Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit Hope Hack 2023
We held the first ever Kent Hope Hack on the 28th February 2023 in collaboration with Hope Collective who are hosting these nationally as part of the legacy of Damilola Taylor. The plan was to generate ideas and allow young people to explore and develop innovative solutions in relation to the societal challenges they face. Initially we intended to invite 120 young people however this grew to over 170! With further demand we are now looking at hosting another Hope Hack event.
The information received from the Hope Hack sessions has been collected and will feed into the National "Reimagined Report". This document will be taken to the Government to help give the young people a voice to push for change. We will be keeping the young people updated with the outcome of this report later in the year.
The event facilitated breakout rooms throughout the day with the aim to get young people thinking about the issues they are facing and what they believe we should be doing to tackle them. Four key themes were selected by young people across Kent and Medway for the day which were decided by young people from across Kent and Medway.
The subjects were:
- Mental and Physical
- Health, Inequality and Poverty
- Racism and Division
- Community Safety
The Kent Hope Hack event was hosted by young people from Kent County Council Youth Council and included keynote speakers and supporters including Paul Canoville (ex-Chelsea Football player), Commando Chef MBE (uses food as a platform to educate, engage and inspire) and “ACTING UP” from Homewood school who performed “It’s about your son”. This is a script written and donated by an Eastenders screenwriter to highlight the consequences of knife crime.
Winning idea - PHSE educational programme for primary aged students that addresses racism and divisions within our communities in Kent. There was a general feeling that this type of education comes much too late in the school curriculum.
Winning idea – To have an area on a website especially for young people who have been or continue to be affected by violence. They want somewhere to seek advice and support and to feel confident to speak out about issues they are facing. They want more positive social media sites that can help spread a better message for the way in which people should be treated. It was felt too many young boys are negatively influenced by what they see and share on social media.
All the ideas however will help the Police and other organisations to shape the work being done to protect people. This gives the younger generation a voice and helps to ensure a safer future.
