Making it Real – Transforming the future for Leicester's Teenagers

Some of the most important and challenging targets we have to meet in the city's Local Area Agreement are about helping today’s teenagers fulfil their potential to become successful and happy adults – as future employees, employers, parents and

citizens of the city.

On the 3rd October 2008 the Leicester Partnership held an event for people working with young people in the public and voluntary sector, to get their input into planning and commissioning to meet these targets.

The key topics and targets that the event focussed on are:

• reducing teenage pregnancy;

• getting more 16-19 year olds into education employment or training; and

• reducing anti social behaviour.

The event was hosted by Philip Parkinson, the Chair of the Leicester Partnership, and speakers and facilitators included Sheila Lock - Chief Executive of the Council, Ross Wilmott - Leader of the Council and Andrew Bunyan - Corporate Director for Children and Young People.

As with the previous 'Making it Real' event, the day was highly partcipative and good fun, but also produced a considerable volume of ideas and input from people working directly with young people themselves. Two young people from Active Youth in Highfields, Puja Ramji and Swaybah Hussein, gave their perspectives on the issues at the start of each discussion. 

One of the clear messages coming out of the event was the need for a transformation in perceptions of young people, and in how young people are portrayed in the media.  As a result Sheila Lock, Leicester City Council’s Chief Executive pledged to write to all local media to ask them to rally round to do their bit to challenge negative perceptions and to include young people’s voices in the media as well.

You can download the conference report, the letter to local media, the presentation slides and facilitator's notes below.