected, we recognised this eagerness in young people to be actively involved in what was happening, and identified that they had little platforms to do so. Whilst lots of these young people won’t have been old enough to vote this time around – it was evident that they have plenty to say about our future society. 

MP Stephen Morgan at our Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space for our Election Special


So, during the build up to the General Election, we invited young people from across our network to attend a series of events that provided space for them to meet with representatives from all major parties – and discuss, face to face,  the issues they care about most.

Events were held in our Changemaker Studios: Westminster space and also in our Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space, where respected members from the Labour Party, The Conservatives, The Green Party, The Liberal Democrats and Reform UK agreed to take part and face tough questions from young people in person. These events were the brainchild of Unloc’s Youth Board – instead of a traditional hustings or question time event, they wanted to give young people dedicated time with candidates in small groups, enabling discussions and conversations that go beyond the soundbites.

Young people engaging face to face with Labour MP Stephen Morgan at our Portsmouth event
We were honoured to meet the Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer
and talk with him face to face about his priorities

As the new Labour Government kicks into gear over the coming months, we know that Unloc can continue to play a powerful role in connecting young changemakers with the policymakers that serve them. We met the Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, a few months ago, and pressed the message that the new Government needs to invest in young people as changemakers and directly invest in their ideas; unlocking their potential to be drivers of social progress and change.

Over the next five years, Unloc will continue to push to ensure young people are front and centre of future government policy.

We will continue to take an active part in giving young people a voice, connecting them with government and politics, with speaking and debating, and with leadership –  and through our workshops, programmes, Changemaker grants and Changemaker Studios spaces –  we will scale our support available to young people who step up as Changemakers.

Hayden Taylor is the 27-year old Chief Executive of Unloc

.

Inspiring Change was our hugely successful programme we held last Summer in partnership with the Peer Action Collective, Youth Options, Artswork and the Youth Endowment Fund.

Our young changemakers took part in a wide range of fun activities from problem solving challenges to confidence building games. Their main aim was to decide what mattered to them and develop social action projects aimed at tackling the issue of youth violence.

There was also the chance for young people to apply for funding of between £1000 and £3000 to support the project they designed and planned.

.

Young people on the Inspiring Change programme enjoying one of our fun team building activities

.

This free programme was an 8 month experience for 15-19 year olds living in Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh and Totton. Groups developed plans around knife crime, bullying, and youth violence (to name but a few) with one member going on to win an award at the PAC Awards in the Autumn, and a group winning the Campaign of the Month Award last month from Billboard Media!

Katie Reid took part in the Inspiring Change programme and her group ‘See the difference’ created an awareness campaign about bullying and how to get help and support. Katie and her team mate Sasha were later invited to the House of Commons to speak about their impressive project at the PAC Parliamentary Event, Katie’s been kind enough to share her thoughts with us:

.

“When I look back at who I was just over a year ago I can’t believe i’m the same person. I first got involved with Unloc through the Inspiring Change project in Summer 2022. I was really nervous about doing it initially, I had a pretty rough time at school due to bullying, and I was very shy and often didn’t speak up or share my opinions.

.

The Inspiring Change programme included a wide range of activities, from fun games and sports, building challenges, paintball and problem solving tasks – all aimed at inspiring ideas and building confidence in young people to create positive change.

.

The Inspiring Change programme absolutely changed my life, it opened so many doors for me inside my own head, showing me that I have a voice, what I can be capable of, that I can speak up, I can speak passionately, I can come up with ideas of my own and actually create change around me in the world. 

I feel a lot more confident in my future since completing the programme, and I think I’m more likely to be successful now too because I actually know what I am capable of. In March this year I attended the PAC parliamentary event which was held in the House of Commons. I attended with one of the amazing Unloc Facilitators and my Inspiring Change project partner Sasha. We were so excited and a little nervous – as it was our first-time taking part in an event like this, and neither of us had been to the House of Commons before. 

.

Sasha (left) and Katie (right) outside the Houses of Parliament

.

Knowing we were going to speak in such a prestigious place was so daunting, I can’t lie, but if there’s one i’ve learnt during my time with Unloc it’s that just because something is scary it doesn’t mean you can’t do it! You have to believe in yourself and your capabilities.

If you’d told me a year ago that i’d speak in the House of Commons I would have laughed in your face!

When we first arrived at Parliament we were surprised at how big and busy it was. There were a range of guests invited including, MPs, reporters, and business representatives. Once we were allowed into the meeting room Sasha and I talked to the invited guests and discussed our Unloc project. 

We explained that we are passionate about helping teachers to notice the subtle signs of bullying so that they can ensure young people have the support they so desperately need. The guests all seemed to be truly interested and intrigued about what we had to say.

After a bit it was time for the speeches. I had prepared what I was going to say before I went, but that actually went out the window a little, as I found that when I was stood in front of everyone it was actually better to speak from the heart. 

.

Katie spoke from the heart and delivered an impactful speech which touched everyone attending

.

I spoke about the research and findings that we had gained from our project, my personal feelings and experiences of bullying, what we have achieved so far, and what we hope to achieve in the future. Once I got into the flow the words just came out, I guess because it’s something I know first hand so well, the words came from the heart. 

To have all these important people hearing my story and acknowledging what I, and millions of others have gone through due to bullying was so empowering, and finally I was able to give something back and do something to help other young people like me.

I feel so proud that I was asked to take part in this event, and although I was still nervous – the feelings of achievement afterwards were worth all the nerves. I never would have ever believed i’d do something like this.

.

.

From taking part, I feel that my confidence and self-belief have increased. I was able to stand up in front of a room of strangers and talk about my lived experience and how I hope to help others avoid going through a similar bullying situation.

People under-estimate the damage that bullying does, and the long-term damage it has on people’s mental health and confidence, more needs to be done to combat bullying and i’m proud to be a small part of that.

My communications and networking skills have been developed hugely from this experience and as a result of sharing our passion and ideas. This is definitely a life event that I will always remember as one of the first stepping stones to my future.

.

Katie Reid

.

Find out more about our Inspiring Change programme by clicking here!

Are you being bullied or feeling depressed or anxious?

Always talk to a trusted adult for advice if you’re being bullied or harassed. A parent, guardian, teacher, older family member or trusted adult.

Here are some free mental health support services that you can also access for help, advice or for someone to talk to:

Young Minds – support for children and young people

STEM4 – supporting teenagers with their Mental Health

NHS – Mental Health support for children and young people

The Mix – support for the Under 25’s

Beware of lurking Trolls – support and free resources for younger children

.

Download our free changemaker toolkit